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.
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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 12, 2008 | Essential Travel Resources
Updated: November 28, 2015
These days it is nearly impossible to travel without a credit and debit card. They make life easy…there’s no need for traveler’s checks, currency conversion, or even calculating exchange rates. You simply present your credit card to a merchant, they “run it” and print the receipt, you sign it, and you’re on your way. How much simpler can it get?
However, many a traveler has been foiled because they failed to follow the credit card provider’s rules.
I’ve just spent my entire layover in Atlanta calling credit card companies. You see, our credit cards are really not “ours” at all, they belong to the credit card companies. An important benefit of our credit card is the guarantee provided by the credit card company that we’ll not be ripped-off by con-artists and thieves should our “information” be compromised. In other words if our credit card is lost or stolen, or someone obtains the number, we are not responsible. That’s a good thing!
But there is one drawback. If you leave your area of residence, you must notify the credit card company and provide information about where you will be and where you’re likely to be making charges on your (their) card. If you don’t, you’ll get the dreaded statement from the merchant, “you card was declined.” That does not sound too nice in French!
So, if you travel outside your normal area, CALL THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY and tell them when and where you’ll be making charges.
I’m off to catch my flight to Provence. I’ll talk to you later.
-David
by David McGuffin | Jan 23, 2008 | Eating & Drinking, Essential Travel Resources
McDonald’s for fine cuisine?
I’ve not always been the confident and savvy tour leader I am today. There was a time when I relied on the “expertise and advice” of drivers and guides to lead me and my student groups around the sights of Europe. The trouble was that the bus drivers were always on the take, either for the young girls or for our tour dollars; and the guides were at least fifteen years younger than me with about half as many people skills. The only positive thing they had going was our ignorance and their knowledge of the tourist sights.
To make matters worse, these tours were promoted as providing breakfast and dinner everyday, but I always came home hungry! After those early trips to Europe our first stop, after arriving at our hometown airport, was for a thick and juicy steak! You see, we had been practically brainwashed into believing that everyone in Europe had a hard roll and jam for breakfast and a chicken or pork cutlet followed by a piece of fruit for dinner. No wonder my students craved a Big Mac!
What ever happened to that food Julia Child so eloquently described in her cookbooks? Finally, I took control. Never again was I going to be blindly led through the streets of Europe by a guide who was experiencing a sight for the first time just like me! Never again was a bus driver going to steal from me and my group and blame it on the locals, and never again was I going to come home from Europe craving American food!
It was the basement dining experience in Rome that did it. Earlier in the day our “walking tour” had taken us past outdoor cafes and garlicky smelling trattorie which just pleaded with my senses to come in for a taste. Finally, it was time for dinner and I was ready! But to my dismay, we were loaded onto our bus and transported to the outskirts of town. Here we got off the bus and went underground into a huge 400-seat cafeteria. I think all the student tour groups who visited Rome that day were scheduled to have dinner here. My group was hustled in and seated. We were fed pasta, an unknown cutlet, and a piece of fruit. Then we were hustled out so the next group could take our seats.
It took me a few years to get my act together, but never again will I come home hungry from a European tour. Our Exploring Europe tours are loaded with good food and gourmet meals. Don’t get the wrong impression, this does not necessarily mean “fine dining.” Our meals consist of the best of the local cuisine coupled with a unique and special dining experience. We eat fish by the seashore, pesto in Liguria, snails in Burgundy, sausage in Munich, and omelets in Normandy. Potatoes are a staple in Ireland, and you’ve got to have fish and chips in England. Pasta reigns supreme in Italy and crisp French fries, dipped in mayonnaise, are a delight in Belgium. In Holland you can try a salted herring, only if you like, and the spicy Indian cuisine of London is sure to put a sting to your taste buds. If you don’t like what you see (or smell), there is always another choice somewhere else. You’ll never go hungry on one of our tours! Happy Eating!
David
by David McGuffin | May 21, 2007 | Essential Travel Resources
I’m sitting here at the Atlanta airport with my travel partner, Natalie, waiting for our overnight flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. The last week has been busy, but I started packing six days ago. Over the previous weekend I got all my travel gear together. That includes clothes and gadgets these days! Digital Voice recorder for podcasting, camera, PDA, GPS, iPod, etc…..
I rushed home from my last day of teaching school and threw all my clothes and gadgets in my carry-on bag, checked everything twice and headed to the airport. En-route I realized I’d packed my contact lens solution, but not my contact lens case. No worries… I’ll pick a case up in Edinburgh. Now-a-days you can buy anything in Europe! So I’m ready and set to fly off. Can’t wait for the yummy airline dinner!
Hey, Natalie Here!!
I didn’t have as stressful a week as David, seeing as I’m still a student at the University of Florida, and according to my parents and working friends, don’t actually live in the real world.
Anyway, I also started packing a few days ago and I knew that even though I wanted to pack a lot of clothes, it is worth it to use a suitcase that I could carry on. If you have ever listened to me talk about packing then you know I am a strong advocate for packing light and carrying on luggage.
So, we are sitting here talking about shoes and David says he has packed the least ever. He has two pairs of shoes for 2 months. Well I, on the other hand, have kind of broken my own rule and packed a pair of tennis shoes. My other “European” tennis shoes are in Gainesville and I forgot to get them when I left school for the Summer. Oh well, I will make do with my other my other 3 pairs. Hehehe 🙂
OK, our flight is in an hour and we look forward to writing again from Edinburgh.
David and Natalie
by David McGuffin | Mar 17, 2007 | Essential Travel Resources
- Book as much of your trip in US dollars as possible. Search the Web, make some calls, ask your travel agent, ask me. There are a lot of travel providers that allow you to reserve air, hotel, and car all in one transaction using US dollars. Look at Expedia and Travelocity. We have some great options on our Travel Links pages as well.
- Explore Europe on a group tour. Many tour companies (including Exploring Europe) offer all-inclusive group tours. These tours typically include meals, lodging, transportation, guided tours, and attractions all at one fixed price. You’ll pay for your tour in US dollars and not worry about the exchange rate at all.
- Watch the fine print. Many tour companies (NOT Exploring Europe) have a clause buried in the fine print of their contract allow for an increase in the tour cost should the dollar’s value drop.
- Choose a hotel with fewer “stars.” Almost all hotels in Europe are rated by the number of “stars” their government hotel inspection agency gives. Don’t be fooled, in most cases the “stars” have no relationship to the quality of the hotel. Hotels are given “stars” for such things as trouser presses, big elevators, hair-dryers, cafes, a bar, restaurants, bathtubs, and many rooms. Most often this has nothing to do with the cleanliness, location, safety, and atmosphere of a hotel. Shop around before squandering your Euro needlessly.
- Consider a small town as opposed to a big city. Hotels are usually less expensive outside big metropolitan areas.
- Eat out less often. You’ll be amazed at how much you can save by cutting down on your food budget. Consider picnicking, eating only one big meal a day, and visiting fast-food markets.
- Take the train or bus. For a small group public transportation is always cheaper than a taxi or rental car.
- Consider fly on Europe’s cheap and efficient budget airlines.
- Purchase water or soda in bulk. Buying bottled water near tourist sights can cost $2 or more for a pint. Plan ahead and stock up at a grocery store in your hotel neighborhood where 2-liters of water can be purchased for $1 or less.
- Pay with local cash, not credit cards. Credit card companies charge merchants up to 3% or more for their use. The cost has got to be passed on to someone, usually the consumer.
- Uses your ATM card. Don’t use expensive fee-loaded credit cards. Your ATM card from your hometown bank will spit out the local currency in almost any country in the world. It is safe, convenient, and offers the very best exchange rates.
We’ve got a lot of tours going to Europe this year. Why don’t you consider saving your dollars and stretching your budget. Let us show you around Europe at an affordable price.
