Oh, Cinque Terre. With its emerald green tree-topped hills, brightly colored homes crawling up to the sky, steep drops of gray cliffs and a pounding (at times) blue Ligurian Sea, this gorgeous slice of Italian seaside is one of the most renowned — and recognized — places in the world.
Continue reading “21 photos from Italy’s Cinque Terre region”
We stand outside the cafe, a gorgeous stone terrace with little tables, overlooking the tranquil blue water of the Ligurian Sea (a far cry from the tumultuous experience the day before when attempting to take Cinque Terre’s water ferry). Mom and I stand waiting, our suitcases at our sides, when the owner of Alla Marina comes up to us. We’re renting an apartment in Riomaggiore for our last night in the gorgeous region of Italy, and moved from our Flipkey rental in Vernazza to the most southern of the five towns to enjoy a the remaining moments of our mother-daughter Italian vacation.
“Hello, hello,” Sandro Pasini greets us. He’s one of the two brothers who run the Alla Marina, a small cluster of rooms and apartments in the village. Sandro is tall, his English perfect, and his willingness to help us is apparent immediately.
Continue reading “History and charm: Riomaggiore’s Alla Marina”
After living in Thailand for more than two years, I like to consider myself a local.
Although, let’s face it: as a westerner in Thailand, I will never be a real local. Certainly, I can adapt. I can learn. But, I am not Thai and never will be.
However, I am decidedly more “Thai” than I was when I first arrived in 2012.
So much has changed, and if you’ve been following my life as an expat, you know it isn’t all easy. It isn’t all pretty. But, it is all worth it.
We’ve all been there. That agonizing decision. Where to book the next holiday? Nowadays as the working day spills evermore into our precious leisure time, it’s more critical than ever to make sure that we choose the right getaway. A break which will give us maximum relaxation time and a welcome change from the anonymous beach package or exhausting city break.
One holiday type which has exploded in popularity in recent years is European river cruising, and it’s no wonder. Tiring of endless wasted time in airport queues, with all the intrusive security, inevitable delays followed by cramped and soulless flights, the discerning traveler is looking for something new. Gliding along the stunning waterways of Europe is a refreshing alternative. When you finalize your river cruise booking, you can rest assured that you have made your best choice yet. Why? Because it offers so much rolled into one magical adventure.
Continue reading “Rivers of relaxation – the magic and majesty of our European waterways”
“He’s right behind you,” my friend writes via message.
“No,” I type back furiously. “Don’t tell me anything else. I need to be surprised.”
And, thus begins my first British panto experience.
If you asked me a month ago about this holiday cultural phenomenon, I would have stared blankly at you and then imagined that “panto” was mimes, you know, pantomiming.
Let me say this: it most certainly is not.
At night, I’ve taken to closing my eyes and imaging my teak bedroom. Waking up and wiping the sleep from my eyes, moving my legs slowly so Lucky and Penny don’t get kicked from their spots on the bed, unfolding myself from the Tesco blanket I’ve had since I moved into my house, walking and then standing at the top of the wooden stairs and looking down into my blue-tiled kitchen.
I see it all so clearly.
Editor’s Note: I recently contributed to a book about volunteer vacations and how to be responsible when choosing one. Details are at the end of this post.
I remember when I first booked my volunteer “vacation” to Thailand. My friends thought I was nuts.
“Who takes time off of work to go and work in a foreign country?” they had all asked me when I announced I was spending one week of my 12-day holiday as a volunteer at Elephant Nature Park (ENP).
I’ve never been one to take conventional vacations, so while everyone else questioned what I was doing, it made sense to me. After learning about ENP and Save Elephant Foundation, and the vital role travelers play in keeping both the foundation and the park alive, I felt it was important to go and give back.
Continue reading “Questions to ask about volunteer vacations”
The older woman with silver cropped hair’s shoes click-clack on the concrete pier as she heads from the water towards the innards of Vernazza. She looks regal, clad in slacks and a blazer.
Then, her shoulders lurch forward. Her hand comes up to her mouth as her cheeks puff out. The tanned skin of her face goes from a rich brown to a pale shade of green.
She’s going to be sick, thanks to opting to traverse Cinque Terre by water ferry.
I stand nervously in my friend, Jodi’s, jungle hut placed perfectly in the heart of Elephant Nature Park. It’s a chilly morning and the sun has just crested the lush triangle mountains surrounding us. Around me, roosters crow, dogs bark and elephants begin their walk from their shelters to the vast sanctuary where they live.
Perhaps the one thing Cinque Terre is most known for — other than the pesto, glorious wines and tiny towns — are the paths tying the five Italian villages together. Varying in difficulty and length, visitors come from the world over, clad in their best gear to experience these world-renowned trails and relish the spectacular views that is Cinque Terre hiking.
D Travels 'Round