Why were we in Puerto Vallarta? When Southwest Airlines gave us a choice from their new non-stop resort destinations from Houston, Brunette immediately wanted to go to Puerto Vallarta and the highly-rated Marriott. This instantaneous response came from someone who can spend a year contemplating a pair of shoes (and then be annoyed when they are no longer available in the color … [Read more...]
Archives for 2015
Why I was so excited about going to Antarctica with Quark Expeditions®
Update: The cruise was cancelled! About 36 hours before we were scheduled to depart I received an email saying the ship had hit an iceberg and the cruise had to be cancelled. My hurried Plan B was a trip to Patagonia with the help of the wonderful people at Swoop Patagonia. I have my reasons - more than 6 of them, actually This is Blonde giving you the scoop in this post. I … [Read more...]
Home Exchange – How do I get started?
Fear of home exchange Blonde is planning to exchange her home in Florida for one somewhere that isn't Florida. Ideally she will be able to spend a month or so on another continent in 2016 and not incur any expenses for her lodging. And no, the plan is not to meet people in bars or bus stations and just sleep around. (Why do we have to talk about the 70s anyway?) However, … [Read more...]
Lisbon on a budget
Lisbon is a city for all budgets It is possible to enjoy Lisbon on a budget and experience its architectural beauty, manageable size, mild climate, friendly citizens and lack of siestas. We are not the ones who will tell you where to find a 15€ hostel room (although this site will) or how to put together the least expensive possible stay in Lisbon. We are the ones who … [Read more...]
University of Coimbra – Capes, Ribbons, Bats n’at.
The University of Coimbra in Portugal seems to prove the adage "everything old is new again". Capes were just featured on the runways of New York's Fashion Week. Consumers value products free of chemical pesticides. E-book sales are declining as readers return to print. Ribbons are a hot topic on Pinterest. The University of Coimbra never knew capes went out of style. … [Read more...]
Only 2 types of people should take Christmas Market river cruises
Christmas Market river cruises Have you seen advertisements for Christmas Market river cruises in Europe? And have you thought "I wonder if I would enjoy one of those"? And, if so, what excuse could I come up with to justify it? Or have you thought, "who wants to go on a cruise about Christmas"? It's hard enough to ignore Christmas at home. But if you did want to go, how … [Read more...]
Pena National Palace, Sintra (proof that it really matters who you marry)
Brunette is a savant about UNESCO World Heritage Sites so it was pre-ordained that our trip to Lisbon would include a visit to Pena Palace, Sintra. Sintra's UNESCO status The "cultural landscape" of Sintra is what has UNESCO status, not the Pena Palace, as many less intellectually rigorous travel writers fail to clarify. (This is nearly impossible to believe but there … [Read more...]
5 Interesting Facts About the Douro River Valley in Portugal
The Douro River Valley Before we went to the Douro River Valley in Portugal with Viking River Cruises this is what we knew about the area; it's pretty and there are a lot of wineries. We were right. But Viking has this insidious way of actually teaching you all kinds of stuff while you think all you're doing is having fun. (Could someone please put them in charge of the … [Read more...]
Taveuni Fiji – #3 in Places Without Postcards
Reaching Taveuni Fiji The night before our mini-trek to Wainbau Falls on Taveuni Fiji the ship we were on was navigating the "Bligh Waters". We thought that was code for nautical ping-pong as we bounced wildly around throughout the night. But it turns out that these waters are part of the Koro Sea where Fiji is divided between north and south. Their name is from the legendary … [Read more...]
The National Tile Museum in Lisbon with Viking River Cruises
Why you should visit the National Tile Museum in Lisbon Viking River Cruises knows that one of the first places you should visit when you arrive in Lisbon is the National Tile Museum. We didn't know that so we had been bumbling about for 4 days before meeting up with our cruise. We had been admiring the tiles of Lisbon but didn't know a thing about their origin, history or … [Read more...]