I can't believe that I forgot this item on my travel list. It's a good one!
11. Chocolate for breakfast - Our innkeepers introduced us to this concept. One morning on the table was a box of dark chocolate sprinkles, like the kind you would put on an ice cream sundae. These sprinkles, however, are not for ice cream. They are for toast! Toast a piece of bread, spread butter or jelly on it, and top with chocolate. Brilliant!! Every day after that one, we enjoyed some form of chocolate with breakfast. As Martha would say, it's a good thing!
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
What I Learned while Travelling
Hubby and I recently returned from an amazing two week vacation in The Netherlands and Belgium. We have been to Europe before, but this trip was the biggest travel endeavor I have ever taken. I learned a lot about travel, trips, and Europe, so I thought I would share some tips here.
1. Don't be afraid to plan a big trip yourself - Initially, we contacted a travel agent because I was too scared to plan a trip like this one by ourselves. We wasted time and effort with the agent. She just did not have the same vision we did, so we went in our own direction.
2. Buy the guide book - There are so many great travel guidebooks for purchase. Even on short trips, I will go to the library and borrow a copy of the guide for our destination. They give great advice and tips for the best places to visit, to eat, to shop, and to stay. I usually go for a Fodor's book, but we used Rick Steves' book for this trip. It was a great guide and we used it throughout the trip.
3. Stay in a B&B if possible - We stayed in 3 different places on our trip, and used bed and breakfasts in 2 locations. It was wonderful to share someone's home for a few days. The service was outstanding and the locations were small (one had two rooms, the other three). The hosts were amazing and were so helpful to us during the trip. It was just such a treat to be able to stay in a ship's captain's home from 1667. We also met a great couple in one of the B&Bs and have planned to get together with them here in the states. B&Bs are usually less expensive than commercial hotels, but offer the same (or better) amenities.
4. Cash! - If you are travelling to Europe, it isn't going to be cheap. As our new friends said, "Bring a few clothes, take bags of cash." We found that it was much easier to pay as much as possible with Euros. It is also less expensive in the long run. Our ATM fees were 1% of the withdrawl amount plus a nominal fee for using the machine. Credit card purchases carry a 3% transaction fee and may require a European PIN to work in certain places. We also found that our bank have a foreign currency department. We were able to order Euros from the bank and pay only a delivery fee.
5. Prepurchase tickets - While we were in Amsterdam, I knew I really wanted to see The Anne Frank House. I prepurchased the admission tickets online a few weeks before our trip. I am so glad I did. We bypassed a huge line of people and walked right in to the museum with our paper tickets.
6. Trains - The trains really intimidated me, so we prepurchased the majority of our tickets before the trip. While it did save time standing in line, I think it was cheaper to buy the tickets at the station. I think in the future, I would buy day trip tickets in the stations. For major trips to big city central stations, I would buy those tickets online. I would also buy either Thalys (high speed with assigned seating) or first class tickets. On our train from Brussels to Bruges, we had to stand for the entire 45 minute journey. It was hot and uncomfortable. We almost had the same problem from Antwerp to Amsterdam (a 2 hour trip), but we did find out you can squat in first class if you don't have a ticket or you can buy an upgrade to first class on the train. That upgrade was worth every penny to not have to stand for 2 hours in a very hot area between two cars.
7. Europe is so laid back - I love the USA - please don't understand. While travelling to Europe, however, I realized just how restrictive the US can be. Land of "Yes, we can?" More like the land of "No, you can't because it is against federal regulation US527." We toured a medieval 13th century castle by ourselves. It was worn and have very steep stairs, but we know what we were going to be doing. I wonder if the various regulatory agencies would have allowed something like that in the US. There was no handicap access, no guiderails on the stairs, no screens or safety material on the windows - it was a fantastic "at your own risk" tour.
8. English spoken here - We never had any communication problems on our trip. Although English is not their first language, we met people who could speak at least a little English. Everyone was wonderful and had no problems translating menus or anything else we needed.
9. Go for it! - You are on vacation, so do things you would not do every day. We went for a hot air balloon ride over Bruges, and it was amazing! It was such a unique and wonderful experience, and a memory I will always cherish from this trip.
10. No goofy souvenirs - For once, I decided not to buy postcards, magnets, or other dust catchers. I bought a few pieces of jewelry and we got several Belgian beer glasses which we intended to purchase during our trip. Other than that, we have about 1500 amazing pictures to remind us of this great trip.
It truly was a wonderful trip. We were excited for months leading up to this trip, but we were both scared to hope it would be everything we wanted it to be. It was everything and more. It was the greatest vacation to date. We are already thinking about our next trip to Europe. Should it be Germany/Austria or Italy?
1. Don't be afraid to plan a big trip yourself - Initially, we contacted a travel agent because I was too scared to plan a trip like this one by ourselves. We wasted time and effort with the agent. She just did not have the same vision we did, so we went in our own direction.
2. Buy the guide book - There are so many great travel guidebooks for purchase. Even on short trips, I will go to the library and borrow a copy of the guide for our destination. They give great advice and tips for the best places to visit, to eat, to shop, and to stay. I usually go for a Fodor's book, but we used Rick Steves' book for this trip. It was a great guide and we used it throughout the trip.
3. Stay in a B&B if possible - We stayed in 3 different places on our trip, and used bed and breakfasts in 2 locations. It was wonderful to share someone's home for a few days. The service was outstanding and the locations were small (one had two rooms, the other three). The hosts were amazing and were so helpful to us during the trip. It was just such a treat to be able to stay in a ship's captain's home from 1667. We also met a great couple in one of the B&Bs and have planned to get together with them here in the states. B&Bs are usually less expensive than commercial hotels, but offer the same (or better) amenities.
4. Cash! - If you are travelling to Europe, it isn't going to be cheap. As our new friends said, "Bring a few clothes, take bags of cash." We found that it was much easier to pay as much as possible with Euros. It is also less expensive in the long run. Our ATM fees were 1% of the withdrawl amount plus a nominal fee for using the machine. Credit card purchases carry a 3% transaction fee and may require a European PIN to work in certain places. We also found that our bank have a foreign currency department. We were able to order Euros from the bank and pay only a delivery fee.
5. Prepurchase tickets - While we were in Amsterdam, I knew I really wanted to see The Anne Frank House. I prepurchased the admission tickets online a few weeks before our trip. I am so glad I did. We bypassed a huge line of people and walked right in to the museum with our paper tickets.
6. Trains - The trains really intimidated me, so we prepurchased the majority of our tickets before the trip. While it did save time standing in line, I think it was cheaper to buy the tickets at the station. I think in the future, I would buy day trip tickets in the stations. For major trips to big city central stations, I would buy those tickets online. I would also buy either Thalys (high speed with assigned seating) or first class tickets. On our train from Brussels to Bruges, we had to stand for the entire 45 minute journey. It was hot and uncomfortable. We almost had the same problem from Antwerp to Amsterdam (a 2 hour trip), but we did find out you can squat in first class if you don't have a ticket or you can buy an upgrade to first class on the train. That upgrade was worth every penny to not have to stand for 2 hours in a very hot area between two cars.
7. Europe is so laid back - I love the USA - please don't understand. While travelling to Europe, however, I realized just how restrictive the US can be. Land of "Yes, we can?" More like the land of "No, you can't because it is against federal regulation US527." We toured a medieval 13th century castle by ourselves. It was worn and have very steep stairs, but we know what we were going to be doing. I wonder if the various regulatory agencies would have allowed something like that in the US. There was no handicap access, no guiderails on the stairs, no screens or safety material on the windows - it was a fantastic "at your own risk" tour.
8. English spoken here - We never had any communication problems on our trip. Although English is not their first language, we met people who could speak at least a little English. Everyone was wonderful and had no problems translating menus or anything else we needed.
9. Go for it! - You are on vacation, so do things you would not do every day. We went for a hot air balloon ride over Bruges, and it was amazing! It was such a unique and wonderful experience, and a memory I will always cherish from this trip.
10. No goofy souvenirs - For once, I decided not to buy postcards, magnets, or other dust catchers. I bought a few pieces of jewelry and we got several Belgian beer glasses which we intended to purchase during our trip. Other than that, we have about 1500 amazing pictures to remind us of this great trip.
It truly was a wonderful trip. We were excited for months leading up to this trip, but we were both scared to hope it would be everything we wanted it to be. It was everything and more. It was the greatest vacation to date. We are already thinking about our next trip to Europe. Should it be Germany/Austria or Italy?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My Race Report - Shamrock Half Marathon, 3/22/09
Bill and I were unable to leave for Virginia Beach until Saturday before the race. No worries, though. Since Virginia Beach is only about 4 hours away, we made it to the expo with hours to spare. We picked up our race numbers and received a shoe bag (which also doubled as the checked gear bag) and a short-sleeved tech shirt in Shamrock green. After the expo, we checked in at The Cavalier Hotel, the perfect pick for this race. We were literally across the street from the starting line. We had a fantastic pre-race dinner at Aldo’s (look it up if you are in VA Beach) and called it an early night.
We were up before sunrise to prepare for the race. Luckily, we walked out of our hotel, across the street, and into our corrals. The temperature was chilly, but not too cold. A long –sleeved shirt and tights under my running shorts were just the right weight. At 7am, we were on our way.
The course headed north on Pacific Avenue. There were several people on the race route as it was a nice residential area. There was even a booth where people were handing out beer on the route, just in case you couldn’t wait until the finisher’s festival. After about 3 miles, we made the turn onto Shore Drive.
The route turned from residential to a quiet tree lined street. There were a few speaker stands along the way, and the only live band played around mile 5. I felt great as I ran along this flat course. I had high hopes of a PR. When I checked my watch at the 5-mile mark, I knew that it was a definite possibility.
At about mile 6, we headed into Fort Story. There were signs posted along the route with funny quips and interesting bits of trivia. I can tell you that the old lighthouse is 90 feet tall. I learned that at about the time we ran the road between the old and new lighthouses.
I was still on course for a PR by mile 10. I was running better than ever and I felt wonderful. The flat course was really helping me out. We looped back to Pacific Ave for the final stretch. I still felt great at mile 12 as I headed into town. We made the big left turn onto the boardwalk where the crowds cheered as we finished the race. I had made my PR. I shaved 8 minutes from my previous best. Bill also made his PR.
I got my medal, a nice bottle of water, and a Mylar cape. As I made my way through the gauntlet after the finish line, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a hat embroidered with the logo of the race and the phrase 13.1 Finisher. I also received a reusable green lunch bag filled with beer tickets and food. Those tickets did not last long. They were quickly exchanged for Yuenglings (title sponsors of the race). We also enjoyed a fine Irish Stew while local bands entertained us. It was the best post race party I have ever attended.
In summary, perfect weather, a flat fast course, great swag, cold beer, and hot Irish stew makes for the best half marathon I have run. We are already planning a return trip for next year.
We were up before sunrise to prepare for the race. Luckily, we walked out of our hotel, across the street, and into our corrals. The temperature was chilly, but not too cold. A long –sleeved shirt and tights under my running shorts were just the right weight. At 7am, we were on our way.
The course headed north on Pacific Avenue. There were several people on the race route as it was a nice residential area. There was even a booth where people were handing out beer on the route, just in case you couldn’t wait until the finisher’s festival. After about 3 miles, we made the turn onto Shore Drive.
The route turned from residential to a quiet tree lined street. There were a few speaker stands along the way, and the only live band played around mile 5. I felt great as I ran along this flat course. I had high hopes of a PR. When I checked my watch at the 5-mile mark, I knew that it was a definite possibility.
At about mile 6, we headed into Fort Story. There were signs posted along the route with funny quips and interesting bits of trivia. I can tell you that the old lighthouse is 90 feet tall. I learned that at about the time we ran the road between the old and new lighthouses.
I was still on course for a PR by mile 10. I was running better than ever and I felt wonderful. The flat course was really helping me out. We looped back to Pacific Ave for the final stretch. I still felt great at mile 12 as I headed into town. We made the big left turn onto the boardwalk where the crowds cheered as we finished the race. I had made my PR. I shaved 8 minutes from my previous best. Bill also made his PR.
I got my medal, a nice bottle of water, and a Mylar cape. As I made my way through the gauntlet after the finish line, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a hat embroidered with the logo of the race and the phrase 13.1 Finisher. I also received a reusable green lunch bag filled with beer tickets and food. Those tickets did not last long. They were quickly exchanged for Yuenglings (title sponsors of the race). We also enjoyed a fine Irish Stew while local bands entertained us. It was the best post race party I have ever attended.
In summary, perfect weather, a flat fast course, great swag, cold beer, and hot Irish stew makes for the best half marathon I have run. We are already planning a return trip for next year.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Magic of Disney (Half Marathon)
This past weekend, hubby and I went to Orlando for the Disney Half Marathon. We were lucky to receive applications at the Marine Corps Marathon in October for two of the few spots still open. I'm glad we decided to go.
We arrived in Orlando on Thursday night. Hubby's sister and her family live there, so we spent the night with them. It is great to combine a running trip with a family trip. After a spectacular dinner by my brother-in-law, we chilled and prepared for Friday.
On Friday, we went to the Disney wide World of Sports to pick up our race packets. The facility is pretty amazing (after all, it is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves), but the expo was smaller than some I have been to previously. We left pretty quickly and headed back to hang out with the family. We got to see our almost 5 year old nephew play basketball, and we had a nice dinner. We checked in to our hotel Friday night.
Sadly, it was very late Friday night, at least when you have to wake up at 4 am for a race. wake, we did, and we made it over to Epcot without issue. The race began on a road just outside of Epcot. There was much fanfare - Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy were there to start the race. There was even a small fireworks show as we started. The first few miles were tough. We were on a regular road that sometimes went down to one lane. It was tough to move around 12,000+ people to find a space, especially in the narrow quarters. It was also dark, so there wasn't anything to look at while running. At about mile 5, we started to get back to people. Soon, we made a bog turn, and ran right down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
We arrived in Orlando on Thursday night. Hubby's sister and her family live there, so we spent the night with them. It is great to combine a running trip with a family trip. After a spectacular dinner by my brother-in-law, we chilled and prepared for Friday.
On Friday, we went to the Disney wide World of Sports to pick up our race packets. The facility is pretty amazing (after all, it is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves), but the expo was smaller than some I have been to previously. We left pretty quickly and headed back to hang out with the family. We got to see our almost 5 year old nephew play basketball, and we had a nice dinner. We checked in to our hotel Friday night.
Sadly, it was very late Friday night, at least when you have to wake up at 4 am for a race. wake, we did, and we made it over to Epcot without issue. The race began on a road just outside of Epcot. There was much fanfare - Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy were there to start the race. There was even a small fireworks show as we started. The first few miles were tough. We were on a regular road that sometimes went down to one lane. It was tough to move around 12,000+ people to find a space, especially in the narrow quarters. It was also dark, so there wasn't anything to look at while running. At about mile 5, we started to get back to people. Soon, we made a bog turn, and ran right down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
I can honestly say that I have never felt so exhilarated running than when I was running in the Magic Kingdom. We ran through Tomorrowland, then Fantasyland. We ran right through Cinderella's castle, then on to Frontierland and out a back route. All along the way, there were beloved Disney characters standing along the route, cheering the runners, and taking pictures with any of the runners who were willing to stop. The run continued back the way it came to Epcot where we ran through that park before coming to the finish.
I missed my PR by less than three minutes, but I think it may have been the drop in adrenaline after the park. Still, I had lots of fun and I was glad I did it. I think the half marathon distance is good for me, but I may be willing to try a marathon soon. I have another half scheduled for March. In the meantime, I have a lovely gold Donald Duck medal to hang on my medal rack.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I would run 500 miles, and I would run 500 more...
As of this morning, I have run over 500 miles this year!! I hoped to reach this goal by the end of the year, but now I'm wondering how many more miles I can add to the tally.
Running has been such a big change in my life. When I was a kid, I was the worst runner in PE class. It would take me 2 minutes to get around the 1/4 mile track. I hated those days when we had to make that run. Even when I started running as an adult, I could only go for 1/2 mile before stopping. Now, I am getting ready in less than 2 weeks to do my second half marathon.
Sure, sometimes it is a pain in the ass. This morning, I didn't want to get up and go running in the cold and the dark. I did it anyway. Now, I am wondering if I could do a half marathon if every state in the Union. Wouldn't that be fun? We are already planning our 2009 travel around at least one race, and maybe more.
Maybe I will run a marathon...
Running has been such a big change in my life. When I was a kid, I was the worst runner in PE class. It would take me 2 minutes to get around the 1/4 mile track. I hated those days when we had to make that run. Even when I started running as an adult, I could only go for 1/2 mile before stopping. Now, I am getting ready in less than 2 weeks to do my second half marathon.
Sure, sometimes it is a pain in the ass. This morning, I didn't want to get up and go running in the cold and the dark. I did it anyway. Now, I am wondering if I could do a half marathon if every state in the Union. Wouldn't that be fun? We are already planning our 2009 travel around at least one race, and maybe more.
Maybe I will run a marathon...
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
2008 is great!
We rang in the New Year with great friends last night. Our friends, Janet and Dan, called on Saturday to see if we wanted to do something for New Year's Eve. Janet had seen a restaurant in nearby Hillsborough that was having a special dinner. We went to dinner at 9:00 and enjoyed a wonderful 4 course feast. The food was really delicious. We were able to sit at our table until just before midnight when we headed to the bar to watch and participate in the countdown. It was so nice to ring in a brand new year with friends.
So, now, 2008 is here and it is time to make resolutions. I have never been really good with resolutions, but I do have some things I want to accomplish this year.
1. I want to manage my weight again. I have been way too easy on my diet - heck, I have not followed one in over a year. I need to watch what I eat. Period.
2. I want to continue running and work up to at least a 10K this year. Bill and I have already checked out runs for this year and found a few we want to do.
3. I want to continue to try new things and do the things that I have always wanted to do. I have already signed up for a beginning yoga class and an Indian cooking class in '08.
4. I want to decide if I should stay in The Junior League. It may be that my attention would be better used elsewhere and for a different organization. I know at least 2 people think I should quit the League.
5. I want to travel this year. I want to go to Germany as well as visit family and friends.
6. I want to de-clutter my life. I want to get rid of the stuff I don't need and simplify my life.
7. I want to continue to enjoy my job and my co-workers.
8. I want to spend time with my husband, my dog and my friends.
9. I want to earn that plate on the wall at The Flying Saucer!
10. I want to be more flexible and more relaxed.
So much to do and no time like January 1 to start!
So, now, 2008 is here and it is time to make resolutions. I have never been really good with resolutions, but I do have some things I want to accomplish this year.
1. I want to manage my weight again. I have been way too easy on my diet - heck, I have not followed one in over a year. I need to watch what I eat. Period.
2. I want to continue running and work up to at least a 10K this year. Bill and I have already checked out runs for this year and found a few we want to do.
3. I want to continue to try new things and do the things that I have always wanted to do. I have already signed up for a beginning yoga class and an Indian cooking class in '08.
4. I want to decide if I should stay in The Junior League. It may be that my attention would be better used elsewhere and for a different organization. I know at least 2 people think I should quit the League.
5. I want to travel this year. I want to go to Germany as well as visit family and friends.
6. I want to de-clutter my life. I want to get rid of the stuff I don't need and simplify my life.
7. I want to continue to enjoy my job and my co-workers.
8. I want to spend time with my husband, my dog and my friends.
9. I want to earn that plate on the wall at The Flying Saucer!
10. I want to be more flexible and more relaxed.
So much to do and no time like January 1 to start!
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