Archive for February, 2011

I am firm believer in synchronicity, so much so that I have the word tattooed on me!  I have talked about its power in my life before, specifically in this post about India and this post about Brasil.  Normally I do not interrupt my series of posts with daily life experiences, however something happened that I just had to share.  Plus, I feel like it fits in well with the topic of my current posts, my upcoming wedding.

3 months from yesterday (which happened to be Valentine’s Day) is my wedding date and I opened my fortune cookie to discover a fortune that truly took my breath away:

News of this incredible coincidence spread around the restaurant quickly and I had strangers congratulating me.  It was the perfect way to end the most romantic day of the year, especially since I was away from my sweetheart.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the thoughtful messages so many of you sent to me on Twitter and Facebook when I posted a picture of the fortune.  What this ultimately means, who knows, but I feel like it is another reminder that I am following my bliss in life!

Perth is Australia’s 4th most populous city and stands out on a limb in Western Australia.  The world’s most remote city is, however, becoming increasingly popular with tourists looking to avoid the well-trodden path of the East Coast. Whilst the other side of Australia is saturated with tourists, Western Australia offers a laid-back vibe with uncrowded beaches and a stunning coastline.  With over 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, it is not surprising the city came in 8th place in The Economist’s list of the world’s most livable cities.  The large amount of sunshine in Perth means most activities are centered on the outdoors, whether it is surfing at the beach, walking through pristine parks, or dining outside.

Sitting beside the Swan River, Perth was founded in 1829 by Captain James Stirling as the political center of the Swan River Settlement and has grown rapidly ever since.  Traveling to Perth is now easier than ever with great deals on flights to Perth from London.

Things to Do

Rottnest Island: Rottnest Island was named ‘Rottenest’ by the Dutch, meaning “rat’s nest,” because of the large rat-like mammals that inhabit the island.  The famous animal is in fact not a rat, but the quokka, a small creature which looks a little bit like a kangaroo.  The ‘e’ in the island’s name was eventually dropped because it sounded, well, rotten. The island, affectionately called ‘Rotto’ by Perthians, lies 19km off the coast of Fremantle and since no private vehicles are allowed, the best way to get around is by bike.  It has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, rugged scenery, and native flora and fauna.  Its crystal clear waters make it perfect for swimming, diving, snorkeling, and surfing.

Art Gallery of Western Australia: The state art gallery focuses particularly on aboriginal art and art from the Indian Ocean rim.  Located in Perth’s cultural precinct, the gallery has permanent collections, as well as moving temporary exhibitions.  It houses one of the world’s best indigenous collections, along with Australian art and international pieces from around the world.

Fremantle: Take a day trip to the neighboring port city of Fremantle, which has a large number of heritage listed buildings and is the world’s best preserved example of a 19th century street scape.  You can enjoy a coffee on the “cappuccino strip,” learn all about Western Australia’s maritime history, taste beer in the Little Creature Microbrewery, take a tour of the tunnels at Fremantle prison, shop for fashions and crafts, enjoy a wide array of international cuisine, browse the fruit and vegetable markets, or enjoy freshly caught seafood in the Fishing Boat Harbor.

Swan Bells: Take a bell ringing class and absorb the view from the top at this historic bell tower, which is one of the largest musical instruments in the world.  Swan Bells overlooks the Swan River and there is a free city CAT bus to take you there.  There are a total of 18 bells in the tower that were given as a present to the people of Western Australia as part of the country’s Bicentennial celebrations in 1988.  12 of the bells come from London’s St.-Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square and are one of only a few sets of Royal bells in existence.   They have been around since before the 14th century and were recast in the 16th and 18th centuries.

Kings Park: Kings Park on Mount Eliza is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world.  For people wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, it offers panoramic views of the city skyline, Swan River, and the Perth Hills in the distance.  It is an ideal place to take a picnic, go jogging through, or ride a bike along the cycle trails.  The park features large expanses of bushland, grassy lawns, and botanic gardens, as well as native plants and birds.  Kings Park is also a popular location for concerts in the summer and the Wildflower Festival that held throughout the month of September.

Aquarium of Western Australia: If you do happen to have a rainy day, the indoor aquarium takes you on a journey of discovery as you learn all about the marine life along the five areas of coastline in Western Australia.  You will see leafy sea dragons, pineapple fish, blue devil fish, octopuses, moon jellies, sea horses, rock lobsters, stonefish, lionfish, and more.  If you are feeling brave you can snorkel or dive with sharks, stingrays, and turtles in the Indian Ocean Aquarium, accompanied by the AQWA’s Divemaster.

Cottesloe Beach: This picture postcard seaside town is well-known for its tearooms.  The Cottesloe Hotel is a popular place to enjoy a beer on Sunday afternoons.  Spend a lazy day on the white, sandy beach and take a dip in the Indian Ocean to cool down.  Watch the world go by in one of the cafes or fine restaurants and make sure you catch a view of the gorgeous sunset.  The beach is located between Freemantle and Perth and takes about 15 minutes on the train from either city.

Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail: Swan Valley, Western Australia’s oldest wine producing region is just a 25 minute drive away.  You can hire a car and take a 32km drive through the region, following the well-signposted trail, which takes you past over 150 wineries, plus microbreweries, cafes, shops, restaurants, and street-side stalls selling fresh produce.  Absorb the beautiful scenery, stop at a cellar door for a spot of wine tasting, and dine on gourmet food in one of Swan Valley’s top restaurants.  Make sure you try the Verdelho wine, a Swan Valley specialty.

Windsor Hotel: The Windsor Hotel is Perth’s most iconic pub and a national trust listed building.  Built by Perth architect JJ Talbot Hobbs, it was built between 1895-1898 and is one of the oldest surviving hotels in Australia.  The hotel mixes historic charm with contemporary design, and has 3 bars, as well as a bottle shop.  The Windsor Café and Garden is a popular eating a drinking spot, open all day with outdoor and indoor seating areas.  The Garden Bar is open on evenings and is particularly busy on Sunday afternoons, when the DJ’s spin music, as Aussies come out for a “Sunday Session” of drinking.  The Mend Street Bar provides a social meeting place for people to enjoy a casual drink by day, or let their hair down and party the night away after work.

Perth Mint: Perth Royal Mint is Australia’s oldest mint, established in 1899.  One of the highlights of a visit to the mint is watching liquid gold being poured to make a solid gold bar.  Take a guided talk and learn all about the history of gold in Western Australia, as well as the Mint’s production of gold coins and bars.  It is home to the world’s largest collection of gold bars, Australia’s largest gold nugget collection, and the historic Perth Mint coin exhibition.  Gaze in awe at the second largest nugget in existence, which weighs a mammoth 25.5kg.  You will also have the opportunity to calculate your weight in gold or have your own medallion engraved with a personal message.

Getting There

There are a variety of great flight offers and deals to Perth, which is a great place to start for exploring the stunning Western Coast of Australia.  With numerous ways to reach the city and Fremantle from the airport, you can take a taxi, hire a rental car, or you can buy a ticket and hop on the door-to-door shuttle bus service.  The Transperth #37 public bus also operates between the city and the airport’s domestic terminals.

Victoria Brewood is a writer, video producer, and author of Pommie Travels, a site offering tips and advice for independent travelers.  Originally from Manchester, she packed her journalism degree in her suitcase and left the UK to explore the world.  She has backpacked extensively around Australia from the ocean to the outback and everywhere in between.

Song of the post:

I know I have found the right man, when instead of buying me jewelry or flowers, he takes me on a trip!  Lucas wanted to do something special for me while I was in Argentina, so he decided to whisk me away to Uruguay for a couple of days.  We needed a break from wedding planning and Colonia was the perfect respite.  It had been many years since I had been in Uruguay and for both of us city dwellers it was a breath of much needed fresh air.  There are 2 ways to get to Colonia from Buenos Aires: the “fast boat” (Buquebus) or the “slow boat” (Colonia Express).  We decided to try the latter and were quite impressed.  Even though I have a soft spot for Buquebus (it really does live up to its glamorous reputation), in the future I think I will still continue to use Colonia Express, as it was comfortable, efficient, and inexpensive.

In one hour’s time we were in another country, surrounded by a town whose crumbling beauty oozed romance from every crack and crevice of its narrow, winding cobblestone streets.  Colonia is a quaint city with lots of character.  It is very small and can easily be seen in 3-4 hours, making it the perfect day trip from Buenos Aires.

Before we set off on our walk, however, we needed to nourish our stomachs.  And this colorful place called out to us as we strolled by:

After an overdose of gnocchi, we set off to explore.  You know you have encountered a special place when every where you look is a photo opportunity.  Colonia is definitely a photographer’s paradise.

It is typically a sleepy place, although you will find tourists here and there.  The unpretentious port town is a picture of gently rocking battered fishing boats, sun bleached pastel colored homes, and church bells ringing in the distance so that you will never forget the time.  The shopping is limited, but there are a few stores worth checking out.

The best way to see the town is to put down your map and simply get lost.  Trust me on this!

And then we heard the church bells chime twice, signaling that it was time to check into our bed and breakfast. . .

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I should have known better, but I stayed out late the night before my engagement party.  And when I say late, I mean Argentine late.  My fiance, Lucas, kept telling me that if he could do it and still wake up for his soccer match in the morning, than I could do it too.  Alas, I am not a Porteña, and well, I should have known better.

I could barely cheer for him while he played soccer and while most women are delighted to be the center of attention at their engagement party, I wanted to hide.  Especially when I was greeted by about 60 people whom I had never met before and whom did not speak one word of English.  We must have had a lost in communication moment as to what kind of engagement party we were having, as I was under the impression there was going to be about 1/4 the amount of people.  All I could think about the entire time was, “Wow, this would certainly make for a hilarious movie scene.”

Nonetheless, I survived and I adored every.single.one of his friends and family members.  Towards the end of the party, Lucas’ younger brother, Matias, asked me if I wanted to come to his piano concert.  He said it so casually that I almost said no, since I was counting the seconds until I could crawl into bed.  However, I am quite obsessed with Matias’ piano playing and knew I would regret it if I did not go.  It was only on the way to the performance that I was told where the performance was going to be.  He would be playing inside of a palace, a palace I almost got married in!

I know I previously said that I would not mention any of the places that purposely tried to take advantage of me because I am a gringa, but in order to understand how shocked I was on the way to Palacio San Souci, I must share the gossip.  We were literally signing the contract when they decided to almost triple the costs for no reason.  I had been envisioning myself getting married there for months, so to say my heart was broken was an understatement.  This was an incredible honor for Matias, thus despite my bitter resentment towards the place, I was going to support my future brother-in-law.  Of course I was not prepared with my attire at all.  Who wears Uggs in a palace modeled after the one in Versailles?

Me in the front of San Souci.

The exterior was exquisite, although in my opinion it did not compare to the interior.  As we walked inside, there was a  5-piece orchestra playing, and it was definitely an emotional moment for me.  It was impossible for me to not think about if my wedding had taken place there.

Then there was an opera sung in German.

Then a brief intermission, where I was able to explore the palace and people watch (this was the “high society” of Buenos Aires after all).

And then it was time for the finale, Matias. If there was ever a free spirit, it is he.  He started playing the piano only 3 years ago at the age of 16 and could easily be called a prodigy.  He never uses sheet music and can play whatever you ask of him.  He has dreads, can quote any philosopher in their original language, and does not own a single collared shirt (that is Lucas’ he is wearing).

In case you are wondering, when he was finished playing, I absolutely had enough energy to give him a standing ovation.

Book a cheap holiday and spend the time resting and relaxing on a beautiful beach or choose a destination that offers activities and sports to keep you as busy as you would like to be.

Marbella, a.k.a. the millionaire’s playground.  Yes, I know what you are thinking — what is a student doing in Marbella?  To put it simply, I was proving a point!  I was not going to be intimidated by Marbella’s obscenely rich inhabitants into holidaying elsewhere.  I suppose my stubborn nature got the better of me, but she who dares wins and I certainly won.

Marbella is an absolutely gorgeous city.  As I laid on Puerto Banus beach, staring out into the glistening Mediterranean, I felt as though I had found my ideal Paradise.  However, no Paradise is complete without a good bar (at least in my book).

The bars in Marbella are generally very pricey.   Although, I stumbled on reasonable prices at The Shiraz Bar and Restaurant at the Puerto Deportivo.  This place served cocktails for fair prices and had an excellent deal on food; 90€ for 3-courses is not to be sniffed at.  Needless to say, after the massive feast, I was ready to hit the town and experience the infamous Marbella nightlife.

Clubbing in Marbella is unavoidably expensive, but sometimes you can find places with entry deals.  I went to Glam, because it had free entry before 3AM and is only 10€ after, which includes a free drink.  It was great fun and value — perfect for the budgeting tourist.

My conclusion, do not let Marbella’s notoriety for expensive living scare you.  Just do what I did:  lie on the beach for free all day and then spend your money at night!  Brilliant holiday, guaranteed.

Jade Eva is an English Literature student who has read books based in all the corners of the world.  But now she wants to see it for herself.  From Verona to Vegas, Peru to Portugal, Jade will see it all!

Whether you are looking to spend your family break on roller-coasters in theme parks or whether you would rather spend your time relaxing on the beach, there are plenty of cheap summer holidays available this year making the choice of where to go a difficult one.  The following information highlights some of the best potential destinations and is designed to help you find a cheap family holiday abroad that will fulfill all of your holiday needs.

Mallorca

Mallorca has long been popular with the Spanish island’s pleasant temperatures making it a great place for a friendly break in the sun.  You will find resorts suitable for families located throughout the island, although you may want to consider visiting the beaches of Puerto Pollensa and Cala San Vicence.  While you can spend time splashing around in the sea or just relaxing on the beach, there are a number of restaurants and attractions suitable for kids, including taking a ride on the Soller train.

Tenerife

For more fantastic family-orientated breaks in the Spanish sun, you might want to consider Tenerife.  It is the largest of the Canary Islands.  Of course, kids may be happy to spend their break having fun on the beach, but they may be equally delighted taking in the colorful creatures that can be seen at attractions like Jungle Park Zoo and AquaPark.  You may also want to visit the stunning Mount Teide National Park, which contains Spain’s highest mountain.

Algarve

The Algarve region of Portugal with its array of gorgeous beaches and accommodation offers plenty of things for a family to see and do.  Taking a ride on a pedalo can certainly be a great activity for you and your little ones.  Although for something a little more fast-paced, any teenagers in your party may want to try their hand at windsurfing or kitesurfing.  Why not head to Albufeira?  As one of the most popular resorts in the region, you will be certain to find quality accommodation, while the nearby ZooMarine Park offers you the chance to see a variety of marine wildlife, as well as go on amazing amusement rides.

Turkey

For something slightly different than your typical Mediterranean holiday, why not consider a trip to Turkey?   With resorts like Marmaris, Side, and Bodrum, you will find there is plenty of opportunity to spend time basking in the sun, while the country’s position in the middle of Europe and Asia means it is a veritable melting-pot of different cultures.  You and your loved ones are also sure to enjoy eating Turkish delight, haggling for a bargain in one of the many markets, and/or indulging in a traditional Turkish bath.

Florida

Home to Disney World, you and the rest of the family are bound to enjoy experiencing some of the world’s best rides, as well as hanging out with famous Disney characters.  However, there are a range of Florida attractions away from Mickey and his friends, such as the Everglades National Park and Busch Gardens.  SeaWorld Orlando can be a great place to head to, as it gives you the chance to see a wide range of marine wildlife from sharks and whales to seals and dolphins.

There are numerous destinations to visit on family holidays this year.  And if you choose from one of the five destinations listed above, you can be certain that you and your family will have the trip of a lifetime.

Written by the team at Travel Supermarket who specialize in finding cheap holidays, flights, hotels, car hire, and airport parking.

There are a million things I could say about my fiance, Lucas.  I could say that he has the kindest soul or that he is truly the sexiest man I have ever laid eyes on or that his love for soccer borderlines on obsession.

Another thing I could say is that he used to be a Granadero.  Not sure what that means?  Neither did I at first, but a Granadero is a member of the Argentinean army whose job is to directly protect the President of Argentina.  It is an incredibly honorable position, so much so that when I would tell people in Argentina what Lucas’ profession was their faces would light up in absolute awe.  And this still occurs even though he is no longer one.

While his job was held in the highest of esteem and he enjoyed it immensely, it also required a lot of dedication.  The place he worked the most at was La Casa Rosada, or the Pink House.  I always joke that it is impossible to not love a country whose Presidential palace is pink!

La Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina

There he would stand for hours on end without being able to move an inch.  Want to know what my Granadero would wear to work?  Check this out:

Sadly I never got to see him in uniform, however I was sent “special pictures” from time to time.  These photographs, that I will treasure forever, were of him guarding the now deceased ex-President Kirchner (he passed away while I was on this trip) with various other Presidents of the world.  Can you spot Lucas in the following pictures?

Occasionally, when the President would travel, he would be required to go on the road with him, mostly to places within Argentina, but to other South American countries as well.  When he would travel he was required to wear fatigues.

After many sleep deprived years in the service, he decided it was time for a new path in life. He has never looked back since leaving, but he will always be my toy soldier!

Song of the post:

The menu tasting went deliciously well.  I wish that I would have taken some pictures of the different foods that we tasted, because I know that some of the foodies that read my blog would have been impressed, but I was so caught up in the moment that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind.  Argentines love to eat, despite having some of the thinnest people in the world.  So, believe it or not, we are going to have 8-courses during the reception.  Yes, you read that right, 8!  And an open wine and champagne bar.  How any of us will be able to get out of our chair at the end of the night I am not sure?

I do have a little secret to share: my wedding cake is going to be the world’s best wedding cake ever.  I decided to skip the traditional wedding cake, since I am not really a traditional kind of gal, thus we are going to have a chocolate and dulce de leche cake.  I am drooling just thinking about it now.  Below is how the cake will look though much bigger and decorated more nicely.

Almost every single day I get asked about “our story.”  I eluded in a previous post that I want to eventually write a romantic travelogue that details Lucas and I’s extraordinary history together, so for now I hope that the following synopsis is sufficient enough until the book comes out!

5 years ago in a crowded nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an Argentine man and an American woman caught each other’s gaze. They naturally gravitated towards one another and when they were finally side by side he offered to buy her a glass of champagne. By the time they were both done with their drinks they had fallen in love. He says it was her eyes that first captured his heart and she says for her it was his smile (his sexy accent did not hurt either!).

PS More on Lucas in the next post!

The busy summer season is starting to come to an end and resorts become less crowded.  Now is a good time to book Spain holidays!

It felt pretty surreal to be walking towards the place I would be getting married at next year.  My fiance, Lucas, had to work, but my best friend/wedding planner, Julie, was accompanying me, and Lucas would be meeting us later for the menu tasting.  The butterflies in my stomach were already aflutter with excitement, thus imagine my delight when we spotted a rainbow directly above our wedding location.  Not only was there no reason for there to even be a rainbow, as it had not rained and it was not currently raining, but the rainbow itself was inverted, an incredibly rare phenomena!  That had to be a good sign, si?

See the building on the right? That is where we are getting married!

The evolution of how we came to choose our wedding location was an arduous one.  At first, Lucas and I were determined to get married on a beach in Brasil.  We had become engaged in Brasil, fallen head over heels with the country, and we are both the biggest beach lovers you will ever meet.  However, after months and months of getting absolutely nowhere with various locations, we were forced to abandon the idea.  That is when we decided to have the wedding in Buenos Aires, which considering that both my fiance and best friend live there and we all speak Spanish, would make it safe to assume that the planning would become infinitely easier.  Except it was not any easier, in fact it was just as difficult, if not more.  I cannot tell you how many times we thought we had found the wedding location, only to have our hearts broken just as we were signing the contract (mostly from us being overcharged since I am a gringa).

And like most things in life, when I finally let go of all of the stress and anxiety, and decided to go with the flow, a location emerged — a location so perfect I can confidently say that I am going to have the wedding of my dreams there.  This perfect location is Faena Hotel + Universe, designed by the uber-talented Philippe Starck.  Faena is located in the barrio of Puerto Madero and is truly like walking into another world.  Julie fondly calls it Oz.

Faena Hotel + Universe

The ceremony will take place outside at sunset on the terrace.

The reception will take place in the adjoining ballroom.

Here is a video that explores the hotel in more depth:

After a couple of hours of mapping out the wedding from start to finish, it was time to meet Lucas for the menu tasting. . .

Now, I am not a food connoisseur in the slightest bit.  I can travel the world and gasp at hundreds of cathedrals or peruse dozens of bazaars, souks and markets, but when it comes to food, I am honestly disinterested.  I appreciate the cultural differences and will try anything (within reason), however a meal rarely stays in my mind after the holiday.  Having said that, recently the good restaurants in British Columbia not only spoiled me rotten, they have also ignited the foodie in me.  Trust me, this was no easy feat!

British Columbia is a region in Canada famed for many things: a stunning landscape, a vast range of wildlife, and suave cities.  What is often forgotten is the province’s selection of world class restaurants.  My journey from Vancouver to Calgary, across the Rocky Mountains, delivered almost too many restaurants to tempt me with.

Some restaurants were immediately ruled out of my student budget, but that did not stop me from salivating over the menus.  My highest praises go to the Shelter Restaurant in Tofino.  The food was tasty, though what impressed me the most was the creativity.  Each dish was quirky and had a sense of humor, such as a whole crab served with slice of garlic bread between its claws.  That image alone remained in my mind for the remainder of the holiday and beyond — something no meal has ever done.  If an apathetic palette such as mine could love British Columbia, food travelers will be unable to leave!