Is a luxury yurt in Patagonia an oxymoron? Blonde has never been adept at math but when SwoopPatagonia suggested the following equation; Patagonia+Camp+Yurt=Luxury she knew enough to think it looked highly suspicious. But she trusted Swoop Patagonia, figured that, worst case, she could at least write about how she hated the experience and said "Sounds great". You hardly … [Read more...]
Street Art in Buenos Aires
Street art in Buenos Aires is a visual way of conveying publicly what could not always be safely spoken publicly. On a tour of the northern part of the city with Graffitimundo Blonde was shocked (and vaguely disappointed) to actually learn some history. The hope had been for some pictures that would lend themselves to funny, snarky captions. But for … [Read more...]
Did I say Antarctica? I meant Patagonia!
A not all that funny thing happened on the way to Antarctica The night before Blonde and Alternative Brunette were scheduled to meet with Quark representatives in our Buenos Aires hotel lobby to have our luggage be weighed (second only in humiliation to being weighed ourselves) we got an email that the cruise to Antarctica had been cancelled. The ship had hit an iceberg at … [Read more...]
Cartagena Getaway (sure-fire success kit)
Why do a Cartagena Getaway? A Cartagena Getaway is less than 5 hours nonstop from the east coast of the United States and airfare is under $500. When you get there you can enjoy delectable meals, walk most places you want to go, buy beautiful, handmade mementos, tour UNESCO sites and easily visit a Caribbean beach. Isn't Colombia dangerous? If you still think Colombia is … [Read more...]
Luxury and adventures at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta
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...]
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...]
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...]
Porto with (and without) Viking River Cruises
Porto Porto was where we first boarded the Viking Torgil to begin our cruise of the Douro “River of Gold” in Portugal. It’s also where the cruise ended. This post is a combination of places Viking River took us and a few we found bumbling around on our own when we stayed for an extra day after the cruise ended. Porto is an ideal location to begin a Douro River cruise … [Read more...]