Author Archive | The Fighting Couple

Traveling with a Mate

Traveling with a Mate

In our unending effort to prove that we are somewhat normal (no laughing).  We have approached a number of fellow couple travelers to answer our “7 Questions”.  Today’s lucky couple is Matt and Deborah.  They run a very helpful site entitled:  “Traveling with a Mate“.  More than a mere collection of personal travel tales, their blog invites the traveling community to share and share alike.

Enjoy!

1) How many countries visited between the two of you?

Over 40

2) If you had to travel with someone else besides your travel partner, who would it be?  (this person can be living, historical or mythical?.)

He Said: I’m torn between David Attenborough and Michael Palin. Both are travelling heros of mine. The anecdotes they could tell on long journeys would be fantastic.

She Said: A Philosopher I think.  Maybe Socrates, I would love to have his point of view on the whole travel experience.

3)What has been your favorite destination in your wanderings?

He said: It has to be Japan. I’ve been to some amazing places but nothing quite like Japan. The people, the culture, the history, even the language. I’d love to go back there and explore a lot more.

She said: With Matt it has to be Cambodia and the Temples of Angkor Wat, gives me tingles just thinking about our time there.  Before I met Matt I spent 6 months in South America and fell in love with all of it but The Galapogos stole the show.

4)  If you had to eat one last meal, what/ where would you eat?

He said: Sushi! I’m obsessed with it and could happily eat it every day. Granted my last meal would be the same as all the days before but I’d still love it!

She said: I would choose Ceviche on a west facing beach, sun setting and Matt by my side

5)How do you pick the places you visit?  Spontaneous vs. planned?

He said: We get so excited about a new adventure that it’s hard to ignore looking at all the places we could go, things we could see. The problem is you can never fit it all in and we like to cram in as much as we can. To do that you really need to plan an itinerary. You always need breaks from it though and many countries are never as efficient as you think they will be so you need flexibility to cover all the unexpected events.

She said: I guess most of our trips have been fairly well planned, although we do like some flexibility to change things as we go along depending on whether or not we like where we are.  We start with a rough itinerary where we both pick our “must sees” and go from there.

6) If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be?

He said: It would have to be war. There are no heroes, only victims. It destroys not only lives but cultures, education, world views of places, tourism industries and the economy of countries too. The legacy of wars continues long after the battle is over.

She said: Ah so many which to choose.  I think I’d have to go for green fuels so that all Carbon emissions were eliminated overnight.  If only!

7)You knew it was coming….What has been your greatest travel fight/disagreement?

She said: We really don’t fight whilst travelling.  Small tiffs usually when we are running late to catch a train or bus as I get a bit angsty then.  On the whole we are very lucky as we want to see and do the same things at the same time.

He said: I too can’t remember any memorable fights while travelling. Part of the reason why we travel so much is because are able to do it so harmoniously. I believe common goals make a relationship stronger and travel is one of the best common goals you can have. Sorry to disappoint! :)

A hearty thanks to Matt and Deborah for kindly sharing their insights.  Candidly- we are a little disappointed in their “fighting” skills, but give them time:)

Put it in Context

We must put a clear disclaimer on this post, there is one thing that we both hate more than a layover in anywhere that begins with Den and ends with a Ver: it is tour guides.  WE DESPISE THEM!  In so many places we have seen the gaggle of tourists led by someone that is supplying very simplistic remarks.  To identify them simply look for the person holding the metal stick with a yellow flag on top- sporting the clipboard.  You might hear them say, “There is a fine example of Greek statue….ok moving right a long.”  This in front of the Venus de Milo!  Or the most egregious example was a tour guide who said in front of the Celcius Library, “This is the library; imagine it,” and walked off. End of disclaimer.  Ok one more disclaimer…(We are never, ever paid/compensated for anything that we review or comment on.)  This is really the end of disclaimers.

We found a truly unique and frankly awesome service, Context Travel.  This is not your run of the mill tour guide.  You are paired in small groups never more than 6 people, with a true expert in the field.   When we say expert, we mean….someone that has devoted a lifetime to study in a given field.  Imagine having an architecture tour of Rome with someone with a Doctorate in Roman Architecture!  Or a tour of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul with someone that wrote a book about the palace!  Or even an incredible tour of Wall Street with a former bond trader!  With Context Travel you get just that. Ok…must be expensive right?  It really is affordable.  Tours are much more specific in their breadth, but much, much more profound in their depth.Our guide Claire in Istanbul. She speaks seven languages and literally wrote the book on Topaki Palace. We spent four hours with her and it was a highlight of our trip!

Most of our tours with Context have been just Mike and I.  They are not in every city. They don’t cover every topic.  They don’t even offer tours to some of your typically touristy spots.  But what they lack in quantity, they certainly make up in quality.

We have taken the following tours with context:

Imperial Rome: Architecture and History of the Archaeological Center

HISTORY AND CONTINUITY IN ISTANBUL

Tasting the Immigrant Experience

HISTORY OF FINANCE

Many of the tour descriptions sound more like a college syllabus than a promo for a tour. Don’t be scared away.  The beauty of Context is the questions you are able to ask.  Forget the trite quicky response (quicky’s are good just not on a tour).  You are always going to be surprised and enlightened.  (In-depth info really makes you sound cool at cocktail parties.)

We have only had one bad experience with Context.  Our foodie tour of NY.  But he really ruined it for himself.  He speaks fluent Chinese, so in Chinatown he kinda didn’t pay attention to guide.

We have recommended Context to many friends and now our blog-followers! A friend recently went to Rome with her two teenage daughters. They used Context to see the Vatican and the Vatican Museum. My friend said her daughters even thought the guide was cool! Context really puts things in, well, “context.”

We HIGHLY recommend:

Context Travel

Scholar-led Walks of the World’s Greatest Cities

Context is an in-depth alternative to traditional tours. We are a network of architects, historians, art historians, and specialists who organize over 300 different walks in 12 cities around the world.


What distinguishes us:

Vancouver, BC

 

Day Two of Couples trip to the North

Vancouver is one of the most touristic cities in Canada with a lot of unique attractions, hotels for all budgets and an amazing food culture. We decided to eat at a great place in MetroTown. Earls. Urban Chic. The patio dining area is really nice sans the amount of traffic moving out front. Service is really fast and the menu is interesting. Make sure to save room for dessert. Our favorite was the delicious Smores!

Earl's (West Vancouver) on Urbanspoon

On tap for today-Seakayaking.

Any recommendations for dinner?

The Souvenir Dilemma

Dong Xi’s, Choch-Keys, junk, Dust collectors, trophies…whatever you call them… they are the items that you bring home as little mementos of your travels. The tradition is as old as time: Romans picked up Egyptian Obelisks…Greeks a golden fleece…hundreds of US midwesterns….I heart (insert town). Souvenierring is a time honored tradition. One of my favorites is exhibited above. My prized Whirling Dervish! My wife keeps hiding it as he continues to show up on various “highly visible”-her words not mine– places. I cherish my dervish. It really spins! I remember the tiny shop in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul where I discover this treasure. Tucked way back in vast dark passageways, was this little family selling metal wares. I tried a little Turkish, they a lot better English, and the result was an emigrating Dervish (and a lighter wallet).

Why do we do it? Why must we bring a piece of our travels home? Do we worry that we will forget the sights sounds and smells of _________? I really think so. I think that in our soul, we hope that one day when time creates a great chasm between the now and then, we will find the Dervish and it will bring a smile and a rush of memories to mind.

Sometimes these items represent a victorious negotiation. Perhaps a memorable shopkeeper or locale? Not sure some items will qualify…my I heart NY t-shirt never really spans the distance like my Dervish.

What is your favorite item? What reminds you of your adventure?

Why can’t we just get along?

60 percent of British couples fight on holiday

Holidays with one’s partner can become a relationship’s crucial test. As an international online survey by the travel site trivago.co.uk has just revealed, only 40 percent of British couples spend their holidays in peace and harmony.

A holiday trip with one’s partner can mean harmony and cozy togetherness. But what if you do not agree with your partner on the destination, the organization of your trip or your holiday activities? How to react, if your partner flirts shamelessly with other travellers? According to the survey, it seems that 60 percent of British vacationers fight with their beloved while on holiday. In most cases it is jealousy which causes such fights, said 17 percent of the survey’s respondents. 16 percent stated they fight about everyday issues like the weather or food and 15 percent about who’s in charge of what on vacation.

The reasons for holiday tiffs differ enormously throughout Europe. With their latin temperaments, the Spanish are especially prone to react aggressively to their partners’ flirting: 60 percent of them named jealousy as the reason for arguments. Only 19 percent of the French spend their holidays untroubled; again it is jealousy which causes disquiet. In contrast to that 40 percent of the English and Polish and 45 percent of the Italian vacationers get along perfectly with their partners on holiday. Germans fight mostly about jealousy and diverging ideas about travel plans (22 percent). It seems that the further North you go the less inclined travellers are to quarrel. Hence the country with the most harmonious holiday couples is Sweden: 62 percent of the Swedish couples relax without any conflicts on their vacation.

BY WWW.TRIVAGO.CO.UK

Fight on Flight



helicopterOf all the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is best known for its breathtaking landscapes. It is known as the “Garden Isle” due to the beautiful greenery that drapes the island. Cliffs, canyons, and waterfalls remain untouched, as the terrain is impassable by car. The only way to see the whole island is by air.

We are partnering with The Villas at Poipu Kai to give our readers a chance to fly around the island for free. For every booking made in March of 6 nights or more the Villas at Poipu Kai is giving away a free helicopter ride.  The helicopter ride lasts an hour and takes you to the most remote places on the island. The helicopter comes with “Mega” windows so that all passengers have an unobstructed panoramic view – a very unique opportunity for couples and families.

Hit the Brick

redWine

Hit the Brick

“There isn’t any trendy food in the Treasure Valley!”–WRONG!

One of the best kept secrets in Boise…isn’t in Boise.  Located just down the road from Boise in Nampa, Idaho, Brick 29 is one of the very best independent food joints in the valley.  Highlights include: Bread Pudding, lamb shank, and of course the specialty dessert:  “The Brick”  basically it is a chocolate heaven!

Located in an converted Masonic Lodge, the historic property offers both ambiance and a hint of fun for the Idaho history buff.

Reservations are highly recommend.

Brick 29 on Urbanspoon