Tiny Countries That Pack a Big Punch

Although I haven't visited all of these places... actually, I have only visited one - Monaco... many are on my list (especially Malta, Grenada, and the Maldives).  Check out the list from Lonely Planet:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/monaco/travel-tips-and-articles/76547?affil=lpemail

World's Most Expensive Cities

This list is fascinating to me.  I have never visited Japan, Norway, or Sweden, where many of the most expensive global cities are located.  Doesn't deter me one bit... just interesting to see:

http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110608/world-s-most-expensive-cities-2011/

The Most Colorful Places on Earth (according to Bing Travel)

Now this is what I call a fun article!

 http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=The+Most+Colorful+Places+on+Earth%3a+Manarola%2c+Italy&cid=msn1185062&form=HPTRAV&gt1=41000

World's Prettiest Places... (according to Yahoo Travel)

I can think of a lot of places to add to this list!  It's so neat to learn about new places, though... Plitvice Lakes National Park looks GORGEOUS!  I have always wanted to go to Croatia!  Enjoy:

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-39456339

World's Best Ruins

Just saw one of these last week (the Colosseum)!!!

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40006586

Baby leopards, bear found in bags at Thai airport

How big were this guy's suitcases???

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110513/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_leopards_in_luggage

Kid-Friendly Resorts in and around the U.S.

Until now, my blog has focused mainly on travel for adults.  But, as many of our best friends are finding out, it's not as easy to pick up and globe-trot when you've got a tot! 
I found this slideshow on Bing Travel this morning and many of these resorts sound really cool... some are even affordable!
http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=12+Resorts+Where+Kids+Rule%3a+Hotel+del+Coronado%2c+San+Diego&FORM=TRSSPG

Wrapping up the Holiday in Rome

After a few heavenly sun-soaked days on the Amalfi Coast, on Sunday we took a ferry from Positano to Salerno, then a train from Salerno to Rome.  The two-hour train ride got us there early in the afternoon, with plenty of time to walk around and enjoy the city.
The weather this year was much warmer than it was around this time last year, when we were in Rome for our honeymoon.  Our hotel was very well-situated, being a few blocks from Termini and within a 10-minute walk of the Trevi Fountain.  We dropped our bags off at the hotel, then strolled over to the Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum.  This city never ceases to amaze me with its energy and its mix of ancient history and the modern world.  Where else can you walk down one street that is lined with glass storefronts and whizzing cars, then walk two blocks over and come face-to-face with a crumbling 2000-year-old wall?  Incredible.
After a delicious dinner at La Matriciana, across from the opera house (Roberto enjoyed pasta carbonara again, I had white lasagna with artichokes), we headed in pretty early.  To catch our 11:00am flight we had to leave for the airport at 8:00am. 
Now we're home.  Although another dream vacation has come to an end, it is always nice to come home... vacations rejuvenate you and make you ready to head back to the real world.  And... plan your next vacation.

The Amalfi Coast

We arrived in Positano yesterday morning after a ferry ride that we almost did not think was going to depart!  It is interesting how, when looking over the sea from our balcony at the Hotel Bristol in Sorrento, we had no idea how choppy the water was (much like it was a couple of days ago when the Blue Grotto was closed at Capri because of choppy water).  By the time we got down to the port in Sorrento, the wind was whipping and the waves were rolling.  Luckily, we were able to depart on time!
Positano is, in my opinion, one of the most enchanting little towns on the Amalfi Coast... although I found my very favorite today (more about that in a moment).  It is bustling enough that you do not get bored, but peaceful enough, especially at night after the day trippers leave, that you can enjoy a quiet dinner overlooking the lapping sea and hear the sea perfectly.  However, you have options!  Yesterday we spent the day exploring the town... our hotel, the Marincanto, is extremely well located at the top of a hill overlooking the town but still within a quick walk of the center.  After taking a couple hours to relax in our cliffside pool and sunbathe, we headed back down to the town center, by the harbor, to enjoy a late dinner at Chez Black.  This is not a quiet place to eat, being right on the main promenade next to the harbor, but the food was delicious, the service was great, there was excellent people watching (and lots of people to watch), and all of the diners were serenaded by a traditional Italian quartet.  Sounds cheesy, I know, but it was a lot of fun.
Today we slept in a bit, grabbed breakfast at the hotel, and caught the SITA bus to Amalfi.  Driving the Amalfi Coast is an experience in itself, but not as scary (to me at least) as lots of people make it out to be.  Of course, I have never driven it myself, and I give a lot of credit to those who do, but I am content to ride the bus and let someone else drive! 
Once we arrived in Amalfi, we immediately boarded an open air bus to Ravello, a place I cannot BELIEVE I have never visited before.  It is exactly the kind of place I love... achingly beautiful with the most gorgeous vistas I have ever seen in my life, an orange and lemon tree shaded main square anchored by a centuries old church bordered by outdoor eateries, and countless winding stone walkways along the hilly terrain.  I especially enjoyed the fact that there were hardly any vehicles driving through the town.  My favorite parts of Ravello were the gardens of Villa Rufulo and Villa Cimbrone... absolutely breathtaking... I have never seen vistas like those in my life.  Next time we visit, Roberto and I will make sure to spend at least one night here.
We spent a short time in Amalfi before hopping back on the SITA bus to Positano.  Years ago, I visited Amalfi and did a quick tour of the town, but I did not take the time to tour the magnificent duomo and cathedral here.  Absolutely amazing!  We definitely took the time out to see it this time, and it was well worth the visit.
As soon as we arrived back in Positano, we headed out to walk around town on the western side of the harbor, which we did not get to see much of yesterday.  What a treat!  This area, around Spiaggia Fornillo, is much more residential and quieter.  After a hike down 370 cliffside steps we found a wonderful little restaurant that was highly recommended by Fodors... Lo Guarracino.  Built into the cliff, this romantic little place was quiet and offered a fantastic view of the Mediterranean Sea and a medieval looking watchtower.  Roberto finally got his carbonara pasta he has been craving, and I enjoyed some pasta in lemon cream sauce, very typical to this area.
After dinner we walked down to Spiaggia Grande, the main harbor... if we had only known how much easier it would be to get to Lo Guarracino from here, we may not have taken our original route, but oh well... it is all part of the adventure!  We wound up at La Zacara, a little sweet shoppe, for cappuccino and pastries, and now we are back at the hotel to relax.  Tomorrow we plan to do more relaxing by the pool!

Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii

As always, southern Italy is gorgeous and never ceases to amaze me.  We got here about midday on Monday after landing in Rome, and the transfer (train from the Rome airport to the Termini train station to Napoli, then a car transfer from Napoli to Sorrento) was quick and easy.
As soon as we got to Sorrento, we decided to take a walk around town to wake ourselves up.  Sorrento is much larger than I remember it, but of course the last time I was here was nearly 10 years ago!  Pretty crazy that right after I visited in 2001, the World Trade Center was attacked, then we learned about the death of Bin Ladin while we were at the harbor in Sorrento on Monday.  As we were exploring our ferry options for a trip to Capri, we started talking to an English gentleman who told us about it.  Our waiter at Ristorante Caruso Monday night also talked about it to us for a while.  It is big news, even in this dreamy little seaside town that feels light years away from New York City.
Monday night we slept fitfully, partially because of our sleep schedule but there was also a rough thunderstorm that blew through the area.  That was fine, because by mid morning on Tuesday we had beautiful weather... sunny but breezy, perfect for a ferry trip over to Capri!  I was looking forward to showing Roberto the Blue Grotto and Capri town.  However, the Blue Grotto was closed because of high tide, so we took a boat ride around the island.  This was something I did not get to do on my last trip, and although the water was really choppy on the Anacapri side it was a GREAT trip!  Such a fantastic place, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch at one of the restaurants at the top of the island in Capri.  Then back to Sorrento, and pizza for dinner... one of the best wood fired pizzas I have had in a long time.
Today I spent the day in Pompeii, my very first time there.  Roberto preferred to stay here in Sorrento, so I took the Circumsuviana train the half hour ride to Pompeii around 11 this morning and returned around 2:30.  I was mesmerized by the advanced culture the Pompeiians enjoyed nearly 2000 years ago... running water, a class system, beautiful homes with gardens, and the oldest amphitheater in Italy (yes, built even before the Colisseum in Rome!).  Pompeii is huge; you can easily spend all day here, but I took a 2 hour tour and saw most of the highlights in that time.  Simply amazing.  There was even a preserved dog that was straining against its chain, trying to break loose when the ash descended upon the town and killed everyone.  It was a tragic place, but I am very glad to have had the opportunity to see it.  It blows my mind that so many people still live around the base of Mount Vesuvius when it is still active and so dangerous, but I guess it is no different from people making their home in San Francisco or Miami.  Home is home.
Tonight is our last night in Sorrento!  In the morning we are off to Positano on the 10:30 AM ferry.

If These Walls Could Talk

In my eyes, there is nothing that lends an air of rich history to a city like an ancient wall enveloping it and protecting it from the rest of the world.  Roberto and I have wonderful memories of strolling the hills above Florence during our honeymoon last May, walking for hours along the winding gray cobblestoned streets, shielded by the matching medieval stone walls that rose around us.  The sights we saw along the way told a wonderful story of old and new, from 10th century churches crumbling along the roadside to the bursts of flaming red Tuscan poppies waving in the breeze.  I remember trailing my fingers along the ancient stones in the wall, worn smooth by time, and wondering if these walls could talk, what kinds of amazing stories would they tell?

I was so excited to see the story and pictorial below on Bing this afternoon: "Beautiful Walled Cities".  I was thrilled to see a couple that I have already had the pleasure of visiting, and added a bunch more to my "must-see" list (which gets longer and longer every day)!  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did:

http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Beautiful+Walled+Cities%3a+Naarden%2c+The+Netherlands&FORM=TRSSPG

Looks like we're not alone!

According to TripAdvisor, 51% of U.S. travelers are planning to visit Europe in 2011!  We're about a month out now... can't wait!!  Roberto just booked our hotel in Rome yesterday! 

Read more: http://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter-i4639-c1-Press_Releases.html

Travel Etiquette for People of All Nationalities

I always really enjoy articles on travel etiquette, and the one I came across this morning in USA Today is no different.  It amazes me to read through the actions that are considered rude in other countries and marvel at the near-misses I may have already avoided.  Of course, the flip side is that I cringe at the offenses I have already committed.  Don't wave to friends with an open palm in Greece?!  I probably ticked off countless people when I was there in 2001!
Read more at:
http://travel.usatoday.com/news/story/2011/03/Foreign-etiquette-for-Americans-A-guide-to-dos-and-donts-abroad-/45453144/1

Italy-Bound, Once Again!

We are so excited!  Last night we booked flights to Rome for a spring getaway in May.  We got a GREAT deal... just over $700 per ticket.  Can't beat that. 
We were just in Italy last May, so we went back and forth a little on whether we should go again, but Roberto has never been to the southern part of the country and it really is completely different from the northern or central areas.  So that is the plan... hop off the plane in Rome and head south, to the Amalfi Coast.  I haven't been to the Amalfi Coast in 10 years, and I'm REALLY excited!  More updates to come...

Christmas in Pennsylvania

We returned late last night after spending a snowy Christmas with my family in West Chester, Pennsylvania!
We left around 3:30 on Thursday and took a new route north, heading up along Highway 29 through North Carolina and Virginia, then continuing north on Highway 15 through northern Virginia and 30 east through Pennsylvania.  We spent Thursday night in Leesburg, Virginia, which we both loved!  Loudoun County, where Leesburg is located, is a bucolic haven of gently rolling farmland and Leesburg has a a historic 17th-century downtown area.  We also visited the premium outlets in Leesburg and did a little pre-Christmas damage. :)
I have been visiting my grandparents, aunt & uncle, and cousins in West Chester since they moved there in the late 80s and Roberto has been there several times for work and for family functions with me.  The Brandywine Valley area of the country was also settled in the 1800s, and there are plenty of historic landmarks to visit there.  I love all of the old stone structures and rolling countryside, although there are a lot more people there now than there were when my family first moved there.  The family has expanded in recent years, too, with my cousins' spouses and four great-granddaughters!  It was great to see everyone.  We did have to cut our trip a little short due to the enormous blizzard that worked its way up the East Coast yesterday.  We headed home early to beat the storm - and on our way back we missed it entirely thanks to our more western route - only to find the most snow we had seen when we returned to Greensboro!  Probably about 6 inches in places.
From now on, that's the route we'll take up to PA.  There were a lot of beautiful things to see along the way.  I already mentioned Leesburg, but we also drove straight through Amish Country and were amazed by the Amish riding in horse-drawn carriages along the roads.  We also stopped at the Bavarian Chef - just north of Charlottesville, VA - which I have ALWAYS wondered about when we drive past.  This authentic German restaurant serves some of the best Bavarian-style food in the northern VA/DC area, and we LOVED it!  We enjoyed roasted red pepper soup with lump crabmeat, an appetizer of three different kinds of wurst on top of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, and jaeger schnitzel as a main dish.
It was a memorable Christmas, over too soon as usual, but it makes it even more special when we get to visit everyone again. 

Thanksgiving in Miami

Where I grew up on eastern Long Island, New York, there was a chill in the air around Thanksgiving.  We may even have gotten some snow by this time!  Not in Miami.

Roberto and I arrived here on Thanksgiving day to temperatures in the high 80's, bright blue skies, and perfect beach weather!  We ate our Thanksgiving dinner al fresco with the family... American-style turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows... mmm.  We might be sitting underneath palm trees, but there is no mistaking those classic Thanksgiving dishes.

Roberto, Alberto and I got to see Alejandro's new place in Brickell... it is beautiful!  Floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the water.  Alex cooked us a delicious dinner on Friday night: stone crabs, pan-seared tuna tataki, escargot, and racks of lamb with asparagus.  I loved everything, but that was my first taste of stone crabs and it won't be my last.

We spent most of Saturday at Miami Beach with Abi's friends Alejandro and Missy.  It was a gorgeous day, a little overcast so the sun wasn't overbearing, but perfect beach weather.  Then after an afternoon of sun and sand we visited La Sandwicherie, just off the beach.  I had an amazing prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sandwich with cornichons on the side.

This is beginning to sound more like a food blog than a travel blog, but hey, we ate well in Miami!  (Always do!) On Sunday we visited Los Perros with Dulma for traditional Colombian fare: I had a sweet cheese arrepa with jugo de mora (blackberry juice, which I fell in love with in Costa Rica) and a delicious mixed appetizer made up of french fries, hard boiled quail eggs, fried potatoes, and pork belly. 

In between eating, Maria Elena, Alberto Francisco and I explored the beautiful, historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables while the boys played golf there.  The four-star resort dates from 1926 and boasts impeccably-maintained grounds, an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, an open-air courtyard and fountain, and a 23,000 square foot pool.  The hotel's centerpiece is its 93-foot tower, which is modeled after the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain.  For all of the hotel's beauty, my favorite things about it were the two giant bird cages in the lobby, filled with rainbow-colored finches.  We had mojitos poolside while we waited for the boys to finish playing golf, under palm fronds and stars. 

To me, Miami is a magical place with a very exotic feel to it.  I always hate to leave, but it makes it that much more exciting each time we get to go back.

Baltimore and Eastern Long Island

Just back from a long weekend jaunt to Baltimore and Long Island's East End!

I spent Thursday and Friday at the International Economic Development Council's Marketing Training conference at the Baltimore Sheraton City Center... a really informative, helpful event!  I also really enjoy spending time in Baltimore.  This was my second time visiting, the first time was two Christmases ago when Roberto and I stopped there for about an hour on the drive up to Pennsylvania.  Needless to say, there was a lot more action around the Inner Harbor this time around than there was on Christmas Eve 2008!  People were walking everywhere, the shops were full, and I really got the full effect of this gritty, historic city.  Baltimore was founded in 1729 and its Inner Harbor was once the second leading entry point for immigrants to the United States (after Ellis Island).  This was once a major manufacturing center, and although its economy is now geared more toward the service industry I could still feel its working class roots as I walked through the crowded streets.  I'm not sure everyone would agree, but it reminded me somewhat of a smaller New York.  Certain neighborhoods in New York.

After the conference, I made the easy flight up to Long Island's MacArthur Airport to spend the weekend with my parents.  Although it was chilly (the high on Saturday was 45-degrees and windy, when I'm used to the 70's in NC at this time of year), it was a perfect weekend to visit, I just missed the pumpkin picker traffic!  However, the winery tours are still in full swing.  I don't think there is ever a time of year anymore that there isn't traffic on Long Island, except maybe mid-winter!

We went for a walk along the dunes through my parents' neighborhood and the next neighborhood over.  I always forget how gorgeous Eastern Long Island is and it takes my breath away when I go back to visit. 

All in all, it was a relaxing weekend!  Lots of time spent reading by the fire with my little Bean curled up nearby (or walking around crying loudly... she is 16 years old and definitely in her twilight years, unfortunately).  Over too soon, but it was great to see my parents and Bean.

Charleston by Horse and Carriage

Although we originally intended to take a high-speed boat ride through Charleston's harbor yesterday, we were so charmed by the dozens of horse-and-carriages traversing the historic downtown area that we decided to do that instead.  Normally I'm not one to fall for the tourist-trap attractions - I have never been on a gondola in Venice, spent New Year's Eve in Times Square, or visited Las Vegas by choice - but this was really fun!  Our tour guide and our draft horse, Benjamin, took us around all of the old churches in town - including the beautiful Catholic cathedral - and through all of the narrow historic streets. 

We just wandered for the rest of the day, shopping at the market, re-tracing our carriage ride around King and Queen Streets, and picking up a caramel-covered rice krispie treat on-a-stick at Kilwin's to save for dessert.  Dinner was at Hank's Seafood Restaurant... I had an incredible bouillabaisse.  I can't believe I didn't have one of these when we were near Marseille in May, that's where bouillabaisse originated!

 It's good to know that Charleston is only about a 5 hour drive away... we'll be back! 

Charleston, SC: Historic and Hip!

Homes along the Battery

 Roberto and I arrived in Charleston, SC last night around 10 p.m. and headed straight to Pearlz Oyster Bar for a late-night snack and a few beers to celebrate our mini-vacation.  At first blush, Charleston is a college town, albeit a historic one, with tons of high-end restaurants and happening little bars peppered around East Bay Street, one of the main thoroughfares.

The albino gator never moved a muscle...

Today we walked across the entire city, and I realized what a truly unique jewel exists just 5 hours south of where we live in Greensboro, NC.  Many of the gorgeous historic homes were built in the mid-1700s and are still kept up to this day, some as bed-and-breakfasts, many as private residences.  As we wove our way on foot through the cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages full of tourists, strolling through the Spanish moss-draped live oaks in the park on the Battery and dipping our toes in several of the many fountains we encountered, we slowly fell in love with the rich Southern culture here.  The South Carolina Aquarium was incredible as well... loved the albino alligator!

We finished up our day with a leisurely dinner at Magnolia's... fried chicken livers and two seafood dishes topped off with a scrumptious creme brulee.  My fave!  After walking off our dinner for a couple of blocks we're falling asleep.  Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings here!

Dinner at Magnolia's... yum!

Evening in Raleigh

If we take a weekend trip it's typically to the beach or the mountains, but now that Carlton and Mary (and little Emme) are living in the Raleigh area we have a wonderful excuse for another place to visit! 

Mary, Kelly and I had a fun girls' night out while the boys stayed home with the baby.  We started the night out with tapas and ended up at Hibernian Pub.  Believe it or not, although we live only an hour away this is only the second or third time I've been to downtown Raleigh at night.  Fun town with lots to do, and good friends here now to boot!  We'll be back soon.