Tag Archives | couple fights
Stay in a Castle! In the States?
When you say hey….I stayed the night in a castle, visions of a Cinderella type mountain top postcard shot come to mind. Well you don’t need to go to Austria or Switzerland to cross this one off you bucket list. Just head to the beautiful pacific northwest. Manresa Castle is one of the most enchanting bed and breakfast we have found.
We rolled up to the Castle late on a misty evening. We were stunned the next morning to throw open the drapes and we were overpowered by the dramatic view. Perched on an overlook of the San Juan Islands-the view is simply not to be missed.
The Castle is steeped in history, and finely restored. From the Castle’s Website:
“The Castle was completed in 1892 as the home of Charles and Kate Eisenbeis. Mr. Eisenbeis was a prominent member of the early Port Townsend business community. His business interests were diverse including a bakery, brick works, lumber mill, brewery, bank and a hotel.
In keeping with his status in the community, Eisenbeis built what was the largest private residence ever built in Port Townsend, consisting of 30 rooms. Locals referred to the building as the “Eisenbeis Castle;” its design was reminiscent of some of the castles in Eisenbeis’ native Prussia.”
The rooms are spacious with “bizzillion” foot tall ceilings. Room furnishing are a bit understated. But the common rooms, especially the library and the bar are impressive.
What would you expect? The food is fit for a king! Chef Chad Woodland is a master! Loved the fresh pacnorthwest seafood! Here is a link to the menu.
We kept saying to each other…wouldn’t this be such a cool place to get married. You bride to be’s looking for a great place for a location wedding..look no further. Imagine the bragging rites: Yeah…I got married in a Castle.
Port Townsend is a quaint Victorian seaport, located across the sound from Seattle, WA. The area is chock full of fun. Port Townsend has it all: wineries, golf, whale watching, and even a rain forest!
Getting there is half the adventure:
By car: From points south, you follow Highway 104 across the Hood Canal bridge and take the SR 19 exit to Port Townsend. If you are coming from the west, follow scenic Highway 101 to the SR 20 turnoff to Port Townsend. From points north, you can take the coastal roads on Whidbey Island and board the ferry at Keystone.
5 Things Every Woman Should Know About Men…While Traveling.
We collected a few tidbits of advice for those traveling women who get a little frustrated with their man. We broke them down into 5 simple rules:
1 Hunger-One of the intriguing features of male physiology is the constant need for…..food. In the bible of understanding all men aka: The Godfather, note when big decisions need to be made…food is included ie “Leave the gun bring the cannoli.” A little known fact is that 61 scenes involve food. Why? Men need Man Fuel. It makes everything go much better. Those little mini-meals they serve on long haul flights? Not gonna cut it.
How to deal with the food issue? A little planning can go a long way. Want to hit that French “chic” resterauant that is all the rave? You know the one. Where the portions are super tiny and the plates look like a work of art? What to do? The solution is simple. Hit a burger joint for lunch earlier in the day. Even better yet all you can eat wings! Problem solved.
2 Directions-Just like the pitiful scene of Napoleon at Waterloo or Lee at Appomattox, asking a man to hand over his sword and ask for directions is just as humiliating. Admitting defeat, even in the face of insurmountable odds, is next to impossible! Instead, might we suggest that if possible you approach by using rule number one. “Hey I am starving…is there anyway we could stop by this store/café and grab a quick bite?” (see rule #1) At the same time… this will give you a chance to inconspicuously ask for some pointers on where the heck you are. The invention of GPS has quite possibly single handedly saved our marriage. It is now a travel must.
3 Shopping– One of the key factors in maintaining our man card is preserving our dignity while shopping. Key to men’s primal instincts in the notion of hunting and gathering. We hunt something. We kill it. We drag it home. The faster the better. We view shopping as no different. Enter store. Find item. Buy said item. Done. The thought of spending countless hours comparing the fairy wings on a half dozen winged porcelain figurines is so counter to our instincts.
In order to counter this predisposition ladies…give us something to occupy our time. “Why don’t you grab some food and wait for me in the bar and watch the game?” (see rule #1) Better yet..make it our idea aka the Jedi Mind Trick. FEMALE: “This is going to take awhile…”I bet you don’t want to hangout here and look for hand bags with me.” MALE: “I don’t want to stay here and watch you drool over patent leather, I will meet you back at the hotel.”
4 The Interest Gap– This rule is best understood by reliving one of our greatest fights. The setting was west of London at what is thought to be Jane Austen’s home. AKA Female mecca. AKA Male purgatory. We pulled up to the thatched roof home to giggling shrieks of delight from Luci. When she started to bounce up and down and do the little happy clapping motion with her hands…I knew this was not going to end well. I smiled and pretended that this was what we had come to this God forsaken land for. I made it to the ticket counter where the asking price to look at a door that squeeks and a couple of old rocking chairs was explained to me. “There is no way I am spending that much for that. I am headed to the pub.” Enter a little pouting and zoooom she was gone to join the tens of other gleeful gals who were doing similar happy clapping. The men’s congress was convened at the pub next door.
As this experience illustrates…we have found that you need to budget your time to allow for things that may only interest one of you. In addition to doing the “together” things. We have found that going our own ways on vacations to see items of interest is just fine.
5 Cave Dwelling-In the Dr. John Gray’s book: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus we learn that men need their cave time. They need quite time to reflect.
“When a man loves a woman, periodically he needs to pull away before he can get closer.” Dr. John Gray.
Vacation often creates situations that as a couple you are alone together for long patches of time. At times men need to commune with our inner 
Neanderthal. We need some alone time with out thoughts. We need those long lulls in the conversation. When we are quiet, we are not upset. We are not giving you the silent treatment. We are just pondering the expanse of the universe or the defensive scheme for our fav football club. This will pass and all will be well.
We hope that these few insights give you some ideas on how best to deal with men on vacation. Any other tips that we missed?
The 3 most romantic spots in the world
Ok..Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and we get asked a lot… “What is the most romantic spot that you guys have ever been?” What exactly makes a location romantic? What is that “je ne sais quoi” that makes one place better than another? Obviously, the key ingredient is the one you’re with. The sights, sounds and environs can also be spices that make the recipe work. So many come to mind, but we narrowed it down to three. Undoubtedly there are zillion other places on this green/blue globe that are amazing…we just haven’t been there yet.
So what was important to us in selecting these locations? Our first criterion is that we have experienced them first hand. Love tested; Love approved. Anyone that knows us…knows that we have a tendency to fight. So our locations must be unanimous picks. (Not as easy as it sounds). Lastly, we took Paris out the running. Why? Every other blogger is writing sappy and lovey-dovey posts as we speak about the “City of Love.” Paris is remarkable, read the other blogs…after reading ours :) Our last criterion is there must be some sort of magical/mystic quality about the location. The three places we picked all have magic.
Villa il Poggiale, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy-
How could we use the word romantic without pulling Italy in somehow? The Villa is a quaint and somewhat difficult to find, a short drive from Florence Italy. Is this the nicest most expensive B & B in Tuscany? No, not by a long shot. And maybe that’s what makes this place so special? You are not going to break the bank to say a weekend or even a week here. It is located smack dab in the rolling green hills of Tuscany. Take a walk down the gravel road behind the Villa, basking in the hills and scenery of Tuscany. You’ll feel miles away from anywhere. What makes the magic of this place? It is the little road behind it. Ok…Luci is a huge fan of the movie, “A Room with a View.” At one point in this chick Flick, the main characters take an afternoon ride in the Tuscan countryside. We are convinced that they came to Villa il Poggiale. It takes you back to old Italy. The B & B is quaint. Yes, it does have a humble pool overlooking a vineyard. It has the cypress trees lining the drive as you come into the property. And, yes the owners are just about the coolest people in all of old Italy. This place is magical for the dramatic setting…humble accommodations…and five star sunsets.
Now that’s Amore!
Marin Headlands-
Located just across the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the remnants of the fighting days WWII. (Maybe that’s why we like it so much?) It harbors a network of abandoned war bunkers facing the Bay. Drive up along the tops of the hills overlooking the city, the Bay and the Pacific Ocean. What makes this place so special are the views, and the fog. 
For some meteorological reason, this place has the strangest weather. Often, you are above the fog, and just the tippy tops of the Golden Gate poke through and then the city lights illuminate the fog and it appears to been a golden blanket of cotton balls. At other times the fog rolls down the hills like water. There are a number of secluded beaches, a lighthouse, and many fragrant eucalyptus groves along the headlands. Pack a lunch and take a hike through the trails that go between each of the war bunkers…take a horse ride down to a beach or through a forest. So many options!
Bring a blanket to snuggle with!
Sirheni Bushveld Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa—
Kruger Park is one of the largest public game reserves in all of Africa. South Africa has preserved this corner of its county to celebrate wildlife including lions, hippos, elephants, and cheetahs. Now, there are different levels of camps and lodges within Kruger Park. Similar to the location above, Sirheni is not the lap of luxury by any stretch of the imagination. You even have to do your own cooking! We found the accommodations at Sirheni the best in our Kruger experience. The camp is a collection of modern one bedroom condo-ish looking structures, which have huge back porches overlooking the Sirheni Dam, on the Mghongolo River. Your back porch is a water hole and views and access are unmatched. As we sat on the back porch we heard a rumble of cracking brush and trees and elephants walked past our porch just 20 feet away. At one point we literally stood a couple of feet away from several elephants. The layout of the 20 or so bungalows is well done to create an isolated feel. As the sun sets, you can watch animals take a drink or cool off from the hot African sun and you enjoy your own beverage of choice or cook a slab of beef on the bbq provided. In the distance you will hear elephants splashing and hippos whistling.
We share these three locations as our recommended romantic locales…so where would you recommend? Did we miss the best place?
Travel Blogging Divas
As many of our followers know we recently held the Travel Blogging hottest Hubby and Travel Divas contest. Response was incredible! We had loads of fun, made some new friends, and shared some great travel blogs. We decided not to neglect our solo traveler friends.
Our intent is not to run a petty beauty contest…only to give you a look at some of the very best in independent travel blogging. Blogs were nominated that focused on single travel. There are some really, really great folks out there on the road that have insights to share. So visit theses sites and vote early and often! Voting ends Jan 5th 2011.
Femmes
Lillie
“My name is Lillie, and I am a 29 year old, six foot tall Boston native. For six years, I taught high school English in the Boston Public Schools before flying out in August of 2009 to begin voyaging around the world!” http://www.aroundtheworldl.com
Andi
“For most of my adult life I have led a dichotomous existence of both wanting to flutter my wings around the world AND to settle down and focus on my true calling in life, which is being a Chinese Medicine Doctor.” http://mybeautifuladventures.com
Leslie
“I am a twentysomething native Californian with an art history degree and love of adventure. This is a blog of my travels and expeditions…it is reviews, tips, advice and observations. It is a way for me to interact with other people like me who find the thrill of life in seeing new places.” http://cgtravelsblog.com
Suzy
“SuzyGuese.com showcases people and places from around the world not in the ordinary, travel guidebook sense. I am fascinated by the simple way a story can be told, usually with a little humor.”(Doesn’t she have amazing hair!!?) http://suzyguese.com
Anna
After 8 hectic years of studying at UC Berkeley, University of Oxford, and earning a law degree in London (and a whole lot of letters after my name–BA, MPhil, GDL, LPC…), I couldn’t face starting work in a corporate law firm without first going out and reviving my battered and exhausted soul. So I moved to South Africa to undertake volunteer legal work at a human rights NGO instead. http://www.nilikutashani.com
World’$ Richest Dessert!
Sweet Indulgence at Serendipity 3 New York
Serendipity 3 is more than just a coffee shop; this boutique eatery situated in Manhattans Upper East Side is a tourist destination in its own right. This kitsch ice cream parlour is a treat for both adults and children alike and with the wait for a table sometimes being a little on the long side the interesting decor and memorabilia on the walls
of Serendipity’s rich history should provide some entertainment whilst you wait.
Once inside the marble topped ice cream parlour tables and opulent Victorian decoration adds to the sense that this really is no ordinary coffee shop, open since 1954 this Upper East Side townhouse just a few steps from Bloomingdales has welcomed visitors from Andy Warhol to Beyonce to the cast of High School Musical.
Children are kept happy here with the fun food on offer, giant foot long hotdogs, gargantuan cheese burgers and meatloaf with mash and gravy is sure to fill them up and keep them quiet for at least a little while. Serendipity 3 though is not about the main courses, instead they are a mere obstacle you must get through, due to the restaurants policy on a minimum spend per person, this is the place for sweet indulgence with some of the most delicious desserts in New York City.
The most famous of which is the Frozen Hot Chocolate, big enough to share – or get your own to avoid any arguments, this is one sweet treat that must be tried on a visit to Serendipity 3. This large dessert is a foodie’s heaven, providing you have a sweet tooth of course, a mountain of frozen hot chocolate, whipped cream, chocolate chunks and plenty of sugar. And if you love it as much as many that visit the ice-cream parlour have before, you can even buy specially prepared mixes to help you make the treat from the Serendipity 3 website, if you are a little more adventurous in the kitchen you can even have a go at recreating the dessert with the recipe that has been a secret for over 50 years recently been made available to the public.
The most exuberant of the Serendipity 3 menu has to be The Golden Opulence Sundae, causing I’m sure its fair share of fights when choosing dessert. This dessert consisting of ice cream made from Madagascar vanilla beans and chunks of rare chocolate from Venezuela drizzled with Amedei Porcelena, some of the world’s most expensive chocolates and covered with marzipan cherries, gold covered almonds and chocolate truffles. If that wasn’t opulent enough the dessert is finished with a serving of sweet Grande Passion Caviar, 23 carat gold leaf and this is all served in a Baccarat Crystal goblet, that is yours to keep and an 18 carat spoon to eat it all with! Coming in at a grand total of $1000, this dessert holds the Guinness World Record title as the most expensive sundae in the world. Just hope your other half isn’t in the mood for some caviar with their ice cream otherwise you could be in for an expensive meal out!
Charlotte writes for new travel site Simonseeks.com and if you are looking to visit Serendipity 3 or New York, you might want to also look at the top rated recommended New York hotels on Simonseeks, where you can find inspirational travel guides and expert advice.
Globe Nomads
The Globe Nomads
Leng & Li have one of the most organized blogs out there. They even invented a unique rating system for reviews on hotels, gear and destinations! Leng and Li offer an extensive review of sites in the UK. Give their blog a look!
1) How many countries visited between the two of you?
Just 12 for now.
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: Sir David Attenborough. I have always been fascinated by his documentaries.
She Said: Joanna Lumley
3)What has been your favorite destination in your wanderings?
He said: I have to say it’s Japan with no place in particular. Both the cities and the countryside or the historical attractions and the modern entertainment have lots to offer with incredible hospitality.
She said: I cant decide between Mt Fuji (Japan) or the great ocean road in Melbourne.
4) If you had to eat one last meal, what/ where would you eat?
He said: A simple Chinese kind of thick vermicelli in soup. The broth reminds me of home and family.
She said: Barbeque chicken wings and dark chocolate ice-cream for dessert
5)How do you pick the places you visit? Spontaneous vs. planned?
He said: Always planned using a combination of guide books and online review sites such as tripadvisor.
She said: Planned
6) If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be?
He said: Quality education for all.
She said: Species extinction
7)You knew it was coming….What has been your greatest travel fight/disagreement?
She said: I hate it when the travel itinerary is so packed that I have to rush from place to place.
He said: I’m always complaining on my wife being slow and not being aware of our surroundings. However it can be tiring to be always vigilant and that led to me having a foul mood at the most inappropriate of times.
Great Parody of the Amazing Race
Mary and Sean’s spoof is so good! It is a must see. Please visit their site Mary and Sean.
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
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:
Scholar-led Walks of the World’s Greatest Cities
- Small Groups (6 people max)
- Walks are led by Ph.D.-level scholars and historians
- Seminars: like going back to college
- Not a tour company; no umbrellas
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?
We are Mike and Luci.