Some Common Sense with respect to Travel Security -- It's Not A Joke

Like other travelers I have dutifully removed my shoes , undergone being frisked by security personnel, put items from my purse in a plastic bag to be screened, removed my overcoat, jacket, jewelry etc., and placed it on belt, etc. etc.  And in doing so truly believed at some level that we were being made secure.  That all this inconvenience and depersonalization was worth it.  We were safe.

But when a man got on a plane the other day in the Netherlands and flew to the United States with the ability to blow a hole in the door of the plane with explosive material he carried with him,  the illusion of safety on a plane evaporated.  Moreover, the solutions the TSA has presented as further ways to protect flyers has finally tipped the patience of most travelers. While up until now, travelers have dealt with the added regulations with some forebearance, their tolerance has dried up with respect to the additional rules, which seem not only inconvenient and troublesome, but downright silly.

It hasn't taken some of the humor  tweeps long to make comments like:

@antderosa
New TSA regulation requires passengers must hold breath for the final hour of flight while humming “kumbaya”

@badbanana

I sure hope these incidents don’t hold up my wire transfer from Nigeria.

@petrillic
“TSA - Protecting you from yesterday, tomorrow.” #tsaslogans

@wilw
It’s only a matter of time before the TSA decides that passengers simply will not be permitted to board airplanes. You know, for safety.

@AlisonSWellner

I’m personally looking forward to spending the last hour of a flight glaring suspiciously at my fellow

What troubles me in the humor of this is that it's really not funny.  I am traveler.  I want to travel a lot.  I don't want to afraid to get on a plane.  I am willing to do whatever is reasonable to be made safe on my journeys. But I also, like most people,  have common sense.  And I know a pilot's refraining from telling me we are now flying over the Rockies or the Statue of Liberty isn't going to add to my safety.  I am fearful that new knee-jerk regulations will actually cause travelers to be more lax, and make it more difficult for airline personnel to manage basic safety.


I want to believe that many of the regulations that have been put in place have made travel safer. But I also know logically that the key is not enacting more rules about what can be done or not done on a plane.  It's keeping dangerous individuals off  planes to begin with. The individual who recently tried to set off an explosion on the Delta flight had been flagged by his own parent as a possible terrorist.   Why wouldn't he have been more closely scrutinized?  We, as travelers, have to insist that our government agencies develop better ways for screening potential threats and keeping them off planes instead of coming up with rules that just don't make sense.

.. Category: travel issue

The Algonquin - New York's Historic Grand Dame and First Hotel to Welcome Solo Women Travelers

On an afternoon in 1919 Edna Ferber, the novelist, arrived at the Algonquin Hotel in a new suit not unlike the one composer Noel Coward was wearing that day. "You look almost like a man," Noel said to her, "So do you," Ferber quickly retorted.

That story, among the many that tumble through the history of what is claimed to be New York's oldest operating hotel, makes for part of a legend that continues to draw bibliophiles, art and history lovers, and connoisseurs who know what makes life good.

Among the many gems that dot the hotel's quirky past include the follow factoids:

• William Faulkner wrote his 1950 Nobel Prize speech in a suite there


• The Oak Room in the Algonquin launched the careers of Harry Connick, Jr, Diana Krall, Andrea Marcovicci, Michael Finestein and many others


• Lerner and Lowe are said to have written My Fair Lady in Lerner's suite at the Algonquin


• Harold Ross secured funding for the New Yorker Magazine at the hotel from a fellow poker player


• Contrary to popular myth, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and their fellow Round Table members never drank at the Round Table because it was Prohibition


• The Algonquin is the home of the $10,000 martini. It comes with a piece of ice -- a diamond from the in-house jeweler


• The Algonquin was the first leading New York hotel to welcome ladies traveling alone

The Algonquin, opened its Beaux- Arts-inspired main structure in 1902, three-years later adding a cafe and restaurant through a conversion of the nineteenth century stable next door. Throughout its history, it has remained a place to gather, starting with the group that gathered there first and immortalized themselves and the Hotel, the "Round Table, " headed up by regulars Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Robert E. Sherwood. The marketing genius behind molding a hotel into more than a building with rooms was Frank Case, who in 1919 treated a group of young, low-paid, albeit talented writers to free celery and popovers and provided them with their own table and waiter, guaranteeing their daily return. An experiential enterprise was born. These influential people exchanged ideas and gossip that found its way into the New York papers of the day and created a cache that helped draw renowned personalities from throughout the world to the hotel's rooms and dining facilities for years to come.

The Rose Room, which was the hotel's original main dining room and the restaurant where the original Round Table met was lost to lobby expansion in 1998 during a major renovation of the hotel. But the Round Table remains as the Round Table Restaurant at the rear of the lobby of the hotel. Overlooking the Table today is the "Vicious Circle," a 2002 painting of the group who brought the Algonquin it's landmark status.

There are tours of the hotel available through Algonquin Walking Tours or just pass through by yourself, and for a real treat have lunch with the "Vicious Circle" at the Round Table. And just maybe you'll get a glimpse of the hotel's special guest -- the Algonquin Cat. From the 1930s, one furry traveler has been chosen for this unique position. Female cats have been named Matilda , males, Hamlet, a name insisted upon for the first resident feline by John Barrymore.

Nice Gesture -- Christmas Cards for Recovering Soldiers

When doing your Christmas cards this year, take time to send one to a recovering soldier. Just think how wonderful it will be for these special individuals , who have sacrificed so much, to receive cards from all over the nation. When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington , D.C. 20307-5001

Not to miss -- the Brancacci Chapel and Masaccio part of Florence's Living Art Textbook

Studying art without visiting Florence is like learning to read without a book. Being in Florence is being in a living textbook of art history. At times the amount of beauty and art is so overwhelming that it becomes difficult to focus as you become lost in whirlpool of color, impressions, and texture. That is why it is important if your trip to Italy, and in particularly Florence, is in part to learn about and view the art, and it seems silly to suggest that it wouldn't be, that you decide ahead what art you want to focus on and know the places to find it.

Of course, you will go to the Uffici, but that is a book in it's own right. You may as I did want to explore, in a smaller space, some of the very early Renaissance artists -- the innovators who were the first to start depicting people, not as stiff, flat caricatures, but as living, emotive beings. Masaccio is certainly one of these. And it is because of Masaccio's work there that a little chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence has been well-trodden over centuries by an endless stream of art students, masters and enthusiasts. While gazing at the walls in the Brancacci Chapel, your eyes will see what helped inspire Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo and many others.

We crossed the Arno early in the morning for the short 20-minute pilgrimage through the medieval streets where Masaccio once roamed. We had called the day before for reservations, which are mandatory, and arrived at the Piazza del Carmine about 15 minutes prior to our scheduled appointment. The large, unfinished, stone-faced facade, of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, loomed before us in stark contrast to the dazzling interior of the Chapel, whose entrance is tucked away to the right of the the church.

Prior to visiting the Chapel, we took in the 40-minute film reviewing the history of the church, the chapel and its magnificent frescos. This is well worth the time...the animated view of the panels within the chapel make for a much more enlightened visit of this Renaissance masterpiece.

The Chapel itself is tiny, and for that reason, self-tours are limited to 20 minutes . The works most of which tell the story of St. Peter were created by three artists Masaccio, Masolino and some Filippino Lippi (son of the more famous Filippo Lippo). While all the tableaus are notable, it's the Massaccio frescos that stun, especially if you realize that prior to these creations, the art world was for the most part, flat and emotionless.

You need only study what is viewed by some as the first modern painting, one that places people in a real setting with one station point, the "Tribune Money," to make your trip over the Arno worthwhile. The human beings, Masaccio depicted, using painting techniques novel for the time to create an illusion of three-dimensional space, bring you into the scene. Also, note the painstaking blending of midtones, shadows and highlights to create the flow of the silken garments, important perhaps considering Branacci, Masaccio's patron was a silk merchant. The politics of early 15th century Florence are also reflected in "Tribune Money." A new tax system to help support a war with the duke of Milan was raging, and the story of the painting provided a precedent for the debate on whether the clergy should be taxed.

Below is an outline of the frescos. The red blocks are works by Masaccio, the yellow, Masolino, the purple both Masaccio and Lippi, and the blue Lippi.

1. "Expulsion from Paradise" -- An astonishing depiction of the anguish of the first human beings after being deported from the Garden of Eden.

2. "Tribune Money"

3. "Raising of the Son of Theophilous and the Enthronement of St. Peter"

4. "Saint Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow"

5. "Saint Peter Baptizing Neophytes"

6. "Distribution of Alms and Death of Ananias"

Florence, Italy tweeps I follow:

arttrav

tuscanycious

katerinafiore

tuscanytourism

discovertuscany

abouttuscany

Little Town of Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) continues to welcome Christmas travelers

Since 1741, the little town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has welcomed travelers to the town named after the place where Christ was born. Settled by a group of Moravians, who are now recognized as the oldest organized Protestant denomination in the world, Bethlehem received its name on Christmas Eve of that year when Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf of Saxony, Germany, visited the new settlement. In a two-room log home that housed both man and beast, the story goes, the Count christened the new community "Bethlehem".

But it wasn’t until almost one hundred years later that the town began to commercialize on its namesake. In 1937, the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce decided to make their town of Bethlehem, whose very name was already so strongly tied to Christmas, the Christmas City for the entire country. And it was on December 7 at a grand ceremony, that Mrs. Marion Brown Grace pulled a large switch to light the new Christmas street lights and a large wooden star beginning a new era for Bethlehem. Today Bethlehem is a Christmas tourist destination with a plethora of holiday activities and purchase opportunities including a Chriskindlmarkt, Follies, pageants, first night celebrations, bus tours and more.

If you plan to go, Christmas City’s website has full details www.christmascity.org
Christmas City also has a tweep: artsquest.

To get there it is noted on the Christmas City website, “If you're travelling with a group of wise men, you can always follow the Star of Bethlehem that sits atop South Mountain.” Or, as they recommend, use the directions found on their web page.

Of course, Bethlehem, PA isn’t the only town in the US that shares this Christmas name. Others can be found in New York, New Hampshire, and Connecticut…and I’m sure that are more tucked away. In fact, most Bethlehems in the states have programs to allow you to mail Christmas Cards postmarked with their name.

It's Christmas Time on the Water...The Best Lighted Boat Parades Across the US

Harbors and rivers are ablaze, with mega-yachts, cruisers, sailboats, kayaks, and other flotables sporting every starry decoration imaginable from Christmas trees to naughty Santas. It's Christmas time on the water. And ever since the first little line of boats with lights strung from their masts set sail, holiday lighted-boat parades have become bigger and more extravagant each year.

With the economy still wobbling, it remains to be seen along the shore whether this year's celebrations will be as spectacular as those in more fiscally robust seasons of past years. However, a quick survey of websites dedicated to the parades indicates that, despite the economic climate, the parades will float on as elaborate as ever (boat owners spending as much as $40,000 to deck the halls of their vessels according to one website).

The waterside Christmas celebrations, most of which start showing up next weekend (the first weekend in December) and continue through the month up until the weekend before Christmas, are usually run by Chambers of Commerce, Yacht Clubs or Visitors Bureaus as a draw for communities on the water to not only the parades, but to local restaurants and shops. For example, the Newport Beach, California parade, one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of this type of spectacle (this year is the 101st parade) attracts millions of viewers each year, many of whom reserve tables at waterfront restaurants. Hey when you can't offer a white Christmas, boats with glistening decorations playing strains of Jingle Bells are a great way to make the holiday merry and bright. And Newport Beach, whose holiday regatta sails between Balboa Island and Pennisula, starts the season right with 5 consecutive days of boat parading beginning December 16.

Not to be outdone, the festival of lights for these boating extravagances often extends to shoreline residences and busineses as well. Creating runways of light for the parades, owners throw large parties where canal or harbor front docks are strung with lights and lawns and lanais bedecked with lighted Santas, reindeers and more. In the tiny waterfront town of Punta Gorda in Southwest Florida, for instance, boat parades wind through a maze of canals passing homes elaborately lighted for the procession.

The historic waterfronts of Alexandria, Virgina and Annapolis, Maryland will also sparkle during this holiday season. Alexandria's 10th regatta of lights which launches this Saturday, December 5, will navigate the Potomac from Washington to Alexandria's dock. Appropriately, Annapolis will welcome Santa from his boat rather than a sleigh the following Saturday.

The big daddy of the Lighted Boat Parades, Fort Lauderdale's Winterfest Parade is an entertainment extravaganza, entitled this year "That's Entertainment." The December 12 show, and it is a show, actually includes what the parade sponsors describe as giant showboats with musicians and dancers. Highlighted features of this year's 38th Annual splash of mega-yachts and more are "Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza Showboat," the Clydey Foundations "Cirque" Floating Finale, and a "Phantom of the Opera" show. This year's grand marshals include celebrities Alonzo Mourning and Kim Kardashian.

Here's a rundown on some of the best upcoming Lighted Boat Parades:

Parade	Dates and Times	More Information
Newport Beach, CA	12/16-12/20 6:30 PM	http://www.christmasboatparade.com/
Punta Gorda, FL	12/5 6-9 PM & 12/19 6 PM	http://youbelonginpuntagorda.blogspot.com/2009/11/punta-gorda-lights-up-harbor-and.html
Annapolis, MD	12/12 6-8 PM	http://www.eastportyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=32
Fort Lauderdale, FL	12/12 6 PM	http://www.winterfestparade.com/winterfest_schedule_of_events.cfm
Marina Del Ray, CA	12/12 6 PM	http://www.mdrboatparade.org/home.htm
Venice, FL	12/5 6-8 PM	http://www.venicechristmasboatparade.com/
Alexandria, VA	12/5 4-6 PM	http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=26951
St. Augustine, FL	12/12 6 PM	http://www.sayc2000.com/R_Blair_Maintained/LightsRegatta_2009.html

Top 5 Airports to get Stranded in over the Holidays

Not that anyone, in particularly me, likes to get stuck in an airport at anytime. Nonetheless, we know if does happen. Therefore, I was intrigued by the list that SeatGuru.com released today -- a list of their Top Five Airports to get stranded in over the holidays. Chosen among other things because of amenities like massage spots, play areas for kids, free WiFI, upscale shopping and dining choices, here they are:

San Francisco International Airport (SFO). SFO's highlights include the famous Boudin's Bakery (and their sourdough bread), upscale shopping at Burberry, Coach and Gucci, XpressSpa services including massages and facials, museum exhibits throughout, shower facilities and a play area for children.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Among other offerings, SLC offers free Wi-Fi throughout the airport, views of the Wasatch Mountains, numerous restaurants and has won awards in pollution prevention, recycling and as the best on-time airport for departures in the past. --

Portland International Airport (PDX). Named Nation's Best Airport by Conde Nast Traveler three years in a row, PDX is eco-friendly (new solar panels produce electricity and the Best of Nike store is powered by 75% solar energy), has free Wi-Fi, no sales tax and local restaurants have a strong presence with eateries such as Pizza Schmizza, Rose City Cafe and Laurelwood Brewing Company calling it home. --

McCarran International Airport (LAS) (Las Vegas). In addition to countless slot machines, LAS also has aviation museum, massage locations, free Wi-Fi, the Jose Cuervo Tequileria, storage lockers to stash belongings, an oxygen bar, hotel souvenir shops, room check in for the MGM Grand and for long delays, it's just 5 miles from the strip. --

Miami International Airport (MIA). At MIA, travelers can get manicures, pedicures, massages and even spray tanning at the JetSetter Spa, view ongoing art exhibitions, enjoy a hair cut at the salon, rent a mobile phone, and for members of the U.S. military, there's an Armed Services center for personnel that serves food and refreshments. There are also 30 dining choices including cuisine from Cuba, the Caribbean, Japan and more.

These all sound good. But, honestly, I am not into pedicures or massages at airports. But here's what I am looking for:

• Better much more comfortable seating... someplace I can dose off if need be -- pod to rent might be nice
• Solid good restaurant choices and healthier food spots
• Places to walk -- get some exercise (I usually walk back and forth across the terminal..but this doesn't always work in crowded airport)
• Some interesting local cultural displays : exhibitions of local art, history
• Shopping, shopping.... shops where I would really want to buy something or need to

(Free WIFI is a given, and I won't even put this one on the list!)

Lake Orta -- A Travel Story Best Told in Images

Our trip to Lake Orta, a mystical journal to one of the sub-Alpine Italy lake districts, is, like many travel stories one best told in flickering images:

A dog sitting on the ancient stone floor of a shop. An island floating in the middle of the lake lit up like the flickering candles on a cake in the mist. Strains of an opera and soft tolling of church bells. Views down an ancient medieval passageway. Glimpses of a flower decked garden descending to the lake. A tiny 16th century church oratory built to honor deliverance from the Black Death. Narrow streets with ancient arches and tower homes. And always the Island from the shore, from the water always beckoning you like Bali Hai. And ultimately the voyage to and around that silent, sacred and enchanting place.

Images haunt forever and draw you back to this special place --

Arriving at the upper town of Orta San Giulio, I was reminded of many resorts in the mountains in the states. It was only when we descended on the circuiteous road to the San Rocco Hotel that historic Orta San Giulio began to reveal itself. The lobby and most of the hotel was formerly an 18th century convent, but our room was in the more modern, and recently renovated Villa Giseppi section of the hotel, which provided an extremely comfortable accommodation within this stunning historical setting.

Surprisingly untrodden for a destination within reasonably easy reach from Milan Airport, once the daytrippers who arrive early in the morning depart, Orta becomes amazingly quiet and serene -- at least it did in late August when we visited. While one of the best kept secrets among the northern lakeside resorts, it's cobbled streets have been walked by many famous travelers, including Honore de Balzac, Friedrich Nietzsche and Robert Browning, the later who described it as "Alp meets heaven.."

Truly a place to wander with it's traffic free center, you can easily get lost in time as you meander Orta San Giulio's streets and courtyards past 16th and 17th century frescoed buildings that now house unusual shops, gelaterias, and restaurants. We stopped to buy soaps from an ex-pat American lady who ran a shop on the Piazza, then spoke with the proprietor of a pasticceria and bought souveners at another shop tucked away in a charming courtyard. At the waterfront off the Piazza we watched as a bride posed for pictures with a backdrop of the Isola San Giulio.

From the waterfront, taxis whiz back and forth from Isola San Giulio with it's ancient basilica, on the site of a primative church founded by St. Julius in the 4th century ( the saint apparently chased snakes from the Island, sounds like the St. Patrick legend--no). Arriving on this isolated piece of land, you are immediately engulfed by its tranquility and sacredness. Meditative signs dot the short, silent walkway around the perimeter of the island blurting walden-like messages..."Every Journey Begins Near to You," "When You are Aware the Journey is Over".. (I think the author had the traveler in mind.) The steps to the the Basilica of St. Julius, which has been modified over the course of centuries, steer you to the church as soon as you disembark from the launch. As are many of the ancient churches of Italy, it is extraordinary and definitely worth exploring. We stopped for a coffee at a bar/restaurant-- Ristorante San Giulio. While the formal dining room looked inviting, we decided to return later and descend the steps to the terrace restaurant which juts into the Lake. Another one of those amazing places where we frittered away several hours watching the boats parade back and forth and the people come and go while enjoying the tourist meal -- 3 courses for 16 euros.

Our time at Lake Orta was too short. As I reflect on our visit there , I can easily see why it has been referred to as a "star in a galaxy of sub-alpine lakes." Orta quietly entraps you --- drawing you back to visit again and again.

There is a Lake Orta Tweep www.twitter.com/LakeOrta but not many tweets yet.

Also be sure to pick up the marvelous little booklet published by the Associaione Turistica Pro Loco Orta S. Giulio at via Bossi 11 in Orta S. Giulio. (Christmas on the Lake looks lovely with a parade of Christmas trees, lights and decorations.) Information in English can also be found at www.orta.net.

Nixon Library hosting Holiday Train Exhibit -- Reflection of a President with Many Interests

While living only a few miles from Yorba Linda, California for most of 2008, I was a frequent visitor to the Nixon Presidential Library there. After my first visit, the serenity of the place and my interest in exploring a bit more of that period in US history kept drawing me back. Nixon, no matter what else history might say about him, was not boring. His story, which winds its way through both some of the darkest and disgraceful periods of US History and some of the most glorious periods, has both a Dickensian and Shakespearean quality to it, as he rises from a poor, lower-middle class family to become President of the United States, only to fall from power in the Watergate scandal.

The Library now also showcases the multi-interests of the man who brought it into being. For instance, Nixon was a decent pianist and loved music, especially piano. (Below is a youtube video of his playing the piano on the Jack Parr Tonight Show.) He is also known to have jammed with the band at the Grand Ole Opry, and accompanied Pearl Bailey at a White House performance. And the music lives on at his library with free concerts every Sunday.

Another of his interests was trains. Trains run everywhere through Yorba Linda and Orange County California where Nixon grew up, carrying cargo and passengers east and west, north and south. It's no wonder he developed a fascination for them. Nixon reflected in his memoirs, "In the daytime I could see the smoke from the steam engines. Sometimes at night I was awakened by the whistle of a train, and then I dreamed of the far-off places I wanted to visit someday."

This holiday season a special exhibit at the Library and Museum will take visitors on a magical journey through the world of miniature trains. One of the largest such collections ever assembled, A Holiday Festival of Trains features a landscape of toy trains, many whistling through tiny snow-covered turn of the century villages, a 1890 Bavarian castle, and forested mountain passes with over 5,000 miniature trees.

A Holiday Festival of Trains will be on display from Monday, November 16, 2009 through Sunday, January 10, 2010, and is included with museum admission. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is located at 18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Linda, California 92886. The Library is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $9.95 adults, $3.75 children 7 to 11, free for children 6 and younger; $6.95 for seniors 62 and up, and students; $5.95 for active military.

Failure to Launch -- Researching My First Cruise -- Some Tips I have Learned

Yes, I have to admit it...other than charters in the BVI, small river tours, and self-cruises, I have never taken a cruise on one of those big cruise ships. I have travelled all over the world many, many times, been just about everywhere, been on cruise ships many times, but I have failed to launch. I can't explain why...or maybe I can but... Anyhow, I think it's time I tried a cruise especially since right now the prices are right.

So I am researching..both through twitter, blogs and with many friends who go on cruises constantly. I guess what has coaxed me into this voyage exploration are the many cruise tweeps, the deals ...and most recently Simone de Santi's (aka ARoadRetraveled on Twitter) upcoming cruise on which she will be tweeting.

Anyhow, here are some of the suggestions I've gotten so far, some obvious, some not so :

1. After you have decided on the type and length of cruise (probably short, if it is your first) research cruises carefully including first the cruise lines and ships that fit your needs in terms of destination, price and style. Then once you have narrowed this down, review the ship's decks and cabins and decide in advance exactly where you want your cabin to be, for instance, you may want to avoid a cabin near an elevator (sound familiar) or below the ship's theatre or nightclub. If you have concerns about seasickness, I'm told the best room location to minimize the ship's motion is in the dead center of the ship. On most large cruise ships, this location is on the lower passenger floors, in the center inside cabins. Ask a lot of questions before you book. Consider using a cruise specialist who can answer your questions and help you find the right trip for you.
2. Figure out where you are going to park (if you are driving to the embarkation point). You may, for instance, want to avoid the multiple story garage especially if you are on a large ship with lots of disembarking passengers heading for the same place.
3. Mark your luggage ideally with the tags provided by your agent or cruise line directly...make sure your name, deck number and cabin identification are on each piece clearly. Two tags per bag have been recommended.
4. Arrive early..even if it means waiting....better to be checked in early and have time to get acclimated. You will have to wait..be prepared for this.
5. Bring a travel-on that has things you will need for the first few hours on the ship. Also consider what luggage you check...you may want to wheel off luggage yourself at the end of the voyage.
6. No surprise here...there are plenty of food choices.. so you don't have to worry about food choices for the most part, but you may want to check with your agent or the cruise line if your needs are unusual
7. Worried about catching flu or other...I'm assured that sanitizers are everywhere on ships (again check) and that cruise lines are very conscientious about heath issues ....just use ordinary precautions
8. Consider going to shows -- everyone says they are fantastic...check with passengers on your ship who have already gone
9. Don't expect perfection...and have patience...there will be lines.. something may be broken..
10. Larger ships have many pools..pick the pool area that suits you. If you don't want to listen to music, find a quieter pool.
11. Think about safey and avoiding injury,e.g.. Be careful if the decks are wet, they can become very slippery. Watch for the raised lips in some doorways especially. Of course, never sit on the railings.

There's lot of ideas and suggestions on the web and twitter about first-time cruising. I don't think I agree with a lot of it. The above seems to make sense so far. But I am still researching. Here are other sources of information that look reasonable:

Sources of Advice for First Time Cruisers:

Lessons on First Time Cruising

Expert Tips for First Time Cruiser -- Good List of Tips

Recent Excellent Blog on Dining, Smoking, Tipping and among other things.

Cruise Critic Website -- Good source of information about cruise lines and ships as well as cruise tips

Suggestions on Packing Blog

Confessions of First Time Cruiser -- Day by Day Account of First Time Cruise-Taker's Alaska Cruise

Note also:

Simon DeSanti's Travel Tweets (this coming week)

And finally here is my Twitter List of Travel-Cruise-Tweeps:

Cruise Tweeps -- People who tweet about cruises that I follow.

Day of the Dead Celebrated in Mexico the US and on Twitter

A tradition believed to have started in Mexico and Latin American with similar rituals occurring in Spain and as far as New Zealand is now being celebrated throughout the U.S. as well. Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a holiday that blends Roman Catholic rituals with those from Mesoamerican cultures. The memory of dead ancestors is honored believing that their souls visit the living once a year. Officially commemorated on Novembers 2 ( All Souls Day), it is celebrated also on November 1 (All Saints Day).

In the US, while many of the older rituals are followed, new interpretations abound. In Chicago, for instance, Staff Sgt. Juan Arreola honored five fallen Marines when he ran in a 5K Race of Dead in a primarily Mexican neighborhood while mariachi music played and skeleton figures danced to mock death (full story). College classmates in Casper, Wyoming have decorated sugar skulls with colorful frosting and borrowed masked from the International Museum of Arts and Science in McAllen Texas (full story). In Virginia, the Latin Ballet has their own interpretation of the festival. Following ancient customs, the dancers set up an elaborate altar with candles and photos of departed loved ones, skulls and marigolds, . This is used as a backdrop for a dance in which African movement is combined with a modern interpretation of the traditional candlelight vigil (full story).

And in the social media world, tweeps around the world have begun tweeting away about this ancient tradition in their own way.

The origins of the Day of the Dead dates back to pre-Columbian civilizations. It is believed that it may have originated with Aztec celebrations during which they made colorful altars to welcome departed souls home.

St. Simon's Island -- Georgia's Lovely Barrier Island Full of History and Charm

While on a jaunt up the East Coast from Miami to New York City, we stopped for two days on St. Simon's Island. I 'm not the first to sense that coming to the barrier islands that border Georgia is like coming home. Maybe for me, it's because of summers I spent as a child on a barrier island further north, and something about the look, feel, and most importantly the smell of these isles that reminds me of those summers.

I look over the sea grass and tidal creeks as we cross over the Sidney Lanier Bridge and ride along Route 17 past Brunswick and onto the causeway that connects to St. Simon's. The nostalgic aroma of the salt marsh brings on a most pleasant, comforting sensation, and even without directly connecting in memory to summers long past, I know my senses have already brought me there.

The state of Georgia is barricaded from the ocean by a chain of these small islands along its more than 150 mile coast line. Georgia's barrier islands, I learned from the film shown at the Maritime Museum at the Historic Coast Guard Station, are growing as opposed to similar barrier beaches further north which the sea is reclaiming despite man's attempt to hold on to them.

Shrimp boats lingering at the horizon at dusk remind visitors of what should be fresh in the many seafood restaurants here. Pamphlets and posters around the island proclaim the values of wild local shrimp vs. the imported or farmed fish with less nutrition and more potential for contamination. Unfortunately, the cheaper imported and farmed variety is driving the price down for the wild shrimpers..making it more and more difficult to make their living at this long-standing industry. I did manage to enjoy some Shrimp and Grits at a favorite spot on the Island: Barbara Jeans.

St. Simon Island also has a rich colonial history...going back to the early settlement, established on the island in 1732 at what became Fort Frederica, by General James Oglethorpe. The stated purpose of the settlement was relocation of poor Londoners, but Ogelthorpe's main mission was to establish a stronghold against further encroachment by the Spanish who claimed rights in Georgia. The remains of Fort Frederica (mainly excavated foundations of houses that made up the military town and the Fort) are now a National Monument worth a visit -- a short film provides a good orientation to the grounds and the history. It's a lovely setting cluttered with large live oaks draped in Spanish Moss. Many of the Revolutionary warships were made from St. Simon's oaks, including Old Ironsides.

St. Simon's is linked by a causeway to Sea Island, home to one of the top resorts in the country, The Cloisters of Sea Island, with a bit of history itself. At the Lighthouse Museum on St. Simon's, there is a photographic exhibit on the G8 Summit held on Sea Island in 2004.

In addition to visiting the National Monument, Lighthouse, and Maritime (with a great little video on the Coast Guard), we ventured up Lawrence Road which is dotted with historical markers telling about the plantations that once thrived on the Island. (Many very wealthy, powerful South Carolina planters and slave owners came to Georgia in the early 19th century and established plantations with cotton as a primary crop.) Today the road winds under canapes of Oaks with long strands of moss hanging like icicles creating an eery, yet sensual atmosphere. Large, splendid mansions line the edge of the savanna and river on the right of the road ending at the Hamilton River Club Marina where you can depart by boat for Little St. Simons's Island (A private island with 7 miles of untainted beaches that can be toured by reservation only).

Another restaurant we visited on the Island was Catch 228 in Redfern Village. A smallish local place, it might look like a hole-in-the-wall, but go on in. The food is outstanding, fresh fish of all kinds, and the service is friendly and efficient. I had the blackboard special of blackened mahi and shrimp with cheesy grits and the most delectable hush puppies ever.

For other particulars on visiting St. Simon's see www.comecoastawhile.com, the visitor's site for Brunswick and the Golden Isles. Their driving tour brochures are excellent.

World Tourism Day -- A Day to Celebrate Travel for Travel's Sake

Today is world tourism day--the 30th commemoration of this day celebrated by The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) every year since 1980. As a passionate leisure traveler, I dedicate my blog today to the sheer joy of leisure travel. Having just deposited a good deal of my discretionary currency into the world economy on my recent journey, I can personally attest to the economic benefits of tourism.

World Tourism Day, hosted this year in Ghana, coincides with the anniversary of the date (September 27) in 1970 when the UNWTO Statutes were adopted, a milestone in global tourism. According to the UNWTO website the purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the role of tourism within the international community and to show how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. This year’s theme "focuses on the world’s cultural wealth and the important role sustainable tourism plays in revitalizing local traditions and making them flourish as they cross other cultures".

England is credited officially as the first country to promote tourism as an activity. With the Industrial Revolution and growth of the economy in England and other parts of Europe, leisure travel became popular among the rich and eventually the middle class began to spend some of their income and leisure time touring. Over time many forms of tourism have evolved including adventure tourism, cultural tourism, heritage or historical tourism, eco-tourism, medical tourism, war tourism, wildlife tourism and sustainable tourism. According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2008, there were over 922 million international tourist arrivals with world tourism receipts reaching $944 billion. By 2020, the number of international tourist arrivals is expected to reach 1.6 billion.

I sometimes think that many people view travel as a necessary burden for business endeavors or as a thing to do for vacation or retirement. Obviously, travel is much more vital to our world than this. Tourists are discovers learning about new places, terrains, and most importantly people. They are jolted from the everydayness of the life they are comfortable with. They see and hear new things, smell new smells, taste unique and sometimes bizarre new foods and meet people very different from those they associate with in their day-to-day life. They come in direct contact with the diversity of their world, and yet in that same foreignness discover the similarities in their universe in a child's play, a mother's smile, a stranger's kindness. As this happens the world becomes a closer place, a better place.

I first witnessed travel through the eyes of a soldier returning from war...despite the hardship of conflict, he came home with stories of adventure and awe at places and things he saw, he gave to me what my mother called my "wanderlust." May it be in the future that more of us wander first as tourists...so that the children of the world will first learn about travel through a tourist's eye.

Happy Tourism Day!

Seduced by An Enchanting Hotel Above the Hills of Florence -- Villa San Michele

It was a hot Sunday in Florence...very hot... but high above in the hills of Fiesole a pleasant breeze blew and birds tweeted incredibly entrancing songs. I had decided to visit Fiesole on my next trip to Florence after having read "Loving Frank," the fictionalized story about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. The descriptions of Fiesole and its appeal to Lloyd Wright and Cheney drew me there.

Some travel advisors say "skip it"...well perhaps if you only have a very short time in Florence. But for me, it would have been a mistake not to have seen this magnificent view and experienced for a few hours what attracted people like Lloyd Wright, Gertrude Stein, and other artistic people here. For afterall, you don't go to Fiesole for Fiesole, you go to see Florence spread before you in all its magnificance.

The tourbooks advise that one of the best places to enjoy the view from Fiesole is the small Parco della Rimembranza on Via di San Francesco, public gardens with benches, shady trees and a panoramic view. But I also wanted to visit the well-touted Villa San Michele situated on the site of a monastery founded in the early 15th century.

So we took a taxi from Florence and stopped by the Villa for lunch to sip cokes and nibble on lovely sandwiches on the terrace of one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever visited. The present building with its facade attributed to Michelangelo dates from 1600 when it was enlarged and renovated by Giovanni di Bartolommeo Davanzati. The property was owned by the Franciscan monks until 1818, when Napoleon dissolved monastic orders returning the Villa to secular use. One can imagine the monks walking the loggia of the then monastery and wandering through the now public rooms of the hotel. Inside the hotel, antique chairs, altars, stone walls, frescos and other religious artifacts all come together to create a sense of spiritual retreat somewhat at odds yet strangely compatible with the current purpose.

One of the public rooms that is used now as a lounge and informal dining space off the interior restaurant was the refectory of the old monastery. A magnificent fresco, completed in 1642, and later restored by Orient-Express Hotels, the current owner of the hotel, adorns the back wall in a three-part alcove. This is only one of the many interesting public spaces where you can sit quietly and read or write (as I noticed several hotel guests were doing.)

The guests rooms are either in the main building of the old monestary or in the new space blended into the setting in the garden area. There are also junior suites on the hillside between the garden and the pool and in the old Limonaia. The most coveted room I was told is the one situated in the former chapel with perhaps some of the most magnificent views.

I climbed up the hill near the small 17th century building to take some photos and get a glimpse of the view the hotel guest in the chapel might have. Ah I thought, some day I will stay here. From here I truly knew why Mamah Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright loved Fiesole so much.

Some tweeps I followed for Florence:

www.twitter.com/toscanamia -- for Italian Cooking Lessons in Florence

www.twitter.com/tuscanyvillas -- for Information on Florence

www.twitter.com/aroadretraveled for Information on Florence

www.twitter.com/TuscanyTourism

Another interesting blog article about Villa San Michelle.

Arriving in Venice

There is nothing as special as arriving at a travel destination....especially when it's Venice, Italy -- one the world's most beautiful cities. Here is a slide montage of photos I took while on a vaporetto on the Grand Canal.

Lunch with a View -- Visiting the Cipriani Hotel

Directly across the water from the Piazza San Marco in Venice on Isola della Giudecca, the Cipriani sits in its all its contrapuntal splendor of old and new. Contemporary amenities, including spa, red-clay tennis court, outdoor heated pool and modern accommodations have been seamlessly integrated into the remnants of a 16th century cloister. Reading the reviews of the hotel from recent visitors provide a schizophrenic picture...




Some complaint about the price, of course, in today's value conscious world, some have issues with a few rooms needing remodeling, but, then there are the raves about the service, the peace and tranquility, and, of course, the views. We didn't stay the night, but the afternoon was lovely, though expensive. Worth it, yes. But I went particularly to see the view and to experience the world the owner of Harry's Bar was trying to create...an oasis of peace and privacy within minutes and site of perhaps the most famous, photographed and beloved squares in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.


I never tire of arriving anywhere by boat, it always seems special. But arriving on an island in the Hotel Cipriani's launch is more than special, it is to enter for a moment the world of the privledged. It is also to enter the place that Harry created....and remarkably just as he envisioned, the first thing that is evident especially after leaving the hustle and bustle of St. Mark's Square is the quiet serernity.





After a morning of museums and shopping in Venice, wandering through Cipriani's garden and along the waterfront near the hotel was indescribably pleasant. And sipping prosecco on the flower-adorned terrace of the Cipriani's lovely restaurant, sheer bliss.

Arrived Milan, Luggage Did Not.. The Joys of Flying

Our journey begins--three weeks in Italy. After being deposited at the airport in Florida Monday night expecting to take a short flight to Atlanta at around 5 for our 10:55 overnight to Paris with a connection to Milan, we learned that our Florida connection had been delayed until 7:30 making it practically impossible to catch the Paris flight. Or so we and the Delta counter representative thought, which resulted in our being booked on another flight the following day at 10 p.m. direct to Milan, meaning a night and day in Atlanta. A day shot.

We took the bumpy commuter ride to Atlanta arriving, of course, with enough time to race to the gate of the Paris flight...only to see the plane sitting at the gate and to be told that the flight was closed. But magically we learn there is another flight to Paris in a half hour leaving from the same terminal we are in. We are assured by the agent who rebooks us on this new flight that our bags have been moved as well, they will arrive in Milan with us. This we confirmed several times. Why I wonder didn't the agent in Florida know about this flight? Well, we find out that this flight was actually for passengers who after waiting on a plane on the tarmac for nearly three hours had been transferred to this other plane now scheduled to leave at 11:30 -- ala this mystery flight to Paris. We're ultimately shuttled onto the plane with a contingency of unhappy, tired travelers bound for Paris. And then finally at around midnight the mystery flight takes off.

Arriving in Paris, after a night of half sleep on a plane, again we rush through Charles De Gaulle, which could be in addition to the recognized world's worst, the most confusing airport in the world. The path to the connecting flight took us up and down escalators several times through corridors here and yon, past phenomenal looking cafes where travelers were drinking wine and eating scrumptious looking baguette sandwiches under the light of adorable petite lamps that only the French would think to put on a countertop in an airport diner. We reach the embarkment place and are herded with around one hundred others onto a very hot bus, taking us out to the tarmac to our plane bound for Milan.

All is forgiven and forgotten. The plane trip from Paris to Milan on Air France was spectacular. First, the seats are comfortable and the flight is only half full so we are able to move away from two kids who are kicking the back of our seats. Secondly, shortly into the flight, a petite, tantalizing tray of luscious bites of food arrived including a small wrap, a dollup of creamy crab stuff, a slice of cheese, crackers and two petit fours -- sure beats a choice of peanuts or cheese crackers. Third, and best of all, the French and Italian flight crew were incredibly friendly asking us about our trip, making suggestions. And then about 40 minutes outside of Milan we crossed the most breathtaking vistas --- the Alps peered out of the clouds in their steel majesty, and we could see snow-covered mountains with pristine, icy-turqoise lakes and streams. As we descended into Milan, Lake Maggiore was visible dotted with its lakeside resorts and punctuated by boats skirting across its waters.

We look at each other as we walk from the plane in Milan and simultaneously say, "Well, we're here." And congratulate ourselves because despite the setbacks we had gotten to Milan on time as planned.

We had arrived. Our luggage had not.. Unfortunately, it was supposedly in Atlanta waiting for the flight the next day direct to Milan--the one that we had orignally been rebooked on when our flight from Florida had been delayed. The one we had been assured in Atlanta that it was not on. Explitive!

Well as we we sat sharing a glass of chianti and a marvelous meal on a patio overlooking the Italian countryside that evening (and this was at a contemporary airport hotel), it didn't seem to matter. We were in Italy afterall. And as a wise woman once said "Tommorrow is another day."

Revisiting Virtually -- A New York State of Mind

It is Sunday in New York City and we've  just moved into the Parker Meridien Hotel for our annual stay in "the city."  We're tired and hungry....and I want breakfast.  Of course, Norma's is there, the most fabulous breakfast place ever, with their wonderful oatmeal mixed with apples and pears topped off by a crunchy carmelized brulee or their to-die-for banana macadamia nut pancakes or take a look at the menu yourself.   But I realize there are many other options..I'm in New York after all.  There are the deli's on each of the nearby corners that serve up solidly good standard fare at close-to reasonable prices, but there is also Seppis, the charmingly French bistro with a Swiss chef, directly connected to the Meridien through a door by reception.  

And I am tired, so Seppis it is.  Sitting at the bar , I read my Times, and order an omelet with cheese and spinach -- not on the brunch menu, but it's what I want and they make it with pomme frites ( I can't call them French Fries -- they are just too good to be called French Fries -- thin delicate potato slivers,  gently fried and salted, no grease -- perfect.)  The room is pleasantly tan and beige with interesting period posters, mirrors and prints covering most of the wall space.  The jazz piano player starts tapping on the keys signaling the start of brunch. Seppis serves a delectable brunch, with many of the dishes as the chef explains in the restaurant's YouTube interview  oh so slightly hinting of chocolate, and with a full chocolate-lovers buffet table to boot.  But I just want to savor my omelet and sip my wine, and listen to the refrains of the jazz group now playing "I'll remember you." 

Yes, I will remember you...this New York moment.  For years I lived and worked here, then visited often, now too infrequently.  But I realize that living in a virtual age has made New York a keystroke away.  Within seconds I'm zooming in front of the Parker Meridian on Google Earth, walking down 56th Street, and spotting the deli I ruled out in favor of Seppis.  Viewing the rooms at the Meredian website, I recall  the exquisite functionality of the hotel - and as described there the "traditionally French, but decidedly New York" style, expressed so well in the glib writing, e.g.,  "Hi-speed internet: what do you think?"

If I choose I can browse over to the MOMA and check out favorite paintings or move over to Carnegie Hall and listen to bits of music as I peruse upcoming concerts.  On YouTube alone there are almost 400,000 video pieces  covering  some part of the city, 40,000 covering Central Park .  Then, of course, through TripAdvisor, Virtual Tourist, Trazzler, and many more travel sites I can read, view pictures and vicariously experience New York through the words, pictures, and videos of thousands of visitors and people who live there.  Not to mention, the bloggers...and tweeps who can be questioned to help retrieve a memory of a restaurant, attraction or other experience.  

I wonder though had I not smelt Nathan's  hot dogs and the other rich aromas of the City, not tasted the food and taken in the atmosphere of  New York restaurants and deli's, not brushed  up against New Yorkers rushing up Broadway or onto subways, not heard the blaring sound of taxi horns, not seen with my own eyes Central Park from a New York skyscraper, not watched Ice-skaters  nor the Today Show Live at Rockefeller Center, not mingled with crowds of people hustling into theatres would I be able to so clearly go to New York in my mind.  I don't think so.   Traveling can't be replaced virtually.   But what virtual  traveling  can do is amplify the  anticipation and memory  of a real experience. ...and oh, am I so very grateful for that.