by David McGuffin | Jul 10, 2008 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources, Uncategorized
A couple of days ago, I wrote of my experience in Siena while walking to the main town square known as Il Campo. I had changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater and was mistaken for a local by an Italian couple who was lost in the maze of narrow streets in Siena. That got me to thinking about the current fashion in Europe.
It’s about 10:30 p.m. Earlier, the city was drenched with flooding rains that ran everyone inside. Even now, there is a dampness and chill in the air. As I look into the sky beyond the bell tower, I can see the weather is still a little “iffy”. Hoping the rain is gone for good, I grab a table at one of the cafes surrounding Il Campo, making sure I get one with an umbrella and a view. The waitress arrives with a slick little Bluetooth PDA on which she taps in my drink order and hurries off to another table.
Soon my wine arrives accompanied by the obligatory “free” bowl of chips and peanuts. I sit back and take in the “fashion scene.” Let’s see, I’ll pretend the square is like the face on a clock. So if the bell tower is at “12”, then I’m sitting at about “8.” Every guy I see is wearing jeans or cargo pants. Fifty percent of the girls are wearing tight fitted jeans and the other fifty percent are wearing capris or pants. It’s a young crowd. Some guys are wearing polo shirts and invariably, their collar is totally “popped.” Many guys have on logo jackets made of cotton which are always zipped all the way up to the neck. A lot of the guys and ladies are wearing these “Emo” type glasses. They seem to be very popular in Italy this season. You’ve seen them… brightly colored, rectangular frame, low profile. It must be the “in” thing.
Most of the guys are drinking bottled beer. Tennents and Budweiser seem to dominate. The girls seem to lean toward mixed girly drinks. From inside the small “bar,” the sounds of Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” blast from the stereo system. No one is dancing, instead everyone is standing around, laughing, talking, and generally having a good time.
All the tables at every cafe are now full. There is probably a hundred people spilling out onto the square, all with drinks in their hand. Glancing up, I notice the moon has peeked out from behind the clouds lighting up the sky. It’s 11:15 and the party goes on. No rowdiness, yelling, or horsing around as in American bars. These people are not here to party, get drunk, and make a scene. Instead it looks like a perfectly natural setting to gather and visit.
I’ve just about finished my drink and snacks and it’s getting late. Leaving, I walk across Il Campo to the sounds of “Y.M.C.A.” blasting from the PA system… but no one out here cares.
**You can add your two-cents by clicking on the {comments} link at the bottom of this entry.**
by David McGuffin | Jul 8, 2008 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
Maybe I need to modify my European wardrobe. For years I’ve preached that guys wear solid shoes, khaki pants, and collared shirts. They are easy to care for, blend in, don’t yell “American”, and are comfortable. Now maybe I’m not so sure. Fashion in Europe is a big deal and I’m beginning to notice changes.
This article is for the guys, but you ladies can take note too! I bet if you look around in Paris or Rome you’ll see the same trends in your fashion as well. I’m not Clinton and Stacy from “What Not to Wear”, but I do have a little fashion sense!
Siena – A couple of weeks ago….
Although it was dreadfully warm earlier, the afternoon rain ushered in a cool front across the hills of Tuscany. Earlier, I had dined with my tour group and walked back to the hotel afterwards. I went to my room, but found that I was restless and not really ready for bed. I decided not to waste a night sleeping when I could be on Il Campo, the main town square. Because it was chilly I changed into a pair of jeans, threw on a sweater, and headed out.
As I exited the hotel doorway and walked toward Il Campo, a car with a guy and a girl drove by. Soon they realized they were in a pedestrian area and made a U-turn back towards me. As they were driving by, the girl leaned out and asked, “How do you get to Il Campo?” She spoke only in Italian and I was amazed that I understood it all. Without thinking, I told them they could not drive to Il Campo, they must park here, outside the walls, and walk. I said all this in Floridian-Italian and got the funniest look from the girl. It was like she realized she was hearing the right answer, but it was from the wrong person. After a couple of seconds we both laughed. I said in English, “I’m a tourist” and she responded in English as well, “You don’t look like it.” Then, off we went in opposite directions.
A few weeks before, I was in Florida leading a tour preparation and orientation meeting. When the subject of packing and clothing came up, I gave my ususal spiel about how Europeans generally “dress up” more then we Americans. You don’t see them in shorts or flipflops unless they are at the beach. You’d never catch them in a “warm-up” suit unless they were in a sporting event, and most often they don’t wear jeans. I was challenged on that last statement by someone who had been to Europe the previous year who said, “They wear jeans all the time!” That got me to thinking…
So, now I’m making it a point to notice the fashion this season and see what changes I should make to my packing list. I’ll keep you updated and give you a new list if needed.
-David
**You can add your two-cents by clicking on the {comments} link at the bottom of this entry.**
by David McGuffin | Jun 18, 2008 | Destinations, Experiencing Europe
Recently I’ve been writing about my travel experiences in Venice and the “slow life” of staying on the Lido. I’ve got another experience to share that only happens when all the right elements fall into place. Somehow I’ve got a knack to stumbling into these situations. For me it takes going out on a limb and getting out of my “comfort zone,” but when it happens, it is magical.I made it to the island of Burano by about 4:30 p.m.
This island is the way out toward the place where the Venice lagoon empties into the Adriatic Sea. Burano is a fishing village and is most famous for finely handmade lace. At first glance it seemed the island survives only on tourism, but as I was about to find out, there is a lot more culture here than meets the eye. From the boat dock I walked up the “main drag” and found my tour group right where I expected them…at the first bar in sight. Now don’t misunderstand me here, hanging out at a bar is not a bad thing, so I decided to join them for a few minutes. By 5:00 the whole area was shutting down. The bar was handing out tabs which is highly unusual for Italy. I asked our waiter, “what was up?” and he said most tourist take the 5:20 boat back to Venice and there is no tourist business to speak of after that time. The restaurants in the area only serve lunch and are closed for dinner.
My group decided to return to Piazza San Marco for some shopping and more of Venice. I decided to hang around a while longer and checkout this village. So off I went in the direction away from the boat dock. Soon I discovered an amazing array of freshly painted buildings sporting every imaginable color of a rainbow. Red, blue, orange, yellow, and green seemed to be the dominate hues. The place was charming. Had I not known better you could have been in and Irish fishing village, not one on the Venice Lagoon. Strolling here I discovered I was actually in a residential area. Lining both sides of the sidewalk (there are no cars are on the island) were open doors covered only by a thin sheet of cloth flapping in the breeze and surrounded by pots of flowers in full bloom. This lent even more color to the already beautiful scenery. Kids were out playing, riding tricycles and bikes, and just generally being kids. Soon I came to the end of the island where it dropped off into the lagoon. In the distance I could see the harbor entrance defined by jetties jutting out into the Adriatic.Turning around I walked in another direction and after a few minutes found myself in the town square. Now this was what I was looking for! It was about 6:30 and the square was alive with action. Lining both sides of the “street” were every type of shop imaginable, each with its own awning sporting its name and purpose. Every shop was filled with people looking, shopping, and making purchases. These were the local folks, they lived on the island, and each one knew the other. It was my kind of town! I sat down at a café so I could get a good view of the action, ordered a drink, and took it all in.
After a few minutes four men sat down at the table next to men ordered a drink. The waitress was a happy woman, dressed in black, with deeply dyed red hair. After getting the guys their Apelrol’s she appeared with an accordion and gave it to one of the gentlemen. Within seconds he had it cranked up and was pumping out a tune. The other fellows joined in belting out song in rich baritone voices. It did not take long for them to gather a crowd and soon other men from the community took a seat and joined in. By this time I knew I had happen upon something special for me, but not at all unusual for Burano.
I couldn’t help it so on the next song I joined in. Now I’m not too shabby of a singer and I think the guys at the next table picked up on that. They needed a tenor and evidently I was doing a pretty good job. It was fairly easy for me to hear and belt out the harmony. I found that by watching the “leaders” mouth I could even get all the vowels correctly. I just got lucky with the consonants. All songs have a form and once you know where the verses and choruses fit it is easy to follow along.
After five or six songs one of the guys ran across the street, took a jar of retrieved a jar of anchovies offered by the shop tender and return to the table. By this time I had been invited to join the “choir” at their table and we all feasted on anchovies, bread, and vino! Yummmmmy! After licking the oil off his fingers the accordion player started up again and more men sat down and joined in . It seemed this was a normal thing, these guys passing away the late afternoon in song! By now it was getting to be 7:30 or so and I began to see the men watch their watches. I don’t speak Italian very well, and certainly do not understand the Venetian dialect, but I did pick up that their wives were expecting most of them home for dinner soon and they had better wrap it up. I think we had gone through three of four liters of vino and I did not know how they were going to go home and pretend they had not “stopped off for a cocktail” after leaving the office! HA! But no, I was made to understand that was not the way it was. Waiting for them was at least a one hour dinner with more vino and a relaxing evening at home.
At precisely 8:00 the waitress arrive and pried the accordion out of Eugenio’s hand and took it to a back room of the café. Everybody got up, said their “ciao’s” and were on their way home. You can’t manufacture this type of an experience. You’ll only run across it by getting off the beaten path, out of your comfort zone, and stick with the locals. You’ll get lucky about 10% of the time!
Ciao,
David
by David McGuffin | May 13, 2008 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources, Experiencing Europe
An IBIS Hotel
Avignon, France
I’ve marketed my Exploring Europe tours with the slogan “Thrifty and Tasteful Travel” for sometime. But just last night it came to me what I really mean by it. Tonight I am Avignon, a wonderful city with lots of history, culture, and style. The only problem is that all the tour groups that go through southern France stop here, add their euros to the economy, and then move on to somewhere else. I stopped by today to see if I could test my “Thrifty and Tasteful” concept.
Last night, in the remote village of Bonnieux, I was having a glass of wine at the bar down the street from my hotel. As I was writing my “Blog” and updating my journal the “Thrifty and Tasteful” concept materialized before me. So here it is….
In Bonnieux I spent 50 euro on a rather spartan, yet clean, room with a shower, sink, toilet, bed, and great view. There were better rooms in the village and even at the hotel, but I was alone and trying to impress no one. I figured the money saved on the room could be better spent on dinner. I was out 50 euro for my room and now I went in search of a place for dinner. I always checkout practically every place in town before deciding where to eat, and it was no different in Bonnieux. Bonnieux did present a special problem in that the town was small and built on a mountain, so anywhere I wanted to walk was either uphill or downhill. It never amazes me that where I want to go is always uphill!
After scouting the town, dodging the thunderstorm (complete with pea-sized pellets of hail) I ended up right back at my hotel’s restaurant. The owner, Pierre, had welcomed me to France (in English) when I checked in and now I asked him to tell me about dinner. Pierre took me into the dining room and showed me the “panoranique” view, described the menu choice in English, and even showed me the kitchen! Well I was hooked and made a reservation for 8:00. (BTW, I make it a habit not to tell the hotel and restaurant owners who I am or what I do until after the service, and only then if I want to return).
So for dinner I spent 36 euro on a four course meal that was simply amazing. The waitress suggested a bottle of local “Cote du Luberon” red wine which I took her up on. I had Foie Gras with fresh grilled bread, salad, and confiture of prunes for the starter (if you don’t like duck’s liver you should try it at one of my recommended places in France). I picked a regional speciality for the main course consisting of baby lamb shank roasted in its own fat and seasoned with juice, rosemary sprigs, and thyme. The meat fell off the bone and the rosemary was presented in a way that I could cut off fresh sprigs and add to each bite to enhance the flavor to my liking. By now I was completely satisfied and pleasantly full, but the goat’s cheese plate came and I had to have some of it. The cheese was produced in Buoux, a village about ten miles away. There was desert, but I’d had enough and skipped it. The waitress said she’d add the check to my hotel bill and I could settle up in the morning.
Ahh…talk about “Tasteful Travels” I found it in Bonnieux. So I guess I’ve discovered that I’m willing to stay in a two star hotel and dine like a king as opposed to staying in a four star hotel and trying to skimp on the food. If I had all the money in the world it would be different, but it seems just right for my “Thrifty and Tasteful Tour” philosophy.
Meanwhile tonight I’m staying in a two star IBIS hotel. These hotels are all over France and it’s kind of nice to “come home” to the same room no matter what city you’re in. But I did not succeed in finding an excellent and affordable place to eat, but that’s a story for another night.
Bonne nuit,
-David
by David McGuffin | May 10, 2008 | Destinations
I always get excited when it comes to getting ready to travel. Yes, there is that hectic period when I think I’ll never get everything done in time to catch my flight. Invariably, once my passport’s been shown, I get my boarding pass, and clear security, I always breath a sigh of relief knowing there is nothing more I can do but get on the plane and go.
I feel like that today… too much to do and not enough time to do it! I’m heading to Nice and the Cote D’ Azur to do a little exploring on my own and then pick up a tour group. I’ve recently been re-reading Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence” so I’ve decided to take a spin up into the Luberon for a couple of days. I’ll keep you posted and let you know how it all works out.
-David
by David McGuffin | Dec 25, 2007 | David's Journal, Destinations
Me and My Dad circa 1957
I’ve always been a little sentimental about memories. When I was a kid, I remember spending hours at my grandparents’ home looking through old black and white family photos. These photos were kept in the “middle room” in the bottom right drawer of a dresser. Back then, in the 1960’s, the collection of photos contained photos of my grandparents and parents taken from the 1930’s and 1940’s. My Uncle Bob, the oldest child of my grandparents, was interested in photography when he was in college and had left quite a collection of photographs in that drawer.
While browsing through those faded black and white photos, I always enjoyed identifying phots of relatives, taken in their younger days. But what really interested me was the locations in which they were taken. I dreamed of distant places and new locales, even if they were just “back home” in South Carolina or at the local zoo.
Later when I was in college, Charlotte and I actually wrote letters to one another, and we still have them today. Those handwritten letters are sometimes funny to look back upon and read. It’s funny, but I can always remember the exact locale, circumstances, or events to which we referred in those letters. I guess that’s why when I was about to depart on a big trip to Europe, I decided to purchase a leather bound journal to record my thoughts, reflections, and memories.
So in June 1997, I set off on a band performance tour to Europe organized by EF Educational Tours. Now, those of you who have known me for some time, know that EF Tours is the reason I started my tour company, Exploring Europe. But at that time, I did not have the know-how or the resources to set up a tour to Europe, much less a performance tour! So, I relied on a tour company to plan and organize the tour, our accomodations, transportation, dining, and performance venues. Here is an entry from the first pages of my 1997 journal:
“June 5, 1997-
Today, we were up at 7 a.m. in Middleburg (FL) doing the last minute stuff that always makes me late. Why Charlotte picked this day to get her hair cut and frosted is beyond me, but she did! I left for the bank, school, and last minute errands by 8:30 and began my rush to get things done here at home. The most important stop was at our bank to get Traveler’s Checks. I arrived back home at 10 a.m. and met up with my kids and some friends for our trip to the airport. We still had to make a stop at the “hair place” to pick up Charlotte and Brian, and by the time we got there, it was pouring rain. After our first of many “passport and moneybelt checks,” we were on our way.
We arrived at the airport by 11:35 a.m. and found the Continential Airlines check-in desk. Benny, the agent there, was very helpful with getting our group checked in and most importantly, getting all our instruments on free of charge. By 12:30 the whole group had checked in and we all walked down to the gate.
Finally at 2:30 p.m. we departed Jacksonville and were off on our adventure. After about two hours, we arrived at Newark. In transit, we flew over Manhattan and I got my first look at New York City. The Empire State Building, World Trade Center Twin Towers, and Statue of Liberty were pretty darn impressive, especially for a country boy from Middleburg.
To get in the European spirit, we had pasta at “Sabbaro” in Newark airport, then hung out for about two hours. We boarded Flight #56 at 7:25 p.m. and were off the ground by 8:30. The flight was uneventful – I slept most of the time due to my taking two Bayer PM. We also had ear plugs and an eye mask which really helped me sleep.”
My Reflections in December 2007:
How I’ve changed in those ten years! Traveler’s Checks, Bayer PM, eye masks, quick airline check-in, and the World Trade Center are things of the past. Now-a-days, I use my debit card to get local cash, I have a glass of wine instead of Bayer PM, the World Trade center is no more, and my cap or hat takes the place of the eye mask.
There is more to come with this trip; we aren’t even in Europe yet! Needless to say that trip must have had a lasting impression on me. Now nearing the end of 2007, I’ve got a collection of nine leather bound journals chronicling my adventures in Europe and the rest of the world. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about me and my travels.
November 2011 Update:
I am turning my “pen and paper” journal into an online episodic account of my travels. This is the first in a weekly series that will appear over the next few months. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or just want to add more information, I’d love to hear from you. Simply click the {comments} tab below and type away.
Episode 2 arriving November 14, 2011
-David
