Can you work-out this riddle: BDA-LGW/LHR-FCO-LHR-JNB-CPT-JNB-LHR-AMS-LGW-BDA

Nicola Arnold (left) taking in the marvelous Coliseum in Rome with her sister Katie

The holidays have come and gone and it’s back to the grind.

Or, well, for Robyn’s Wanderings’ latest columnist back to “de rock”.

Nicola Arnold has been scavenging the world over her holidays to bring us the latest in her adventures from South Africa to Italy and everywhere in between.

We welcome you back to your regular blogging program: Nicola’s Saturday posts:

Honey, I’m home… home sweet home… and for us Bermudians, back on de Rock… and I must admit it is nice to end up at home, even if it’s windy & rainy at the moment! I did manage to hope on a computer every now & then to write my Saturday postings while I was away.

See if you can work out the riddle below that explains the journey:

BDA-LGW/LHR-FCO-LHR-JNB-CPT-JNB-LHR-AMS-LGW-BDA

If you understand the riddle, you might be in the in travel industry, travel frequently, or admit to being an aviation geek… although you may have just been left thinking “what the heck?” Don’t worry, I had to Google a few that I did not know myself. That string of letters is the list of airport codes for each leg of my journey. 10 Flights in 21 days!

To break it down: Bermuda-London Gatwick/transfer to London Heathrow-Rome Fiumicino-London Heathrow-Johannesburg (transfer)-Cape Town-Johannesburg-London Heathrow (transfer)-Amsterdam Schipol-London Gatwick-Bermuda

In Rome, we joined-up with my older sister Katie, who lives and works in England. We stayed with my dad’s uncle who lives in Rome as a Jesuit priest, and we were also joined by Jenna, an American friend of mine studying in France who hopped on an EasyJet flight to Rome! We witnessed wedding party photos being taken outside the Coliseum, inadvertently jumped into rivers of rain that flooded down the cobblestones by the Trevi fountain – and of course enjoyed our share of pizza, gelato and marocchino coffees (an espresso with foamed milk and cacao, to be taken 2-3 times daily!).

In & around Cape Town: Within 36 hours we had accomplished a visiting marathon … we had afternoon tea

Nicola spent Christmas day chilling out in the pool with family & friends

with the friends who met us at the airport, enjoyed breakfast at a café with my mom’s uncle & aunt (who she hadn’t seen in 30 years), went to lunch with the parents of my dad’s best friend from college, ate dinner with my mom’s college contemporaries – PLUS stopping by a busy restaurant in the afternoon to see the daughter of a South African friend we know in Bermuda. We may travel light, but we certainly pack-in the travel adventures!

Next was Johannesburg, which is known locally as Jo’burg, Jozi, or eGoli, where we stayed for 8 days right up until New Year’s Eve. Christmas was upon us so the catching up, preparations and feasting were off with a bang! As I had not seen some of my relatives in 7 or 8 years, it was an absolute delight to spend a week eating leftovers by the pool (Jo’burg summertime meant 25-30°C days and nightly thunderstorms), go on day trips to historical sites such as Pretoria (we visited the Voortrekker monument to the Afrikaans’ pioneers), Soweto (an abbreviation of South Western Townships, where the famous Soweto Uprising took place in 1976), the Soccer City Stadium from the 2010 FIFA World Cup (designed to look like an African cooking pot), and even a day spent peering through binoculars to see the wild animals at the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve in Kromdraai, an animal reserve where we drove a few feet past fabulous animals such as white lions, cheetah, wild dogs, rhinoceros, kudu, warthogs, jackals, and buffalo.

The Lion King (live!) during Nicola's visit to the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve

[In Africa, people flock to see the “Big Five” game animals on safari or in game reserves. These five include the lion, the African elephant, the Cape Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros, as these were historically the most difficult and dangerous animals to hunt on foot. A neat fact is that on the Rand, the currency used in South Africa, banknotes published since 1990 portray a different animal of the Big Five for different denominations.]

The return to Europe meant a crash in temperature, but after New Year’s Eve on a plane and seeing an electric pink sunrise on January 1^st from 35,000 feet in the air, we started the New Year in style. 2011 began with a 2-day stay in Amsterdam, and sight-seeing by boat cruises, tram rides and on foot,but  not by bicycle. There was plenty of Christmas cheer about with ice skating rinks in vary city squares, Christmas markets selling sugared donuts and mulled wine (yes please!). Rather unfortunately, empty champagne bottles were strewn across frozen canals and bobbed up and down in watery canals… such is city life.

Last, but not least, in London we had 3 days to catch up with my sister Katie, our cousin Michael who also hosted us, and my Bermudian friend Kerri-Lynne who joined the Arnolds for a meal in town! Being the end of a 3-week journey, London was a bit of an energy struggle for me but the sites were seen atop the famous red, double-decker buses, where we always clambered to sit on the top, in the front. We even managed to squeeze in some shows in London’s West End, including Wicked which was fantastic even 9 rows from the back of the theatre!

Sure, we incurred delays and cancellations, upgrades (yay!) and downgrades (boo), various aviation hurdles

Hiding in the "m" is a little Bermudian in the city of Amsterdam

(taking off in thunderstorms, de-icing the plane) and at one point a finger infection (I will not expand all of the details, let’s just say I’m glad my dad could ‘doctor’ it).

Anxious to know what travels await me in 2011. Nothing is booked yet, but ideas are being put into place, and I am looking forward to the opportunities. Right now, I’m going to plead “jet-lag” as an excuse to return to my book. Not surprisingly in the genre of travel literature, it’s called “A Trip to the Beach” by Melinda & Robert Blanchard, a couple from the USA who set up a restaurant on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. As I read, I imagine myself in a hammock, sipping on a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella inside…

Now it’s Happy New Years from around the World!

Fireworks over the Charles' Bridge in Prague!

Kielbasa? Check. Champagne? Check? A bridge that was not destroyed in WWII? Check. Thousands of people from Italy, France, China, and the USA? Check? Fireworks? At midnight.

I was knee-deep in freezing temperatures, but that’s ok. I could work with the frost. It was nothing a couple of glasses of gluwein and a lot of jumping, couldn’t fix.

As I found myself at the beginning of my trip around the world celebrating in Prague the welcoming of 2009, I realized I was glad I chose this spot. With the Christmas Market still doling out the famous sausage dish (kielbasa) and hot wine, coupled with the thousands of tourists in the Czech Capital there was a sense of unity among nations.

Well, unity until we all tried to head for the Charles’ Bridge. This structure survived WWII and just about survives the onslaught of tourists and Czech’s alike every New Years; it’s the best place to watch the fireworks. On the way everyone jumps into the shops on the corner to grab their champagne, absinthe, or the Czech liquor, Fernet.

Then the count-down begins. Five, Cinque, Cinq….Four, Quatro, Quatre…..three, tre, tre, Two, duo, due….One, uno, une!

But not everyone enjoys their New Years on a bridge. Of course I have never been in New York for New Year’s Eve but, as everyone knows, they drop a ball…in Times’ Square of course!

Sure the New Yorkers drop a ball, but that’s nothing compared to our onion in St. George’s, right?

Neither of those, I’m afraid, touch on the interesting New Years tradition in Peru, however. In this South American country, they dress-up a doll (yes I know machismo is gone for a night) in old clothes and then burn it.

Talk about cleaning your closet! To ensure there are replacements, markets spring-up catering to everything you need. New clothes not an option? Then at least new underwear is!

But, of course, yellow underwear is the only colour you want if you need happiness and luck (good thing that’s my favourite colour!) or red if you want love or green for, of course, money.

Red, green and….white? Well those colours will have you wishing: “Buon Capodanno!” That’s what I heard in Florence as I celebrated a New Year before starting my semester of studying in these Renaissance-lined streets. Of course the greeting came with the crescendo of bottles crashing onto these streets (perhaps a hangover from the Southern tradition of throwing your old things out of the window showing that you were ready for the new).

We didn’t dodge the bottles until after a massive fiesta! La Festa di San Silvestro to be exact. For my experience it was based on sea food and fish.

Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy!

Perhaps that was because I was up North and the Italians I was celebrating with were from the coast (sailors actually). In other parts of Italy the feast is based on lentils and pork! Of course once you indulge in these feasts only the Italians know how to work it off. That requires cracking a spumante or prosecco and finding a club to dance and then waiting for the new born sun.

A ray of light is exactly what you might think you see if you celebrate the new year in India. Parties have themes – colour codes or unique dress codes – filled with food and even the lighting of bonfires and the burning of crackers. Of course if you visit the tourist and hippie mecca of Goa (a province on India’s West coast) then raves are all the…rave!

Heading back for Silvester, or the feast of St. Silverster is the name of New Year’s Eve in Germany. Who was Silvester? Well, he was a pope who lived in the fourth century and apparently healed leprosy and baptized the Roman Emporer, Constantine the Great among other things. Fair enough. I guess he should get a celebration. In Berlin, however, the world-famous bash Brandenburger Tor is held and at midnight everyone wishes everyone else “Gutes Nue Jahr”. The next day, there is, of course, the need to know what is coming in the next year so the Germans enjoy Bleigiessen. A tradition, it requires dropping molten lead into cold water. Shaped like a heart or a ring? A wedding is in your future.

While we, in the West, might be celebrating New Years’ Eve in a couple of days, in Cambodia New Year or Chaul Chnam Thmey is not until April 13th or 14th and it is celebrated for three days! Yes, three days. That’s because it represents the end of the harvesting season. Makes sense, no? To celebrate means visiting temples to get blessing from monks and priests while building a sand hill on the temple grounds and decorating it with five religious flags – it represents the Buddha’s five disciples. Each of the three days also have their own significance.

Harvesting is what it’s all about in Korea, China and Vietnam! Only their’s is celebrated at sunset on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice (that was on December, 21 this year). It’s a three-day celebration too! Heck they know how to party out there. Almost all Koreans, apparently, head back to their hometowns to celebrate. On the eve, or Sut dal kum mum, people clean their homes and light them with colourful halogens. You think our New Years Eve is long? The Koreans don’t sleep! The belief is everyone needs to stay-up to see the new year coming in or….else.

The next day it’s all about eating and spending time with family even including the ancestors. Known as Chesa, a clean room, a table altar is places with food items and on a special paper their names are written. On a special paper called Chi Bang, the names of the ancestors are written. With the rituals done, it’s time to have fun with games and hanging-out.

The only tradition for their friends south, Australia, is a party of course! Beaches, pubs and clubs are all filled with crazy cappers and as soon as church bells ring at midnight loud noises also ring-out! Recovering from this fun, the New Year Day is a public holiday and people spend it with their family and friends. To get an idea of how much fun it is more than 3,00,000 tourists celebrate their New Year in Australia. I suppose that’s a party.

The Matterhorn can provide the background for New Year's Eve!

Of course the best I’ve seen/experienced was in Zermatt, Switzerland! I had the luck of having a friend with a house there. But that’s not where we stayed….well for New Year’s Eve anyway. Instead the party was taken to a five-story restaurant/bar/club in the middle of this traffic-free, mountain ensconced town. The Swiss know how to party.

Of course the next day the party the night before was nothing a little skiing with the backdrop of the Matterhorn mountain couldn’t take care of. Let’s hope I have the same luck this year in Vermont! So wherever you are and whatever you are doing this year, enjoy it! And come back next week for my next Rock Fever column for The Royal Gazette on traveling by book! (those following the blog will have seen it before:)

 

Saying Merry Christmas around the World

Merry Christmas!

Well the day has finally come!

Yes it’s December 25th. It’s Christmas. For some that’s a religious holiday.

For others, like myself, it’s simply a day to enjoy family. Yes, I said enjoy. I know, I know, but I actually do.

I mean once the holidays are over I don’t need to see them for another year…ha just kidding.

Anyway, this morning I awoke, as I do every year, to the smell of overnight coffee cake (hint: it’s made the night before and the spices get to soak in) and wishing my fam Merry Christmas!

In English of course. I mean that is my first language. But it’s not Bermuda’s only language. You didn’t know that did you.

Well let me tell you. Portuguese is the second strongest language spoken on this island. How will Portuguese Bermudians wish each other Merry Christmas? Good question.

And the answer is: “Feliz Natal”.

So “Feliz Natal” or Feliz Navidad if you’re Spanish. What if you’re Italian? Ok then Buon Natale! I mean these are just a few I am familiar with having spent enough time in Italy and Spanish-speaking countries.

That got me to thinking…..what about the rest of the world. What do they say?! Good question, Robyn. I know, I know.

So here is Merry Christmas from around the world:

The Czechs will tell you: Veselé Vánoce! (and you can too if you listen to the link!)

If the French are feeling festive they’ll tell you: Joyeux Noel!

It’s Vrolijk Kerstfeest, if you’re in Holland.

The Hungarians? No, they won’t eat you. They’ll wish you: “Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket”.

“Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta,” from Finland

“Maligayang Pasko” from the Philippines

The Germans? Why they would tell you: “Fršhliche Weihnachten!”

Want more greetings from around the world? Of course you do. Well you can visit this link for more suggestions AFTER (of course) reading the latest from Robyn’s second Wanderer, Nicola Arnold.

She brings her very special greetings from….where else?! South Africa. I know, jealous much? I am. After navigating the snow in London and the streets of Rome Nicola is finally in her Christmas Destination: South Africa.

What are her Christmas plans? How is she going to hear Merry Christmas? Well for one here’s a hint….she’s going to be outside for dinner! And for two?  In Africaans they say: “Een Plesierige Kerfees”.

 

Nicola in her Santa suit!

So Nicola, tell us what are you top five vacation experiences so far:

1) Barbequing our turkey on Christmas day – wrapped in bacon and smoked, more so – is going to be a real treat. The famous South African “braai” (bbq) is one thing we love most about visiting, and Dec 25th will be a family femy feast! Not to mention other Christmas-y things we may all recognize… mince pies, Christmas cake, and love ’em or hate ’em, brussel sprouts.

2) On a domestic flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town, I sat next to a very sweet lady who I chatted to on

Nicola on her camel in India! (a previous trip of course!)

our journey, everything from barge trips in France to my dad wearing a kilt (yes, I promise I will dedicate a who blog posting to THE KILT!). We said goodbye as we exited the aircraft, and went on our merry way. A friend came to fetch us at the airport to have tea with us before dropping us off at another friend’s house where we were staying. As we sat outside enjoying an African sunset and catching up, the neighbour dropped in to say hello… and it was none other than Estelle, my airplane friend who I had chatted with. Six degrees of separation, you say?!

3) If you have been watching the news, you may know that Heathrow airport in London has been snowed in a lot recently, and I mean SNOWED IN! But I don’t want to dwell on lost baggage (we only have hand luggage, whew), delayed and cancelled flights (c’est la vie!), but more on the fact that my dad picked up plenty attention traipsing around Terminal 5 at Heathrow wearing his kilt – compliments, stares, whistles, laughs, and from one couple trying to make it from Italy to New York, a photo request (which my dad had no trouble agreeing to!!)

Nicola (on the right) and her sister

4) Rome has a roundabout called Piazza della Repubblica, and when we arrived in Rome on Dec 17th, it was unseasonably cold and there were light flurries. As we took the bus from Termini train station to our accommodation, we passed this Piazza which has a great statue in the middle… which had been frozen with the 0C weather, and icicles were hanging from the statue where the water normally pours from. It was quite the sight! Unfortunately, the next time we drove past the same piazza, the icicles has melted and the photos were not so “n-icey” (but every bit as majestic).

5) As with every country/city, there are animals that are a bit of a nuisance or just run around all over the place in great numbers (try the squirrel in Canada, or the ferral chickens in Bermuda). As we drove around the western cape of Africa near Cape Town, we stopped to take photos on the coastal roads. One stopping point had a triangular sign with a big exclamation mark and the words “BABOONS”… beware of the cheek monkeys, as what you think is a cute animal may walk off with your picnic! Or worse, give you a nasty bite!

Merry Christmas to all, from South Africa

You walk like an Egyptian….

Egyptian Pyramids

Yeah tell me something I don’t already know.

No, I’m not talking to the 80’s hit by The Bangles. I haven’t quite lost my head like that yet. Though….No no I haven’t lost my head like that at all.

Who was I talking to? Well just about every Egyptian man who lined the streets of Luxor desperate to get hold of me or catch my attention.

I’m not being vain. Believe me. The last think I wanted was to catch their eye. It was just something they did! To everyone!

What am I talking about? Well I’m talking about my trip around the world last year, that landed me in Egypt for two weeks. I went from Cairo to Aswan to Luxor and back to Cairo again.

It was an incredible trip that I did by train. Have you ever woken-up to see the Nile drift by you? I didn’t think so. It’s stunning.

Which is why you should book to go NOW! Don’t delay. Why? Well for one reason the CTravel agency in Bermuda can get you a great deal.

In fact if you book by December 31st you can received a discount of as much as $700 on a ten day trip through Egypt! Four of those days will be on a boat.

Need I say more? Well you’d be traveling the same route I did. But unlike the backpacker I was, you will travel from Cairo and along the Nile, in the company of distinguished Egyptologists, who will happily explain both modern and ancient Egypt.

Visit bazaars alive with color and fragrant spices, and gain an appreciation for Egypt’s unique diversity. And the best part? Sailing along the Nile on the 47-guest Salacia.

So make sure you contact CTravel today to book your discounted tour of Egypt.

Or do your cultural tendencies lean toward the musical kind? Perhaps a little Jazz will lighten your day? How about for nine days?

Jazz Cruise

Yep well through the company My Escapades and CTravel, you could be sailing with 80 Jazz greats for nine days!

With the likes of Johnny Mandel, James Moody, Wycliffe Gordon, Jeff Hamilton, Jon Gordon, Freddy Cole, Shelly Berg, and Ernie Adams to name a few.

Imagine listening to the soothing sounds of Jazz while navigating through the Caribbean! From Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, San Juan, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay, you’ll have an amazing time for the price of just $2,599 per person.

The best part for Bermudians is that price includes flights from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale to begin the trip. With the introduction of WestJet that’s an easy and cheap connection to make!

Or are you looking for something more hardcore? Maybe a trip up and down the world? How about from Cape

Rome

Town, South Africa to Rome, Italy?!

Well Princess Cruises through CTravel are offering a cruise in April next year that costs only $5,499 per person and is 26 days!

How cool would that be? It would be.

You’d be taken to Namibia, Ghana, Senegal, Togo and then to Spain, France and of course Italy!

And the price starts at just $5,999 per person for the 26-day cruise!

Of course I’m missing some of the countries in the list, but you wouldn’t when you travel in style with Princess Cruise lines!

So make sure you enjoy your holidays now, book your holidays for later and of course come back tomorrow for more Robyn’s Wanderings!

Japan for one?

 

Japan for one?

 

Yep. You read it. Japan for one on this one-time only basis. Well not really. Ok definitely not, but at least some tour operators are starting to catch-on that people travel solo.

What am I talking about? Have you ever tried to book a tour? They usually try to quote you a double room for the cruise or land-tour as it were. So I’m solo and I have to pay for two?

Uh…not going to happen.

Which is why Tauck Tours has introduced solo pricing for their tours in 2011!!! Can you believe it? Well if not you need to contact CTravel because they have all the details.

Which include this trip to Japan which reveals the essence of Japan through its temples, shrines, Shinto gates, feudal castles, and perfectly preserved villages. In Tauck’s Japan travel on the fascinating island of Honshu to off-the-beaten-path spots, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the vibrant cites of Tokyo and Kyoto for a full cultural immersion.

Experience ancient traditions firsthand when you stay in a ryokan-style hotel, attend a tea ceremony, and soak in hot spring baths. Tour legendary samurai residences and the Geisha district.

Ride the Bullet Train and a boat across a lake. See the Great Buddha, thatched-roof gassho-zukuri farmhouses, serene gardens, and priceless art treasures.

And Tauck has so many more tours than Japan for those on their own! But you have to contact CTravel to find out more.

 

Italy for Christmas and New Years

 

Still looking for that last minute trip this year? Trying to find somewhere for Christmas and New Years?

Why not spend Three days in Rome. A day in Assisi followed by two days in Florence and cap it off with Verona and Venice? For New Years?

Then, well, enjoy these tours brought to you by Globus and CTravel in Bermuda. They are offering the Italian experience over one of the most festive times of year in this country!

Visit the sights in Rome: the Vatican Museums, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. To enjoying a Christmas Eve dinner with wine in one of Rome’s lively restaurants, and spend time exploring Rome or attending Mass on Christmas day.

You’ll also travel to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, and Florence, home to Michelangelo’s David. Completed in 1504, the artist worked over thirty months for a mere 400 florins (roughly $50,000 today). On this tour, you’ll get a chance to see this famous statue. In Venice, see the famous sights, shop for Murano glassware, enjoy a roman- tic gondola ride, taste sumptuous Italian cuisine, and enjoy a drink in St. Mark’s Square. Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Venice

For a price of $2,149 per person you can have all of this!

Swan's Cruises

Or how does sailing around the Aegean Sea for 15 days for just $2,250 sound?

Cruise through the land of harems to the land of democracy and back again and enjoy the crystal clear blue waters of Turkey and Greece from September 30th next year!

Starting in Istanbul and following the coast line of the multitude of islands that litter this sea, the cruise will drench you in both culture and luxury.

Contact Carl Paiva, the CEO of CTravel for more information on these deals and make sure you check back tomorrow for more adventures!

Traveling with Children

Mom and baby alpaca in the North of Argentina

“Honestly Robyn, I can’t stay here. There is mould in the ceiling. We need to find somewhere else.”

“Ok, ok I hear you. Let’s just chill tonight. I don’t have the energy and tomorrow we can search for a better place.”

As me and my fellow Bermudian Travel buddy, Jennie, meandered down the stairs of our Argentinian hostel a family was going up. They had an infant in a stroller and were struggling.

“How can they honestly do that? I can’t stand being here as a single person let alone with kids!”

“I don’t know Robyn, but if I have kids I will NOT be staying in a place like this.”

Last year while I was traveling solo around the world I had few, if any, responsibilities. If I wanted to go somewhere I could. If I wanted to be out till 4 a.m. I could. Most of the time the people I met were like me. And then, sometimes, there was a family. I might not agree with their accommodation choice, but I have a lot of respect for what they were doing – traveling without letting a child change their plans.

Robyn, how are you going to write about traveling with children? You don’t have any. Good question. Luckily my friends do. Caroline Wright, who has a one-year-old stepped-up to the plate with advice from her recent trip to Italy and London with her extended family, husband and son. And today, Monday, for my Rock Fever Column in The Royal Gazette she helped me put together some tips.

Caroline’s trip to London and Italy meant a lot of adults and one little person which starts tips for traveling with children at one with: rent a home. “We rented a villa for one week on Lake Garda, north of Italy and before traveling we made sure there was a crib and high chair available in the villa.”

But if you need to book a hotel, tip two is: “Always book one that says they are child friendly – we made sure each place had a crib for Jacob and allowed him to be a child. The Atheneum Hotel in London was amazing and catered to everything you requested – they had a crib, baby slippers and robe, games, stuffed animals and books in the room for Jacob and they even brought milk and cookies each night (we didn’t let him eat the cookies before bed so Mummy and Daddy decided to enjoy them).”

To get around buses and trains are best when you’re solo. When you have a child tip three is rent a car with car seat: “Each day we took a car trip to a different location – Venice, Milan, Verona, around Lake Garda. Car trips were long (always over 1 hour) so we made sure we had snacks, water, books and toys on hand to keep Jacob occupied if need be.”

Or: “It’s best to get a personal driver (and pre-book a car seat in their car) – they can take you at your own pace along the Amalfi Coast and stop where you want and take pictures of you and your family – this also meant Jacob was able to sleep in the car if the sights didn’t excite him enough”

But while a car seat and stroller for your destination might work for a lot of places tip four is: “If your child is too little to walk on their own, a backpack was a wise investment for Venice – there are many stairs to go over bridges and the narrow streets make it awkward to push a stroller. Pompeii was a location where the backpack was again needed, Jacob was able to see everything at our height and it meant a less bumpy ride for him.”

Of course bathrooms are adult-friendly (most of the time), but diaper duty can be tricky. So tip five is: “Always have a changing mat with you – there weren’t any changing tables in the public or restaurant bathrooms so many times Jacob would get his diaper changed on the floor between tables, on counter tops, in the back of the car, etc”

Zoobies - hippo, cat, giraffe, turtle-shaped pillows/blankets and toys in one for kids on trips

Children may need changing, but they also need (and even I know this) comfortable things like their blankets and pillows. Which is why tip six is bring what they know: Zoobies – animal cuddly toys which serve as toy, pillow and blanket are available at The Harbourmaster. While pacifiers do what their name implies: “We had gotten out of using the pacifier during the day (only for naps and night time) – however, we had to carry a few with us always as most days we left the villa at 9am and didn’t return until 11pm so nap times were unknown and crankiness could set in and any moment – the pacifier helped soothe him

“If you use a pacifier, always take extra as we lost many while Jacob fell asleep in the stroller and the pacifier would fall out without anyone knowing – currently there is a fluorescent green pacifier somewhere on the streets of Venice.”

While eating can be difficult for me -try and find Gluten-free food somewhere in an Italian restaurant- try finding child-friendly food……so tip seven from Caroline is ensure you have toys to keep them entertained.

“When eating in restaurants it’s handy to have small toys for them to play with while you’re waiting for your food. Jacob had his little cars and animals to keep him entertained, however the bread basket was more entertainment for him since he could eat it.”

You won’t always find something for them to eat, so tip eight is bring snacks and try to create variety in eating habits: “We tried to keep him on a healthy eating schedule but with restaurant eating and snacking throughout the trip, it wasn’t kept up. Little markets in Italy sold great fruit so he was able to eat a lot of that and he definitely sampled his fair share of ice cream, as did the rest of us.

“By the time we got to London, we did most of our eating in parks so Jacob wouldn’t have to sit in a high chair anymore, he got very tired of them (and all the different varieties we were given) – here he was able to run around, chase birds then come back and take a bite of food then do it all over again.”

Which brings us to tip nine, which is to trust people around you and enjoy the culture. Caroline said: “Everywhere we went in Italy, the people were so friendly and accommodating especially when they saw we had a baby – they all wanted to kiss him, play with him and even babysit – we got countless offers – one time when Anthony was shopping for pants, the store attendant entertained Jacob the whole time while I watched, it was adorable.”

And finally ten: “Don’t hold back on doing activities just because you have a one year old – if you’re not allowed to do it then you can’t (we weren’t able to go to the Opera in Verona as kids under 4 weren’t permitted) but we were able to ride on an open air double decker bus, go swimming in a cold lake, go on a gondola ride, travel up a funicular.”

Have you got more tips for children traveling? Comment below or send them to skinnerrobyn@gmail.com!

Thursday? Wanna go to Greece?

Athens by Night

For the two of us there were four beds. We thought we had struck a deal with the ticket lady in Venice.

“Sure, sure you can have a private room.”

Now we faced four beds. We were two. We had 48 hours until we landed in Piraeus, Greece and being the backpackers we were we had hit the grocery store for our food.

We spread-out. Opened our food and ate our dinner. But I was sure. I was sure any minute we were going to have another two people knock on our door and demand their trundle beds in the prison-size ship room.

We made it to Piraeus, but it wasn’t pretty. We barely got sleep with zero space. We had a shower that sprayed the entire bathroom. So why not do the trip pretty? Why not live in a luxury that supplies designer soaps, aromatherapy scents and handmade chocolate paired with a chilled bottle of French wine?

And why not make the trip with Silversea Cruises which offer just this luxury with the combination of Venice, Trieste and Rimini in Italy with Dubrovnik, Croatia, Corfu and Athens in Greece? If you book with CTravel before August 31 you will save 60% on your fare and received $500 in onboard credits!

Not fancying Venice? Want something a little less Mediterranean? Silversea Cruises also offers a trip from Bridgetown, Barbados to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 24 for 16 days. This cruise will hit St. Lucia, Grenada, French Guiana and multiple posts in Brazil before finishing in Rio! If you book this before August 31 the total trips will cost $5,798 before airfare from Bermuda.

River cruising more your style? Looking for a vacation for next year? I mean it is August already! Well Tauck Discovery has the gift of time for their European River Cruises in 2011. For previous Tauck clients they will receive two free nights in a hotel at the beginning or end of their trip OR one on each end. New clients will get one free night!

French River Cruising

Of course you have to book before September 30, 2010, but how can you not when the chances of resting gently down the stream through French Vineyards could be a reality? For ten days at $4,490 Tauck travelers can visit Paris, Lyon and Avignon to say the least!

So what are you waiting for?? It’s CTravel Thursdays and it’s the chance to book your next amazing trip cruising in style in the Mediterranean or Carribbean…..river boating it through France in 2011!

On top of that, if you contact CTravel for your next trip you can save!

Travel Agent or Interior Designer?

CTravel CEO Carl Paiva talks about the travel industry in Bermuda

It’s the day and age of the independent travel. For most that also means independent travel planning.

Visiting the internet rather than a travel agency is becoming far more common than when Mr. Paiva started in the industry in 1972, but the CEO of CTravel, a Bermuda-based travel agency, believes there is still a place for his industry.

What have almost 40 years in the island’s travel industry taught him? Mr. Paiva explained in his short Q&A in my Royal Gazette column – Rock Fever – today.

And here is the extended version with links to help you with your travel needs!

What got you into the travel business?

“I have been in the travel agency business since 1972. I had just graduated from college in 1971 with a degree in English and Art history.

“I got into the industry by default because I was really planning to go to graduate school for law. I joined Watlington and Conyers (a travel agency in Bermuda) where I started as a shipping agent for the summer. But I became a travel agent in the winter when there were no boats visiting Bermuda.

“In 1975 I joined Meyer-Franklin and stayed there until 2000 and I started CTravel in November, 2000.”

So where did the name for CTravel come from? I mean, besides the obvious travel portion?

“The ‘C’ in CTravel was born out of a marketing seminar that we attended that claimed ‘C’ was the strongest letter in the alphabet for marketing. Most people however believe it stands for Carl. This works for us too!!”

You have been in Bermuda’s travel business for almost 40 years and CTravel is stepping into the next arena by downsizing the physical office. How have you seen the travel industry evolve?

“It has changed absolutely. It used to all be done over the phone, calling airline reservation counters and everything was done on a personal level. We would have to wait for the confirmation from the airline. The airfares were much higher then and to book a hotel or car reservation was done through writing letters and we waited for a response. Everyone was patient. We were doing everything.”

And then there were the social … issues?

“Couples travelling to hotels or on a cruise ship, well we couldn’t book a couple unless they were married. They would have to be married and travelling in the same room.”

So what is a day in the life of a CEO of a travel agency?

“In my particular case it’s dealing with administration, coming up with new ideas, moving with the times, meeting with suppliers, meeting with everyone from a tour operator to a cruise company or speaking to them on the phone.

“Because I am in marketing I am also always trying to come up with new ideas to get on the radio and TV and the Internet (CTravel has its websitectravel.bm, cruises.bm and quickertix.com). I also meet with the staff to discuss new opportunities.

“A lot of the job is personal contact with staff and clients. Suppliers sometimes come down here and they meet with me to explain their vision moving forward and they do training with the staff. Relationships are absolutely critical and in our industry that means meeting face to face or getting to know them over the phone. I also encourage the travel advisors (because that is what the industry calls them) to embrace what they love because the travel industry is so diversified.”

I book most of my trips online and when I organised the trip around the world I did it myself. What are incentives for the public to use travel agents these days when everything is online?

“I compare our jobs to that of an interior designer. They need to meet with the clients, understand what they want and introduce the opportunities they have (just like a travel advisor does). And it doesn’t cost anymore (money) to sit with a travel agent. We get commissions from the suppliers. We only charge for airline tickets.

“We also have 130 affiliated offices worldwide. If someone said: ‘I want to go to Poland’ we could call our on-site and they would come back with a suggested itinerary.

Italia!

“This will mean going to sites the average traveller will not see. For example when I was in Venice I consulted our on-site, but I had them plan one day in particular. It was called ‘The little known Venice’. We literally went to parts of Venice where we saw no tourists. We went to the Ghetto where Jewish people were kept during the World War. We met with the Rabbi there and not being Jewish it was a history for lesson for us.”

And it provides more security?

“Yes. For example there was a group going to Africa and they were on tickets that were booked online. They arrived in London and some had tickets that had been stolen and they were supposed to meet a travel agent with the tickets onwards to Africa, but there was no travel agent there.

“Then a church group thought they were booking through a Minister in Florida. They booked 20 cabins. It was false and all that money was gone.

“Every year we go to the travel meeting in Vegas and meet with the various suppliers there which means we recognise names and faces and don’t need to worry.”

And the additional perks to booking through a travel agency?

“Because CTravel has a relationship with Virtuoso the largest travel consortium in the world, we get the Virtuoso rates and the amenities. That could also mean a bottle of champagne (in the visitor’s hotel room) or early check-in and other add-ons.

Another example? Mr. Paiva had a client who wanted to go to Mt. Kilimanjaro, but didn’t want to do it with a group. He called their Virtuoso on-site and were able to custom-tailor a trip with trekking, spa recovery and as many creature comforts as his client wanted.

That’s because, Mr Paiva said: “I am more an advisor to the agents. I do have some clients (for years). It’s such a personal business they call me and I want to go to China for two weeks and I know what they want to do.

“Many people find they like a particular agent and they like the way she/he does things. Relationship is one of the keys to success.

“And if the agents doesn’t know the particular place where you want to go they can call on Virtuoso. That’s where our affiliates are so important.”

So many people book their flights online. Does your travel agency still book flights?

“We don’t focus on airlines (anymore), but because we are on an island we do an enormous amount. We are the number one agency for airlines and cruises.

“We have 75% of the industry according to suppliers. That’s for air, cruises, tours and customized itineraries. We do a lot of groups – family reunions, weddings, senior citizens, etc…”

Bermuda!

It seems like a lot of the business you do are cruises. How has that area of the travel industry changed?

“Cruising, by the early 80s was up, cruising exploded. What’s wonderful about filling cruises in Bermuda is that Bermudians like premier and deluxe cabins.

“Because we live here (Bermuda), they want a cabin with a view. So when we cruise the cabins to first fill up are the balconies.

“We also book a lot of groups and nine times out of 10 they know where they want to stay because Bermudians are great travelers.

“This means suppliers love to come here. Bermudians have a real sense of worldliness. They have traveled a lot and they know what they want and the suppliers know that.”

And is all of your travel planning simply leisure?

No. “We do a lot of corporate travel and that’s a different kind of agent. That’s one that know the best days for fares, seat preferences (the best for sleep on the way to London), limo rentals, car rentals and convenient hotels.

“The other thing we do with corporate accounts is incentive travel. If they want to take 20 people they can rent a private house (for example).

“Necker Island (in the British Virgin Islands), we have used  not just for corporate, but also family groups. I do a lot of that.

“We do about 60% leisure and 40 percent corporate.”

So how has the economy influenced Bermuda’s travel industry?

“It’s the first recession I have seen in my career affect Bermuda. In the third quarter of 2008 we noticed corporate accounts pull back.

“We don’t see leisure affected or cruises affected. Those have still continued. The recession has, however, caused the airlines to go with lower prices which means less commission (for the travel advisor).

“The cruise fares are lower too. It’s great for the consumer, but we were hurt by the recession.”

Too book your next trip and for more information about the cruises and fares you can visit their website: www.ctravel.bm.

Where do you book your trips? Do you visit a travel agent? Do you have any nightmare stories from booking online? Email them to skinnerrobyn@gmail.com.

Traveling to Europe in July? Need some ideas?

So it’s hard to sit and write today. My internet is down….again! And  so I’m trying to concentrate as I sit overlooking Hamilton Harbour (in Bermuda) watching the sailboats sway.

Finding Bermuda

Why? Well it’s about floating and waves…and no I kid. It’s Newport to Bermuda time and apparently the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is full because The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy club is filling-up.

How do these boats find Bermuda? Well they’re pretty well-equipped so navigating our reefs is no problem.

Are you trying not to find Bermuda? Maybe escape the 21-square-mile island for July? Are you heading to Europe? Or maybe you’re debating whether or not to go? Here are some ideas:

Let’s start with the only direct connection from Bermuda to the other side of the pond – London, England. Well if anyone’s been watching….well anything the news, Wimbledon, whatever, you know that an American and a French player are on a mammoth session (ten hours and counting). Hopefully they will finish their game by the first week of July when the tournament ends!

Heading to Italy? Fancy a horse race? So do the folks in Sienna. For July

Italia!

2nd even some families will be divided as the horses race around the city centre. It’s the Palio di Siena! I’ve never seen it in play, but I’ve seen Siena and I know how small the square is…..I’d definitely make it here if you can!

Of course France celebrates their Bastille Day on July 14! Independence…..Here’s some ideas on how to enjoy Paris – Bastille or not.

Fancy a little exercise before heading for Paris? Run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain from July 6 to the 14! .

Jazz more your style? Head to Montreux, Switzerland for their two week jazz festival. From July 2 to the 17th the hills will be alive with the sound…. of Ben Harper to Billy Idol!

Any other ideas? Got something you’d like to add? Maybe something to see in a destination further afield? I’m looking forward to your suggestions!

Trashed your hotel room lately?

Trashy hotel in Rome

Well in Rome, Italy there quite literally is a hotel made from trash! Coming on the heels of the World Environment Day I thought this was appropriate topic for today’s blog.

The hotel was built by German artist Ha Shult and sponsored by the Corona Save the Beach Project. This organisation strives to highlight the amount of trash that washes up on Europe’s beaches.

Not only that but they also try to save the beaches! What could be better? Uh…a stay in a trash hotel of course. Check out their site here.

KBB (Keep Bermuda Beautiful), Greenrock a new idea? Hotel from Bermuda’s trash…I think it’s a sure-fire tourism draw!:)