We do a series on "Places We've Loved" and Phuket won't make it. Did we have fun there? Yes, we had a lot of fun. But if you're trying to decide where to spend limited time and money to go we wouldn't recommend Phuket. The towns are very noisy, crowded, chaotic and filled with fume-spewing traffic. Maybe we didn't get to the right places, but in our experience you couldn't … [Read more...]
The evolution of trip planning
When Blonde and Brunette were wee lasses our packing was all done by our mother. Our part of pre-trip planning was getting over-excited and giggly and hoping our grandparents would give us spending money. When they did give us money Brunette would add it to what she had already saved. Blonde hadn't saved a penny and would spend all of her money at the first Howard Johnson's … [Read more...]
Transportation: What options have we missed?
Brunette sent Blonde a smarty pants picture of Brunette sitting, smiling in a Bentley convertible in Florida yesterday. A friend who is in Morocco sent a picture of herself riding a camel (sort of). Blonde's friend who is staying with her (very) temporarily takes a train and a bus to work. Blonde uses her feet as much as possible followed by cabs then her car. So many ways to … [Read more...]
TTD in Florida
When we travel Brunette is often afflicted by Temporary Travel Deafness (TTD). Hers is caused by flying. The air pressure changes appear to extract the sense from her ears which leads to many humorous exchanges. Our classic favorite is from a flight to Athens. The cart for meal service was coming down the aisle and Blonde heard the flight attendants ask each passenger "chicken … [Read more...]
Sushi for (some) one in Marco Island, Florida
Many days the thought of coming up with new content for the blog is so taxing that the stress can only be alleviated by consuming chocolate and wine. Today our blog topic was figuratively dropped into our laps and literally dropped into our swimming pool. The way to recognize that good fortune turned out to also be with chocolate and wine but with a celebratory, not consoling, … [Read more...]
Places We’ve Loved: Genoa
When Blonde and Brunette planned our trip to the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera we scheduled a stopover in Genoa. We expected Genoa to be exactly that - a stopover, not a destination. As is our habit we bumbled into town in a small car strewn about with our possessions hoping we would be able to find the Hotel Bristol Palace where we had reservations. As we were arriving … [Read more...]
Lessons in selecting a mate as learned in the Sacred Monkey Forest of Bali
When the book and then the movie Eat, Pray, Love were wildly popular desolately single women went en masse on tours to Bali. They yearned to be told their fate by Ketut Liyer, an ancient healer and lady-fate predictor, get overnight spiritual transformations and meet sensitive and adoring (yet manly) men. Men wanted to go anywhere but Bali. They (probably rightfully) … [Read more...]
On the Geezer Express to Florida
Several months ago Brunette and her enjoyably much maligned husband, Blonde's brother-in-law, bought a condo in San Marco, Florida. This would provide a place where Brunette could go to escape Pennsylvania winters and her husband. (He was only informed of the first part of that value proposition.) After spending two weeks there with his bride the hubby/b-i-l had flown home the … [Read more...]
A New York (City) State of Mind
A blonde WASP, a brunette Jew and a bald woman of unknown religious affiliation in a wool cap walk into a bar in New York City and.......hang out with one of the handsome young stars of a Broadway play. You didn't see that one coming did you? Blonde recently went on a quick trip to New York City with a longtime friend (Jew with hair, aka Renee) and her friend (bald woman in … [Read more...]
Places we’ve loved: Perth, Australia
Perth, Australia is a place you should go on purpose! You know how sometimes you go one place just as a means to get somewhere else? Say you go to a party at a homely poor girl's house because the beautiful heiress you want to hit on is going to be there. Once there you realize that you prefer the homely poor girl. No, we can't imagine that either so we may have to drop this … [Read more...]