Post #1

Even though this is not an official web site for the places we visit I try to be as accurate as possible. Although Wikipedia is a fun site, often with great pictures and lists, it is not something to be relied upon for information.  If I am looking for a fact that I would put my name on I will research the building or town or country’s web site.  It takes longer but I don’t want to write something that I haven’t seen and which may not be true.  The only exception will be in the trip notes. If I missed something (and that happens all the time), I will tell you and you can decide to try to find it or give it a miss.

Tip: Decide if you want a record of your trip, a full blown journal, just notes or somewhere in between.  You think you will remember everything, but you won’t.  To some that’s more important than others.

My daughter started jotting down notes of what we had done each day and I decided that I should be doing that too. I just took it to the next level, some would say over the top.

I have gone through an evolution trying to put all of the research into a portable form to take on the trip, paring it down from a small thick notebook to daily walks, but nothing really works. I would love to be able to keep everything in my head and be able to pull out random tidbits at the drop of a hat.  In truth I’m waiting for the implant that allows me to do just that.  For now I do the research several months ahead of trip time and then re-read the material several weeks before the trip.  Then on the night before each day I glance over the daily notes, hoping that much of it will stick.  Once I am on the trip, taking in the city, place or thing, photographing what I want to remember and combing my memory for the anecdote or history surrounding it, my first task is to enjoy the city, place or thing and absorb the experience.

In the beginning I was using a small notebook as a mini-scrapbook, pasting in odds and ends, addresses, telephone numbers, 24 hour time charts, currency charts, even full moon charts, anything that might be useful. This was long before a computer came into my life.   That notebook lasted for several trips although I wasn’t really using them during the trip, but did find them useful and interesting afterward.  Then I tried using that notebook as a journal, making notes on a daily basis to write up later as a full fledged journal.

A steno pad worked except that I ran through the empty pages, turned the book over, and continued writing on the backs of the pages. Transcribing the days turned into a nightmare as the notes were not always sequential.  Those were also the days of film so hundreds of photographs also had to be kept in order or chaos ensued.

I take pictures of street names which helps me find my location when I can’t remember where I was at the time. A night picture taken at the end of each day helps when sorting through thumbnails.   Nowadays digital photographs are imprinted with time and date (if I set the time zone in my cameras correctly) and help me to put my notes in order.

Tip: Set your camera for the time zone of your vacation, making sure am and pm are correct.

These are basically my journals of each trip.  Although some comments may seem more like complaints, I am relating the facts and what the result was, hoping it will help in the future.  Prevention IS worth a pound of cure.  Overall, each trip was better than the last, mostly because it was new, but also because of what we learned on the last trip, a better way to do something or a different question to ask to get the right answer.  In the “olden days” we used to have to travel with cash, which could be risky and inconvenient at times.  Today with credit cards it’s almost too easy.  It’s the same with computers.  Information is so much more available.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS: When going to a new place, go the tourist route.  This will give you what you came to see.  Years later if you get the chance to revisit, you will have a much better idea where and what you want to do, branching out according to your interests.

Within your general itinerary, you can find out-of-the-way places or weird and unusual sights and sites that the average tourist isn’t looking for – and we are anything but average.

Is there a labyrinth or maze in that palace or church or a secret passageway? Is the city famous for a person or its fountains?  How many carousels are there in Paris that I can ride?  What are the 10 Best Things To Do (insert name of city)?

To get the feel of a new city, ride a bus along the tourist route or take a river cruise.  It’s a different prospective as well as a way to acquaint yourself with the area.  If you’re looking for views, think about finding two different locations, one for day when you’ll be able to pick out famous buildings and one for night when the bright lights make everything magical.

Our trips are walking trips, not hiking through mountains or from town to town, but along city streets, through gardens, and along rivers. I love Google map directions for planning our walks   (although their maps don’t print well).  I can easily find out how far it would be to walk from point A to point B or how long it takes to drive from one site to the next.

Plan the strenuous vacations when you are younger and more fit, climbing the pyramids of Mexico or the steps at Machu Picchu.  We used to do 3 cities in 12 days and had a wonderful time.  As you age, cut down your traveling within the trip and do a more in-depth visit.  Listen to your body.  Plan but be flexible.  Eat when you are hungry.  Murphy’s Law is especially a propos when you travel.  There will be delays.  Museums will be closed on the only day you can go.  Stuff happens.  Get used to it.  Do not let it bother you.

As much as you think you will return to a city or country, you probably won’t. There are so many wonderful places to visit, even if you take a trip once a year, starting when you are in your 50’s (when you might be able to afford it), you probably won’t have time to revisit a place because there are so many other places calling to you.  If you are like me, the more you travel, the more you want to.  It’s like potato chips….

WEATHER: My number one priority – check what month is best for the type of activities you want to do.  When high season turns to low season hotels can be quite a bit less expensive and only a few days difference in time.  Each country or region has different things to consider even when your main reason for going is the same.  But weather happens!  Plan some alternatives for a rainy day, just in case.  Ask for suggestions from the hotel or other travelers who are in the same boat.

GUIDEBOOK AND MAPS: Buy a guidebook with brilliantly colored pictures.  A major guidebook that is several years out of date doesn’t really change all that much from the latest edition.  I really like the Eyewitness Travel Guides which are loaded with gorgeous photographs, maps of countries, cities and neighborhoods.  They have floor plans of famous buildings, marked to show the location of artifacts and how to find them.  They get me in the mood, inspire me and help when making lists of the places in which I am interested.  For most cities they also put out the Top Ten Guide with lists of the top ten best views, churches, museums, bars, etc., whatever you’re looking for.  And you didn’t have to lift a finger.  The one of Rome told me about buildings you could take an elevator to the top to see the view.  I had no idea that this was possible in some major sites.  The internet is a wealth of information if you take it with a grain of salt and back it up by getting a second opinion.  Reviews are often written in the heat of passion.  If you read a bad review of the hotel you want, check to see what was done to solve the problem.  A tired, angry tourist might not feel that anything offered was enough to soothe their hurt feelings, no matter what was done to mollify them.

When it comes to maps, less is better. All I want are clearly marked streets and major buildings with not a lot of color or unnecessary details.  MapGuides by Michael Middleditch are the absolute best but even his could do without the tiny little pictures.  The only drawback is they only cover London, Paris, New York, Amsterdam and of all places, St. Albans in England.  I have heard he is dead.  Will anyone carry on in his style?

Contact the chamber of commerce in the city you are going to. Some will send you maps or special offers and most have good information you can trust.

Get to know your local copy shop.  Most maps are so tiny that I need a magnifying glass to read them which defeats their purpose.  Enlarging the map makes it more useful when traveling.  I color in the places I want to see which helps me plan our walks as well as showing me things I might miss.  Then when I get home the map becomes a souvenir.  Of course if you are familiar with the new phones and pads and tablets, they can be very useful, but come with their own set of drawbacks.

HOTELS: Location is crucial.  Get as close to the middle of the area you want to explore as possible.  Plan your day out by using the hotel as the center of a flower and each petal of the flower is a walk, looping out from the hotel and back.  If you use transportation, go to the farthest point of interest then make your way back to the hotel, stopping to eat, sightsee and shop.  By the time you are tired, you should be fairly close to your hotel or close enough that transportation will not be very expensive.

Hotel booking sites have so much information and usually show the rate in dollars. These sites also give you the opportunity to reserve a hotel room with the option to cancel without being penalized if you change your mind.  But like all things, read the fine print.  Some hotels will charge you for a change even if the booking site does not.  Make sure you book the room that says free cancellation.  It will cost a few dollars more, but I think it is worth it.  Check the actual hotel’s rates at their site.  Sometimes they have a better rate or the twin bed room that is no longer available on the booking site.  I booked one room that said breakfast was included and copied the confirmation.  Under additional information it stated that breakfast was optional at $14. a person.  I brought a copy of the reservation that said it was included and emailed the hotel of the discrepancy.  If you don’t prove it, they can say the other website made a mistake.

Wi-fi doesn’t mean there will be Wi-Fi in your room, or that it will be free. It may only be in the public areas.  Crazy in this day and age but even in some hotels that cater to business people it is true.  And if they do have it in the room, it is probably not free and can be pricey, charged by the hour.

Before you go: Hotels are usually very helpful answering questions, about the right adaptor for your electrical appliances, arranging a driver/guide, tour or day trip, or recommending restaurants (even when the hotel has one).   Ask the hotel for their recommendation if you need transport then check shuttle services.  This will give you an idea of prices.  Check the amenities.  Some hotels have a free or reasonably priced shuttle to and from the airport.  Even lesser priced hotels that don’t have a concierge have knowledgeable people to help you.  Ask for a referral.  A company that works with the hotel will want to continue working with the hotel.

Depending on your arrival and departure at the hotel, consider asking for an early check-in and/or a late check-out. Some hotels will charge a half day while others will offer you a later time without charge.  All hotels will keep your luggage in the lobby until your room is ready or your pickup arrives to take you to the airport.  Pack accordingly.  I once packed the book I was reading in my checked bag and had to spend $11. for a paperback to read on the flight home.   On the other hand, when one hotel was transferring my luggage to another hotel, I repacked my bags in the lobby, so that I only had my backpack with the things I needed for the day.  My big bag was waiting for me when I checked into my room.

Hopefully your hotel will have a restaurant or be near one. It can get you going in the morning (especially if breakfast is included) or be your saving grace at night when you are exhausted and starving.

BREAKFAST: Find a great coffee shop near your hotel to start your day.  Eat breakfast or at least coffee and a pastry.  You never know how long it will be before you find another restaurant for breakfast or brunch.  You need fuel for your adventure.  It’s easy to get started walking and find yourself in a residential neighborhood or a museum café where you have to settle for food that is barely edible because you waited too long and are now starving with no choices.

TOURS:  On-line tour companies will gladly offer an estimate for their services.  Most have a form to be filled out with the details of your request and are very quick to answer, always remembering that you may be dealing with a time difference in which your day is their night.  Be as specific as you can, even if you don’t know your actual dates.  Requesting services on a weekend might be more expensive than a weekday.  Combining services could get you a deal.

If you are really interested in a site, it’s probably worth booking a guide. Besides knowing the history, placing it in time and giving an idea of how the site was used, they will answer questions, making the tour more interesting to you.

SEARCH & RESEARCH: I love doing the research almost as much as the actual trip.  Somewhere during that time a theme will begin to present itself and the trip will revolve around that theme.  Use a search to make your way around the city.  Find all of the Michelangelo’s in Florence or the Bernini’s in Rome, visit The Da Vinci Code locations or see how many fountains you can find. Bar hop your way around London, quaffing brews in the pubs that survived the Great Fire or sip cappuccinos in a Parisian cafe where Hemmingway and Picasso used to hang out.  The search itself will take you on a tour and you will see much more than the individual sites you were looking for.

Start a collection with your camera.   How many angels can you spot and do you differentiate between cherubs and archangels?  Architecture can typify a place with elaborate doors or stained glass windows, statues on facades, in alcoves or on the roof.  There are old pub signs and storefronts from another age, fantastic fountains and dragons, lots and lots of dragons.

Many cities have plaques or medallions with historical information of an event or person who lived there.

Even if you don’t do research, read a book about the location or a person who lived there in another time, then go to that place and do something they might have done like take a boat ride along the river.  You’ll see things in a different light.

We often stray out of our planned itinerary because something draws our interest or we take a wrong turn but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing and often is serendipitous.

CITY PASSES: I don’t know if the city passes are a really good deal.  I think each person has to do the work, what places do you want to see, how many successive days will work for you, and how much is it going to cost.  It will be a lot of work, but it will also solidify what you want to do and tie in with your planning.  Download a list of the attractions that are covered, mark the things you want and what they will cost without the pass.  Note that a lot of museums are free for everyone (except for special exhibits), even though they are advertised as part of the pass benefits.  Some of the places won’t work for you, are closed on the only day you can go or the pass doesn’t cover what you thought it did.  You also have to use the pass on successive days.  Delivery of the pass can be expensive or a hassle to pick up in a new city.  BUT it sure is fun to skip to the front of the line, past people who might have to wait for hours and if you add the transit ticket, it usually covers all kinds of city transportation.  However, you still have to check the price you would pay for just the transit pass.  Buying it when you arrive at your destination could work out better for you.

Out of their list of pass attractions I make my own list of places and prices. Descriptions of each attraction show the opening and closing times as well as other information, such as the days they are not open.  This will be useful even if you decide the pass isn’t right for you.  I agree that all this work is a pain in the butt, but if I do the work I know if it will work for me and don’t feel like I’ve been taken for a ride.  We’ve found that the transit pass is usually a very good value, purchased on its own or with the city pass.

PACKING:  Make up a general list of things to pack so you don’t have to do this for every vacation.  Add all the items, bathing suits as well as skis, you can always cross them off if they don’t apply, but at least you won’t forget your book light or battery charger or a sweater for the cooler nights.  When doing the actual packing, remember the special security rules that now apply.  Coming home from one trip I moved some souvenirs into my carry-on to make room and the items were confiscated when we got to the airport.  Bummer!

Take the antihistamine or other over-the-counter medication that works for you. You probably won’t be able to find that brand in another country or the search will take time out of your vacation and you feel bad enough already.

Take your daily medications in a sectioned pill box along with some extras – just in case. Take copies of your prescriptions – just in case.

Check with a medical clinic for vaccinations you need when you travel to foreign countries. Get any shots at least two weeks before departure.

Photocopy your passport and driver’s license. Print your confirmations for hotels and tour agreements.  JIC

Buy distinctive luggage, never black, so you can spot it immediately at baggage claim. Take a photo of your bag.   The interior lining of your handbag or carry-on should be light in color which helps you see the items inside at night on a darkened plane.

I try not to pack too much or too early. I ask myself do you really really need this and did you use this on your last trip?

Luggage is made in so many sizes that there is no perfect size, except that you can carry it yourself and there is always room for souvenirs when coming home. Of course you can also pack a small fabric duffle just in case, if only for your dirty clothes.  But with the airlines charging for everything these days, it will probably cost you extra.

RESTAURANTS: a whole nother thing.  You don’t have to find a particular restaurant but do research on the kind of place you want, a grab-and-go, a café, a bistro or a brasserie?  Do you want to sit for 2 hours for lunch or even longer for dinner?  In order to have the experience you want, you need to know what you want.  Is it customary to tip and how much?  In Italy, it costs more to sit at a table then stand at the counter.  In London, you order your food at the bar and they bring it out.

Food is a matter of where we are at the time. Finding a certain restaurant or being on-time for a reservation can cut into sightseeing time.   With all the restaurants I checked out and carefully listed, we never seemed to use the information, instead choosing one wherever we were at the time.  Now we just look for the menu posted outside (NO PICTURES) or at the hostess stand to see what kind of food they serve and the prices.  Pictures on the menu usually mean they cater to tourists, they will never see you again, and the food will almost always be a mistake.

Check out restaurant etiquette, not only to learn what to expect in the different kinds of eating places but also what is or is not done in certain countries.   In Paris a guide said that

it is impolite to sit at the table with your hands in your lap, because people would wonder what you are doing with your hands in your lap! There must be a lot of funny and unusual reasons why we do the things we do and a different culture is one of the reasons I travel.  Whether you follow the rules or throw caution to the wind, I still don’t want to be an “ugly American”.

I can’t imagine taking 2 hours out of the day to sit in a restaurant. It’s much more fun to grab a table at a sidewalk café and watch the people go by with a famous building, landscape or riverside view as a backdrop while enjoying a yummy meal and chatting with the waiter.

DRIVER/GUIDE   Your own driver is a god-send in a city you don’t know.  The ones we have found, mostly through hotels and websites, love their city and can’t wait to show it to you, so you end up with a guide as well as door to door transportation.  All you have to do is tell them what interests you so that they can tailor the day to your likes and dislikes.  If you find a place that the driver has not been to, you can discover it together.  I think of it as adding to their knowledge.  After all, they probably don’t know EVERYTHING.

Visit cemeteries to see some of the most interesting architecture and cultural peculiarities. Famous people are buried in marbled tombs and great events are memorialized.

Never wait to buy something you really want. You will not find it again or you will probably pay more if you do.  To this day I think about the shop on Bora Bora and regret not buying the cute little bracelets.

I always wear my good walking sneakers, but my daughter wears flip flops and is perfectly happy. Take a handful of BANDAIDS with you just in case your shoes don’t work out.  At least you won’t be in pain.

FLIGHTS: How to make a flight better:  warm slipper socks, a coat you can wear backwards which covers you like a blanket, a lumbar pillow, a book light, headphones for noise reduction or because the ones on the plane suck.  Take some healthy snacks that aren’t too sweet or salty so you don’t have to eat airplane food.  Drink a lot of water.

Hopefully you have someone to travel with because they see things with different eyes and will show you another way to see them. I love to look at my daughter’s photographs.  Although we are walking side by side and doing the same things, she comes back with photos of things I didn’t see or details of the things I did.  I tend to take pictures of the whole building, she looks for little things.  Put together they are a rather perfect match, complimenting each other.  She also points out things like Art Nouveau and Art Deco which I love, even though she does not.  The things that interest her sparks my interest, adding to the site, the day and the whole experience.

Freeze food for when you get home and there is nothing in the house to eat or plan to stop at a restaurant or a market to get a few things to tide you over. Having a container of chicken noodle soup or macaroni and cheese will get you through the night and a bagel or muffin to toast in the morning can be a great hassle-free start to a day of unpacking, washing clothes and sorting out souvenirs.

HOME: Don’t forget your own backyard, whether it’s the beach two miles away, the city two hours away or a national park two states away.  We live in a treasure of a country.

For seniors there is a national park pass that costs $10. and is good for life. Now that’s a deal.  I bought it for the Grand Canyon but have used it several times.  My daughter thinks it’s great because it includes everyone in the car and free is always a good thing.  Maybe your kids and grandkids will think about that when it’s time to take a trip!

And as far as the Grand Canyon goes…   Parking is limited unless you are staying at one of the hotels.  Parking in Williams, Arizona, the town closest to the Grand Canyon and taking the little Grand Canyon Railway is not only fun but gets you into the park for free.

So much to do before I get to that trip journal but, needless to say, we have a beautiful country with plenty to see and appreciate.   If you can, Travel.