Monthly Archives: July 2012

  • Lessons learnt the hard way!

    July 9, 2012

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    I am so ready for a few days of chill beach time! I have learned this important trick the hard way when planning any trip…I always intersperse some chill time amongst all the sightseeing! I know people forget that a vacation is just that and they make this mistake and their trip becomes more like work than the fun it should be. I see tourists who are constantly on a treadmill of sightseeing all they can cram into the trip…DON’T DO IT!

    Oh and don’t overpack! I am guilty as charged! I am the worst and I am so sorry because I am lugging 2 roller bags up and down train station steps, along cobblestone streets, into small elevators, etc…I wanna look cute but I needed some serious editing! After years of doing this, my love of fashion always wins out over practicality and I bring all these outfits and shoes that I never wear…

    I have discovered those vacuum travel bags that allow you to roll out the excess air, sorta vacuum packing your clothes…they help alot with bulky items. You can buy them at the Container Store. I never travel without a power strip; there are never enough outlets in rooms and this allows you to use 1 adaptor in order to plug everything into.

    Luckily, Europe is very WiFi connected…but TURN OFF your roaming! It’s crazy expensive!! I travel with an unlocked IPhone and buy prepaid data micro sim cards in each country that allow me to call and stay connected! The ability to use google maps to get directions and navigate in new locales really comes in handy…

    Ok, time to drag these bags again…Sitges here I come!

  • Holy bat cave, Robin!

    July 8, 2012

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    Montserrat, Spain…today I embarked on a quick day trip out of Barcelona! After a late night hitting the local clubs and bars in Eixample district of Barcelona, I thought a different view of Catalonia was in order.

    Perched high in the cavernous mountain side, the Monastery housing the scuplture of the black Madonna behind its altar seems detached from the rest of the world, set in an absolutely rugged yet breathtaking spot!

    Getting here isn’t as simple as it seems…again I had to navigate the train system, this time in the pickpocket heaven of Espanya station! Clutching my man-purse like an old lady, I set out! No one was messing with me…after the hourlong train ride, it’s time for the 5 minute cable car ride to the top…Geez, adventures never cease on this trip, I guess I am determined to ignore all my comfort zones…

    Standing the whole ride in what is essentially a yellow basket, the view is fantastic but the ride is not for the faint of heart! Again I seem to have landed in another ancient world…how did this place get here in the middle of stalactite looking terrain?

    One more ride up, this time on the funicular to Sant Joan in order to view it all from an even higher vantage point…what other means of transport shall I employ today?

    Anyway, this isn’t a religious outing…it’s a marvel of both nature and the will of man to build amongst it! Who even knew this existed, obscure places like this reaffirm my love of travel. Remember, much of any journey lies in discovery of places you never knew you wanted to visit!

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  • Doing my best Hemingway!

    July 7, 2012

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    The Encierro (running of the bulls) in Pamplona…

    Every once in awhile you have a “moment”, today I had one of those “moments”! I didn’t love waking up at 5 am and I definitely didn’t look cute in my white outfit with red scarf & sash (maybe I needed to channel Ernest Hemingway with his signature Panama hat!) but it was totally worth it.

    Arriving in the center of town at 6 am to find it already mobbed with bull-run eager participants, I needed to hurry before they starting closing the path to my balcony. I arrived and was greeted by the apartment owner and shown to my viewing spot only to discover I scored this balcony all to myself, maybe this was turning out to be a VIP trip afterall!

    I was one floor above the Calle Estefeta right where the action happens and the location was directly after the first treacherous curve of the route in which the bulls head towards the red doors of the stadium for tonight’s bull fight. I stood there in awe, watching the runners stretch and get ready to outrun the bulls while shopkeepers board up their storefronts.

    The crowd chants and sings, the street is swept for trash, and the formalities begin; Runners are pushed back by police, men in green polos arrive carrying sticks they use to direct the bulls if needed, local politicians walk and inspect the route, and this collective community in white & red is ready and anxious!

    At 8 am, you hear the gunshot and they are off! In a flash, the bulls appear and you see men tumbling, runners literally loosing their espadrilles, and even a few unlucky souls getting run over!
    I see one poor guy ‘s t shirt is literally speared by the bulls horn and he is being pulled the entire way into the stadium!

    What a rush! What a thrill! What a total “moment” I will never forget!

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  • Baby, you’re a Firework!

    July 6, 2012

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    I made it…Pamplona!
    Well after quite an adventure, the bus pulled in to Pamplona and I admit I got a little sappy…I cried
    a bit! I just couldn’t believe I got here and I never thought I would ever be in Pamplona. A rush full of all the emotions that this trip holds came over me. Travel is so special to me and the world has so much to experience and this is one of those infamous ones!

    Well, this town is over run with people EVERYWHERE…this is not just a running of the bulls but a 9 day festival named the San Fermin Festival. The streets are flooded with people dressed in white with red scarves cleverly tied at their necks and soaked in red wine that they pour on each other! I mean this is an over-the-top party, the likes of which I have never seen! A crazy mix of drunk & drenched revelers and a riot of free spirited fun.

    People are camping in parks, using outdoor bathrooms, and passed out in the streets just in order to be part of it all. I saw people from every corner of the world as well as every generation. The Spanish are so captivated by this age old fiesta that it’s telecast 24 hours a day on National TV.

    I strolled around to get acquainted and got off pretty unscathed…I got hit with a few slices of Sangria fruit and had sticky shoes, but not a drop of wine spilled on me, even though I was offered my fair share!

    I bought my mandatory white and red gear and headed out for a spectacular late night fireworks display…what a show!!!

    I will say it again, the Spanish do know how to PARTY! Tomorrow is the big day…The Running of the Bulls.

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  • Running to the Bulls!

    July 6, 2012

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    I arrived back in Barcelona and I must admit I am officially out of my element! No concierge, No guidebook, Nada! Today I am heading to Pamplona to watch the infamous running of the bulls (I don’t plan to get chased by them).

    I couldn’t be more excited, but I am gonna need a huge dose of positive travel karma in order to get me there! No chauffeur or red carpet treatment on this trip…this journey to see an event I have dreamed of experiencing is becoming daunting, even for an experienced traveller like myself. The trains are all full, the hotels are all full, and most of the viewing spots along the run are taken!

    I have learned that staying strong and not giving up is key when traveling…ask, do not be shy, try every angle, and most importantly forge on!

    I am not nearly as calm as sound, I was swearing up and down that confusing Barcelona Sants train station going from window to window until I figured out a way to get to Pamplona. The Catalan language is so hard to understand and finding an English speaker is very elusive! So here I go; I believe I found a 1 star hostel (yikes!), I am taking a train to Zaragoza and hopefully a bus onwards from there, and I think I even secured a tiny spot on a miniature balcony overlooking the running of the bulls.

    Pamplona here I come…I think I already stared down a few bulls in my effort to get there and not sure what the rest of the route will hold! I may just be fool hardy enough to put on all white, tie on a red neck scarf, and run with those damn bulls if I am lucky enough to ever get there!

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  • Lost in Space!

    July 5, 2012

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    Today is a big WOW! I am strolling thru what looks like Mars or some sci-fi set for a futuristic movie feeling like somehow I have been transported into OuterSpace. I am not lost, rather I found the nirvana of modern and forward thinking architecture in of all places, Valencia, Spain!

    I am walking around having to pick my jaw off the floor at every turn…I am at the site of Ciudad De Las Artes Y Las Ciencias (the city of arts & sciences) not far from the old town center of Valencia. Museums can be boring, but not here!
    Creativity is king…we can do anything with imagination. Spain is a testament to this and this country has sparked so much inspiration with it’s blend of old & new! This is beyond sightseeing, this is a religious experience for anyone creative or anyone who appreciates creativity.

    Architecture so perfect and symmetrical yet like nothing you have ever seen! Whitewashed and glowing under the intense sun, there is something to see at every angle.

    Rent a bike and enjoy a ride around this amazing complex labryinth of curves and angles. Duck under arches and pillars and test some of the acoustic wonders this place holds!

    I loved the kids playing in inflatable balls in one of the lagoons.

    Valencia is the birth place of Paella, but I will remember this place for opening my eyes to so many design possibilities!

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  • Playing the markets!

    July 5, 2012

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    My first stop in any city, no matter where in the world, is the local market. Anyone who has travelled with me has experienced this pilgrimage! It’s not about food (though I love sampling food of any kind!), it’s about soaking in the local flavor…the regional delicacies,the aromas, and seeing how residents live.

    Today I am in Valencia,Spain and my first stop is Mercat Central (Central Market)! I just love it!
    Local women shopping for today’s meals, men sipping strong coffee, vendors hawking local finds, and tourists alike in this gorgeous Gothic style market. The home to the famous orange, there is so much more to see, hear, and smell here…

    You can get no better sense of a place than spending a morning in the local market.

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  • My day in the sun!

    July 4, 2012

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    After a late night and much needed sleeping in, the beach in Ibiza was calling my name…
    Arriving in town around noon, I dont recognize it from last night…hardly awake, shops and restaurants are just starting to open for the day. You really need to get on a whole other time here!

    A quick trip from town, Es Cavallet beach (or “playa” in Spanish) is the hip spot to chill. Blue water, soft sand, more gorgeous people (many nude!), and lots of sangria or cervezas(beer)! I am loving the parmesan spread, fresh bread, and delicious olives as I sip away at my Sangria looking out at the clear blue water with yachts pulling into harbor in the distance.
    Gorgeous people frolicking in the sand add to the already gorgeous view!

    There are beach chairs and umbrellas available and a restaurant serving up cold drinks and good food.

    Aww…the good life in Espana!

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