Travel-4Less

Adjacent to a major south Florida coastal resort city but still in contact with some semi-rural natural environment is the kayaking available in this part of south Florida at the Richardson Historic Park in the Wilton Manors area. Here you can easily launch from a small wooden landing on either a single or tandem top-seated ocean or touring kayak and make a long three-hour paddle along the Middle River that circles the community of Wilton Manors.
Making the circle around what actually forms the inland island of Wilton Manors is a kayaking encounter into decades of an evolving mix of nature and suburban growth in this region of the U.S. You pass under the small bridges that link to Wilton Manors, and you pass a wide variety of both private dwellings and business bordering the river – from older single-family houses to new ultra-modern structures to apartment buildings and business locations. But it is not all development and human presence – there are plentiful stretches of still open land, and mangrove, palm, and wide-branched trees along the way One seasonal local resident you may glimpse in the water — depending on the timing of your own visit — is the manatee, the strange-looking but friendly mammal also known as the sea cow. Signs posted along the embankment indicate which areas are manatee-favored spots. A more frequent inhabitant is the iguana, which sometimes like to perch way down on the branches of trees overhanging the water.
Other than that, and occasional ducks stopping off for a rest, the Middle River is dark and inky and peaceful, its currents just as gentle as any inland canal with only occasional eddies at some bends that require a minimal extra effort to navigate. The river joins up at one point with the Intracoastal Waterway that leads out to the ocean, but your designated route only takes you in a circular passage around Wilton Manors. Atlantic Coastal Kayak, which is based here for kayak rentals and guided tours, also offers instruction and a number of other kayaking adventures further afield in Fort Lauderdale and around south Florida.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)
This book, by Louis de Bernieres, was so popular that smart producers thought there would be too many purists offended if the prescribed, and very beautiful, main locations weren’t used for the film, so it was filmed on Kefalonia. Most of the filming was done around Sami, a village not too far out of Agia Efirnia, where they put up some fairly major sets around the Hotel Kastro. The Italian camps were built on the beach at Antisamos Bay, and the beaches at Myrtos was also used in a couple of memorable scenes, including the one where the mine is exploded in front of the prostitutes. Horgota beach was used for the scenes with Mandras fishing and the one where Pelagia pushes him into the water. Karavomylos was where the firing squad shots were taken. The remains of the monastery at Ag Fanentes near Sami as well as the monastery of Sia near the sea between the Assos peninsula and Myrtos were also used.
If you’ve been living under a rock and you haven’t heard of the book or film it’s the love story between Captain Corelli (Nicolas Cage), a vivacious, mandolin playing Italian officer – the setting is the Second World War – who’s billeted with the local doctor and falls in love with his daughter, Pelagia (Penelope Cruz). He’s on the wrong side of the war in the end, so there’s some serious soul searching to be done by both parties to reconcile the reality of all the fighting and death.

Many times I have heard it said that Eco-Friendly hotels are always upscale and expensive! Well this article is for all those wanting to be green while on vacation, but don’t want to break their vacation bank. Wandering the green planet, I have found the following 5 Green hotels in Europe to be charming while meeting green standards, and they are well under $350 per night:

1.    England- The Zetter Hotel
Inexpensive yet stylish hotels in London can be very hard to find, but the Zetter Hotel is all of the above. It is located in the fashionable Clerkenwell neighborhood of West End London. This hotel’s restaurant is the cornerstone of a vibrant cultural scene in St John’s Square. They offer modern Mediterranean cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, local seasonal produce. All of the 59 rooms at the Zetter have been individually designed in a quirky vintage-modern style, with state-of-the-art, in-room entertainment and technology. Walk-n Rain dance showers, Ipod docking stations and 4000 free digital music tracks to sample are a nice added touch to these modern rooms. Standard double room rates range from $288 to $338 per night.

2.    Switzerland- Hotel Fidazerh
The Fidazerh is another inexpensive green hotel in Europe. This small, friendly hotel is located in the Ski Alpenarena of Grisons, Switzerland. The rooms are simple yet bright and cozy. They have been renovated in line with ecological construction standards for Switzerland and all rooms have great views from the balcony! On the ground floor, there is the well-being spa called the Prana.  They offer many Auyervedic therapies, massages, and Hydro-baths as well as nutrition consultations. Rooms are offered at $117 per night.

3.   Spain-  Hotel Los Castanos
This is one of my favorite hotels in Europe. It is authentic, traditional and can serve as a great hideaway in the romantic Andalucía area of Spain. The hotel is located on the famous Alto Genal Trail in the Ronda mountain range’s small village of Cartajima. There are 7 well appointed rooms, all ensuite with king bed, organic linens and ecological toiletries. Some rooms offer Hydro massage tubs. There is a roof top terrace where you can have a view with your breakfast and a plunge pool for cooling down in the summertime. Nearby there are great sites to see, such as a Roman amphitheater and Paleolithic decorated caves. Room rates start at  $120 BB per night.

4.   Italy- Hotel Villa Casanova
Villa Casanova considers itself a Bio first-class inn. Located in the trendy Lido Beach area of Venice, it is one of the first green hotels in this romantic city of canals. All the building materials are strictly non-toxic: cork, slaked lime, naturally polished travertino marbles and oil-polished wooden floors. All rooms are fitted with devices for circuit breaking, which offers protection from electromagnetic fields, therefore ensuring a restful, pollution-free environment. The buffet breakfast is healthy and mostly organic. All rooms are decorated in stylish Venetian décor while maintaining modern green standards such as organic cotton linens and toiletries. Room rates start at $130 per night.

5.    Denmark- Hotel Alexandra
Last but not least and located in Copenhagen (near Tivoli Gardens), this Danish Retro design hotel has won many green awards and is a proud member of the coveted Green Key Eco Label. Although this hotel is over 100 years old and located in an historical building, it has modern facilities and green standards to rival many new green hotel chains. This hotel pays special attention to the environment and health issues. The Alexandra is one of the only hotels to boast a 100% allergy friendly floor. Rates start at $200 per night.

We love to travel and we love Europe, so as you can guess, our Best Kept Travel Secrets are Europe-Focused.

Panzano in Chianti

A few years ago, we came across Panzano in Chianti, a tiny Tuscan town with few tourist sights, but with some great places to eat and drink. If you are a foodie, you may have heard of its famous butcher, if not, here’s the scoop:

The town is  built upon a long, narrow street. At the far end is the Church of Santa Maria which was completely renovated more than 100 years ago. At the other end of the town is the Antica Macelleria Cecchini, a butcher shop owned by master butcher (and showman) Dario Cecchini. He descends from a long line of butchers and has recreated an antique-style macelleria on the site of the family shop which was destroyed during the war. He is an excellent cook, and has done a lot to promote Panzano and traditional Italian food. His shop is a tourist attraction as well as a place to buy unusual cuts of fresh and prepared meats. When you arrive, if you can get past the mob at the door, you will be offered a sample of fine Chianti wine from Dario’s own vineyard, as well as samples of his sausage, olive oil, bread, “tuscan butter” and whatever he is offering that day. People come from all over to taste his meat and porchetta.

Dario has also opened a restaurant, Solociccio, that serves several courses of, you guessed it, meat. The dinners are  served family style at tables seating 12. It is open for two seatings Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7 to 9 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 3 p.m. Reservations highly recommended.
Via Chiantigiana 5
Panzano in Chianti0
11-39-055-852-727.

Directly across the street is a wonderful wine bar, Enoteca Baldi, where we enjoyed a great lunch and a nice visit with the friendly owners.
Piazza Bucciarelli, 25, Panzano in Chianti; 011-39-055-852-843

Market Day
Panzano in Chianti hosts a well attended market every Sunday morning until 1 pm in the main square (Piazza Bucciarelli). You’ll find flowers, vegetables, cheese, fruit, roasted chicken, clothes, hardware and more. All shops in Panzano in Chianti are open on Sunday until 1 p.m.

Vino al Vino
This  wine festival is held on the third weekend in September  in the main square of Panzano (Piazza Bucciarelli). Wine from many of the Panzano wineries is available for sampling and you will surely enjoy the  fine, festive atmosphere accompanied by live music on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
-Terri Fogarty

Erfurt, Germany

Have you heard of Erfurt, Germany? We hadn’t until doing a tour of Germany a couple of years ago. Erfurt is a beautiful, culturally rich city, set smack dab in the center of Germany. The capital of Germany’s Thuringia region, Erfurt boasts one of the best preserved historic centers in Germany. The old town is built around the Dom Platz, a huge square dominated by the Cathedral of  St. Mary ( Mariendom) and the St. Severus Church (Severi-Kirche), a former Benedictine Abbey. The Rathaus (City Hall)  is located on Fischmarkt square and is really worth touring. The interior is decorated with historical frescoes depicting the lives of Martin Luther (who lived in Erfurt for awhile)  and others. And the Anger Museum, partially closed for restoration at this time, houses a collection of important German paintings.

While we spent a full two-plus days in this charming, historically significant city, we were not able to see and do all that we want. We only scratched the surface and look forward to a return visit to Erfurt.
– Terri Fogarty

Cerbere, France

On our way back to the Netherlands from a trip to Spain, my friend and I narrowly missed our connecting train in Cerbere, France (Languedoc Roussillon region). All we wanted to do was get home, but the next train wasn’t for a few hours. Tired and disoriented, we wandered towards the sparkling blue water that caught our eye beyond the train tracks. Always up for an adventure, we decided to follow a narrow trail etched into the side of a cliff along the shallow water, which to our surprise, led to a stunning little cove resembling a small lagoon. It was a gorgeous day, and after swimming in the cove we picnicked on some sunny rocks. Munching on fresh sandwiches, we smiled at each other as we realized that missing our train was surely worth this delightful detour.
– Mike Coletta

Why I love the street musicians in Europe:

January, 1999:  I’m 19 years old and in Paris for the first time. As I scuttle down into the Metro to escape the  winter wind, I hear the strains of an accordionist playing Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose.” I am transfixed and my love affair with Paris and the street musicians in Europe begins.

May, 2001: After a great evening with friends, I slip out of a wine bar in Cannes and into the warm evening air. As I walk toward my hotel, I hear a lone sax player’s riffs filling the night’s silence.

October, 2008: My husband and I enter London’s Tube as the sounds produced by a classically trained violinist fill the station. As we turn the corner, we see a bundled up elderly gentleman playing his heart out.

October 13, 2009: I’m on the U2 line in Berlin with my sister. Two bearded men, one toting a guitar and the other an accordion, hop onto our car and start playing a Beatles medley (to which we sing along). As they leave, I lean over to Annie and say “We’re on the U2 line, do you think that’s what the band is named after? If a street musician gets on this car at the next stop and plays ‘Beautiful Day,’ I’ll give them 50 Euros.” The doors open and two more gentlemen with guitars get on. “Do you take requests?” Annie smirks.

As I reflect on my many European travels, these simple moments remain vivid in my memory. Street musicians are a part of everyday life in most major European cities. While I’ve heard my fair share of less than talented street performers, they seem to be the exception that proves the rule.  From what I’ve discovered during my conversations with dozens of street musicians throughout the years, most are self-taught (or have learned their skills from family members) and some are classically trained musicians.

Many famous European musicians started out as street performers. Perhaps the most renowned (at least in France) is Edith Piaf. As the story goes, she was born on the streets of Paris to a 17-year-old mother who worked as a café singer and a father who was a street acrobat. After her mother abandoned her, she performed on the streets of Paris with her father for a while and eventually went to live with her paternal grandmother. She was a teenager working as a street performer in 1935 when Louis Leplée, the owner of a popular Paris nightclub called Le Gerny, discovered Piaf and gave her the opportunity to perform in his club (which marked the beginning of Piaf’s long and prosperous career as an international chanteuse).

To tell you the truth, I’ve often fantasized about working as a street musician in Europe. Too bad my accordion skills aren’t quite up to snuff….yet.

German beer has taken on a mythical quality both within that country and across the world. Many non-German beers claim to be brewed based on the specifications of the Reinheitsgebot ( or purity law), a beer regulatory standard in place since the fifteenth century. Many people have taken to very specific types of German beers such as Weißbier, Pilsener or Bock, and tried to convince others they are versed in the ways of German beer drinkers. Despite the almost over-saturation of these traditional and beloved beers, true German brews continue to command the utmost respect around the world as reflected in the following guide to German beer.

Most German beers can fit into one of two overarching categories: top-fermenting and bottom-fermenting. Most of the top-fermenting varieties are known to Americans as wheat beers, or Weißbiers. These beers are created in Germany through the process of mixing wheat to barley malt, forming the lighter color and lesser intensity. Also well known are the Hefeweizens, which are simply unfiltered wheat beers.

Many Americans will be familiar with brands such as Franziskaner (based in Munich), Schneider Weisse (also in Munich) and Maisel’s Weisse (from Bayreuth in Northern Bavaria). These fine Weißbiers can usually be found in groceries and often times on draught at bars and pubs. While each is certainly different from the other in many ways, these familiar Weißbiers are all lighter in color and taste and come with a frothy head that is produced from the specific yeasts involved in the brewing process. Versions of Weißbiers from cities like Berlin and Leipzig tend toward the sour side and are sometimes consumed with fruit syrups.

Bottom-fermenting beers produce more full-bodied varieties and a much wider spectrum of tastes and colors. From Helles (pale, malty Bavarian brews), Pilsener (a hoppy, pale lager) and Bock (amber, heavy lagers), the bottom-fermented beers are distinct because their yeasts produce more sugars while fermenting. Those sugars leave the brews crisp and cleaner than their Weißbier counterparts.

Pilseners are by far the most popular beers within Germany and are very well known even in the States. König, Warsteiner, Bitburger and Beck’s are available anywhere in America but do differ from their Czech counterparts in that they are slightly more bitter. Perhaps more famous in the States, though not necessarily under their German name, are the Helles beers.  Löwenbräu, Hofbräu and Spaten are probably three of the best-known German brands (though Hacker-Pschorr and Weihenstephaner also make excellent Helles). Americans usually just refer to these lighter beers as lagers, but they are more specified within Germany.

Finally, Bocks are growing in popularity Stateside, but have long been favorites in Germany, particularly in their origins in the northern part of the country. These stronger and often darker colored lagers are often less hoppy and clear, despite their rich colors. Newer versions of the traditional Bock have come out of varying seasons and regions. Maibocks (or May Bocks) come in paler colors and with a malty flavor. Doppelbocks, natives of Bavaria, are gaining prominence in America as beer enthusiasts have enjoyed Spaten’s Optimator, Ayinger’s Celebrator and Weihenstephaner’s Korbinian in recent years. Dopplebocks (or double Bocks) typically have higher alcohol content as well as the expected malty flavors.

Of course many more German varieties are available both in the States and anywhere in Germany. Often, German beers find their way to America in bottles, which is certainly not the best way to enjoy the wonderful choices available to the German resident or traveler in the country. So as always, for the best in tastes and options, spend time trying some of the thousands of beers when visiting Germany.

Bimini is the westernmost of the Bahamas, and by night you can also view the distant lights of the Florida coast, but for all that Bimini and its own shorelines retain a very definite sense of individual history, legend and character. Actually composed of several adjacent islands, together they have provided the location for both mythical and real enough events and personalities, ranging from the lost city of Atlantis to the Fountain of Youth, to the ocean depths of big game fishing which Ernest Hemingway based some of his novels on and generations of anglers have favored ever since. Add to all that the past centuries of rum runners, pirates and other sea-faring characters that have navigated in and out of Bimini, and you can truly feel yourself among fascinating presences here while out on a kayak.
South Bimini has the best established eco-touring and kayaking options. This area is an interconnecting maze of shallow ponds, creeks and lagoons. The narrow channels allow you to paddle up close to the embankments of heavy growth and mangrove, which provide home or resting place to a variety of bird life large and small. On East Bimini, you can get close to the site of the Healing Hole, another spot with much local legend attached to it. The so-called flats of Bimini are a pleasure for their crystal and smooth surfaces, where you can glimpse the darting bonefish or occasional tarpon. Bring bottled water, sunscreen, and if you need a guided tour this is also available locally.

Free access to the treasures of the world is the splendid gift offered every visitor to the British Museum. When you pass through the Greek-temple facade in the Bloomsbury district, you’re entering a shrine to human endeavor, history and art.  Some 7 million objects from all continents are exhibited in the museum, showing human culture from pre-historic times to the present.

Those who revel in the wonders of the museum can thank Sir Hans Sloane. Sir Hans, who lived from 1660 to 1753, was a noted physician who’d been collecting curiosities and plants since childhood.  He found hundreds of items during his travels and carefully cataloged them. (He also brought drinking chocolate to England after finding cocoa in Jamaica. The drink he created was first sold by London apothecaries as a medicine.)

Sir Hans Sloane bequeathed his collection of books, dried plants, prints, Oriental antiquities, and much more to England; and with King George II’s royal library it became the start of the British Museum, in 1759.  Since then, the museum has continually expanded. The most recent development is the spacious, glass-roofed Great Court, built in 2000 to surround the Reading Room. The Reading Room holds some 25,000 books focusing on world cultures and is currently used for temporary exhibitions.

British Museum Highlights

There is so much to see in the British Museum, it helps to have a list of highlights for your first visit. Here are just a few:

Rosetta Stone
This 45-inch standing stone has profound historic importance. Carved in 196 BCE in Egypt, and discovered in 1799, it was the key to understanding hieroglyphs and the language of the ancients.

Mummies
The largest collection of Egyptian mummies outside Cairo.

Assyrian Winged Bull
A colossal statue of a winged bull with a bearded human head, it is 16 tons of alabaster.  It once guarded the fortress of King Sargon II in ancient Assyria.

Tomb of Ur helmet
A gold helmet from Mesopotamia, dating from about 2600 BCE.

Lewis Chessmen
These 12th century figures, carved from walrus ivory, are probably from Scandinavia. They date from the 12th century.

Easter Island Statue
Hoa Hakananai’a, set on a platform, towers over visitors. This basalt statue is haunting in its mystery and expression. It dates from 1000 CE.

Thousands of other objects are displayed in the various sections. In the Americas area, you will find intricate mosaic masks, drums,  pottery vessels, feather bonnets, and delicate gold pendants.  The Egypt rooms hold the immense bust of Rameses II, tomb paintings, papyrus calendars, and mummies of cats and crocodiles.  Objects of jade, bronze, silk and ceramics fill the China rooms.  There’s a money gallery holding one of the world’s great collections of coins and notes. Curled in a dim corner lies Lindow Man, a body 2000 years old, preserved in a peat bog and looking like preserved leather.

Controversy surrounds several displays, such as the Elgin Marbles, which were taken from the Parthenon in Athens. Greece wants its historic monuments returned and so do some other countries.

The British Museum is located on Great Russell Street in Bloomsbury. It is open 10 am. to 5:30 pm (8:30 pm on Thursdays and Fridays). It’s open daily except January 1; the Friday before Easter; and December 24, 25 and 26. Admission is free except for some special exhibitions. There are several cafes in the museum

The nasty weather in the UK through Christmas and the New Year meant many travellers plans were disrupted, with flights delayed or cancelled. There’s not a great deal you can do about the weather but I wish our airports and public transport in general could cope with the bad weather; it is winter after all.

Airline tricks and unhelpful customer support

As you can imagine my inbox was full of stories from consumers, many asking if they were entitled to compensation for being delayed or their flight cancelled. To be honest I was shocked at the types of tricks that the airlines used and how unhelpful some of them were.

I read stories of passengers being delayed for 18 hours, without any assistance from the airline. I shouldn’t write this because it’s going to happen to me now, but I have never been delayed for more than 30 minutes. I’ve put that down to good luck more than anything else.

I remember dreading my flight home from Hobart via Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, hoping that all my connections were on time.

Airlines avoiding their responsibilities

At the moment I am writing a guide about passenger’s entitlements to compensation and assistance when a flight has been delayed or cancelled so I won’t go into the detail here, other than to say that the airlines flying into the EU should be aware of their responsibilities through EC Regulation No 261/2004.

So, what was your worst flight delay and did the airline assist or compensate you?

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Consumer Blog.

Share your worst airline flight delays

Kitesurfing Playa Mendoza, February 16-20/2009.
I decided to write this comment in English so everyone from abroad can also understand it. I was on holidays in Colombia, and I happen to have family in Barranquilla, I had no idea that there were kitesurf lessons there, and my Spanish girlfriend was the one to find out after a search. The day came, we met David and his assistant Andres, the first impression was great, we were picked up at home by them and taken to the beach, the price for the lessons included the kite, ride, sun, empty beach (perfect for beginners) and lots of wind not to mention the nice music in the car…David can also get you one of those shirts to protect you from the sun, really cool.
The lessons began, and the wind was hard…it was my first time, small kite, potente viento, controlarla? Was so easy with David lessons and instructions, in 3 lessons I advanced to a 7m kite, which really opened my eyes at the beginning, as the adrenaline kept pumping in….David is a really coold instructor, full of patience and super tranquilo! I strongly recommend having lessons with this fit instructor…that certainly found his passion, not only for kitesurfing but also for teaching.