“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien
“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin Disraeli
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou
http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/07/the-50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/
Frank Zappa who said it best, when asked if he was a woman because he had long hair. He replied, “You have a wooden leg. Does that make you a table?”
In one of my earlier posts I talked about how to survive between travel adventures. I find it helps to frequent restaurants that remind me of the places I love. Below I have listed two different styles of restaurants, one Italian and the other an Austrian/German that remind me of why I love the places I have been too.
Cacio E Pepe
182 2nd Ave New York, NY
This is a small Italian restaurant with an authentic feel. All of the staff is Italian and they serve their signature dish, cacio e pepe, Steaming from a giant wheel of parmigiana! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Loreley
7 Rivington St. New York, NY
This has more of a bar feel than Cacio E Pepe. It is a great place to go with a group. The long wooden tables accommodate large groups easily and are a throw back to the brew houses in Germany and Austria. In the summer they have a a sweet beer garden out back, so you can enjoy your brew in the sun. I loved that they served the beer in the giant pint mugs from the Hofbräuhaus München. Most of the waitstaff was speaking German (or Austrian, although Austrian is not an official language, right?). A fabulous place to go to relax, catch up and enjoy a pint with old and new friends!! You may even make a few!
I am admittedly not an avid Hills watcher or Lauren follower(I do have to say she is a great business women! I want to get paid to travel to Paris and hang out with hot rockers!) but the premier on Monday night March 31st is featuring a song from a band I love, Iglu & Hartly!! So I will be tuning in to see what other drama she and her friends are getting into this season! Will you?
authentocrat
- a staunch adherent to all things authentic. In travel one who rejects the trappings and experiences of mass tourism and instead prizes that which fuels both genuine and rooted in place as in- Philippa's a true authentocrat - I mean, she spent her last vacation meeting with artisanal cheesemakers at dairies in Wisconsin. - Nathan Lump
http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/03/30/style/t/index.html#pageName=30talkopen
In Muenster, Germany Petra the swam is love sick. After a failed courtship with a real white swan she was reunited with the boat she fell for in 2006!
Tibetan High School kids scaled the brink wall of the United Nations to protest the Chinese goverment.
31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd.
011-65/6511-4700
from $200
As our country continues to struggle in Iraq the importance of looking to the International Community for advice and help becomes more apparent to us all. (except for our government officials) I have been trying to keep up with the politics and the constantly deteriorating situation but I must admit that at times I am so dishearten and disgusted that I no longer want to pay attention. When I feel this way it is even more important to pay even closer attention because what about the people that are living it day to day hour to hour. I can not imagine what their lives are like. We have a combination of problems. Our "leaders" if you can call them that are ignoring much of the situation as well as many of the citizens in our country.
I have found it helpful to read the news from other countries as I feel they present a more diverse view of the situation. A blog written by Deborah Haynes the Baghdad correspondent for The Times. (http://timesonline.typepad.com/inside_iraq_weblog/) She provides a daily look into what life is like in Iraq. She reports on stories ranging from soldiers running marathons, snakes in the bathroom and most importantly the people of Iraq. Her blog is readable, insightful and informative.
Lets all hope this conflict will find a solution that costs the least amount of lives on both sides. I personally would like to be able to travel to that part of the world safely on day and experience all that the culture there has to offer. Here's to hoping!
Surfing in Europe in the winter!! Cold Cold Cold!! Even though I grew up in New England I would never have imagined jumping into any of the lakes, ponds or rivers, that are abundant here, during the cold winter days. Apparently in Europe that is exactly what many people are up to. For those who are heading to Europe for and extended stay and can not go 4 or more months with out riding a wave there are several options in Europe to flex your surfing muscles. Pictured above is the standing wave in the English Gardens of Munich, Germany! In the winter the surfing community of Germany enjoys keeping up their skills on this wave.
Another even colder option is to head north to Ireland. When I say north I mean north. Almost at the top of norther Ireland (but not in Northern Ireland) in the town of Bundoran a surfing community is beginning to emerge. Not the kind with dude man or itsy bitsy bikinis but full lengthen insulated high tech head to toe wet suits. Even after all that gear I am still cold thinking about it! There are several surf shops and the locals are welcoming! They are just psyched to share the waves with any one willing to stand the cold with them.
If you are looking for a more traditional option hit up Biarritz, France. It is one of the destinations on my list. It was immortalized in the surfing movie Endless Summer II.
Not only is beer thirst quenchingly yummy it also fights cancer!
http://www.newsmax.com/health/Beer_Fights_Cancer/2008/03/18/81234.html
So grab a pint sit back and enjoy!
For our generation the Cold War feels as if it is in the distant past. This article reminded me of actually how close for many it remains.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/world/europe/25bulgaria.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Olaf and Barbara Hetze where only kids, 20 and 22 when they tried to escape East Germany. They thought that by going over the Bulgarian broader they would be safer than going over the wall. The escape was stopped when Barbara was shot. They both were sentence to jail time in East Germany. West Germany bought their freedom a couple of years later.
Ridiculous! Here I am siting in my comfy office worrying about budgeting my next trip to Europe. These two were just trying to find their freedom! Defiantly provides some perspective!
