Rick Steves' presentation for PBS in Naples, Florida According to his own website "guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel". It should come as a huge relief to Rick that we agree. When we learned he was coming to speak at a fundraiser for the local PBS station we got tickets for the event. We showed up early … [Read more...]
How to keep travel memories alive
Why it can be hard to keep your travel memories alive We travel like fugitives on the run (think El Chapo but with much nicer accommodations and sans Sean Penn) which makes it challenging to keep our travel memories alive after the trips have ended. One time, years ago when Blonde was still employed in a grown-up's job, she returned late on a … [Read more...]
The odd beauty (and odd guide) of Khor Al-Adaid
When Qatar Airways graciously gave us two business class tickets to the Maldives we chose to spend a few days in Doha to break up our trip and experience somewhere new. But as Brunette, the trusted researcher, began to look for activities in Doha she found little that sounded intriguing beyond the Museum of Islamic Art. Our attention span for museums is similar to a 6 year old … [Read more...]
Possibly heaven on earth: The Maldives!
You may deny it, but you know you have fantasies. And, if you're over the age of 35, you secretly fear that if your fantasy actually happened it would never live up, in reality, to the fantasy version. This is one case where it not only lived up to it but exceeded it! Blonde and Brunette had dreamt and schemed for years about going to the Maldives but it was always just too … [Read more...]
Why we want to go on an eight-day Emerald Waterways river cruise through Europe
Our girlish hearts yearn to go on Emerald Waterways’ Classic Prague and Danube Delights cruise. Why this yearning, this passion, this desire? Well, why not? Have you heard about Emerald Waterways? Have you dreamt of being on a “starship?” Well they have some! Emerald Waterways is a daring new entrant in the river cruise market and they are here to provide, as their Managing … [Read more...]
Home Exchange – Wish we knew then what we know now
Don't we all! For one thing we wouldn't have married the men we did. Whoops - got off topic - sorry! This is supposed to be about our home exchange experience! Late last year Blonde listed her (then) Boston home on HomeExchange.com . A fellow blogger had convinced her to take the plunge. The process is like Match.com. You put a picture of your home looking better than it ever … [Read more...]
How to plan a beach getaway
The first snow hits the ground or the sun doesn't come out for a week and all of a sudden someone says "Let's plan a trip to a beach". Someone else agrees and they each have totally different thought bubbles over their heads as to what this means. Unless you think and talk through these things ahead of time you may find yourself wanting to get away from your partner or spend … [Read more...]
Places we’ve loved: Akureyri, Iceland
Blonde was fortunate enough to win a trip to Iceland courtesy of SadCars. Brunette has a highly uncooperative respiratory system that would clearly have gone on strike in the chilly climate of Iceland. Luckily we have a third "honorary" sister, "Pinky". (OK "Pinky" refers to {some of} her hair color. You should respectfully think of her as Nola of NewTake Travel but we … [Read more...]
Our hot quickie in Cordoba, Spain!
One positive thing came out of the nearly 7 hours we spent in the Renfe train station in Barcelona trying to get someone, anyone, to know what to do with the discounted train passes we had purchased online before our trip. That one positive thing was that once we finally reached a manager, and rudely interrupted him planning a vacation for himself in Malta, he became very … [Read more...]
Places we’ve loved: Collioure, France
When Blonde and Brunette did our first home exchange we committed to a month in Calella Palafrugell in the Costa Brava (aka Catalan) region of Spain. We’d spent three weeks in the region the previous year so were looking for new places to explore this time. We were told that Collioure, France was a lovely coastal town less than two hours from our home base. It … [Read more...]