When my daughter and I traveled to St. Martin, we went to Tijon Perfumery, the only place in the Caribbean where you can make your own fragrance. It was an amazing day where we learned so much. You can read all about it on GoGirlfriend where I described our day and shared some photos. I would love it if you could pop over and read about it. It was a once a in a lifetime event (and it had kind of a surprise ending for me!).

When my daughter and I traveled to St. Martin, we went to Tijon Perfumery, the only place in the Caribbean where you can make your own fragrance. It was an amazing day where we learned so much. You can read all about it on GoGirlfriend where I described our day and shared some photos. I … Read more →

One of things you realize about America when you travel abroad is that it really is the New World. What we think of as old is practically yesterday in Europe. It’s not until you walk in castles or colosseums built before Europeans set foot in or imagined America that you get a sense of how recent everything on our continent is.

After visiting England, Scotland, and Italy, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of this. Knights and gladiators were something I could visualize. And then we went to Newgrange in Ireland. I had never heard of Newgrange until I began researching our trip, but my History

Channel-watching son knew all about it. Located about half an hour north of Dublin, Newgrange is a passage tomb built more than 5000 years ago. Think about that. 5000 years.

3000 years before the birth of Christ (and we think the Liberty Bell is old). I can’t even imagine what life was like then and we have no historical events we can tie it to. It’s practically forever ago.

A passage tomb is a tomb characterized by a long passage with a burial chamber, all underground, usually made of stone.

Getting There

To get to Newgrange, you must go to the Brú na Bóinne Visitors’ Center and take a guided tour to the site. The visitors’ center also has tours to Knowth, a similar passage tomb. We had our own vehicle and drove up from Dublin. You can also arrange for a day tour that will take you to the visitor’s center from Dublin. Our GPS was not very helpful in finding this, so I highly recommend you take down the GPS coordinates that are on the official site.

The Visitor’s Center is located in the middle of nowhere. You wouldn’t think you were going anywhere well known as you zig and zag down some one lane country roads. Eventually you see a little sign and pull into the parking lot. This was one of the parking lots on our trip that made me nervous about the safety of our possessions (all of our luggage was in the van). There are signs warning not to leave anything valuable in the car due to frequent break-ins (why then is there no security or video surveillance?). Some parts of the lot are far away and ringed with vegetation, making some cars not very visible. To add to my worry, the lot is not directly next to the center; you must walk along a covered path to get there. My wonderful husband found a spot directly next to the path and backed the van up so that the back door was almost directly against a small hill (making it impossible to open), so that I was able to breathe and not worry incessantly about the car.

Despite warnings in my guide book that tours fill up quickly, with the entire day often sold

out by 10 am, when we arrived around 10 am on an August Friday, there were very few visitors and we were scheduled for the next tour which left in ten minutes.

To get to the tour bus, you must walk across a bridge over a perfect gurgling river and through some woods to a little bus stop where 4 shuttle buses take visitors to and from the sites. Everyone who worked here was friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Welcome to the Past

We hopped on the shuttle and it drove down more country roads, past farms (interestingly, there is a town called Drogheda here we passed signs for – if you’ve ever read The Thorn Birds, you know this was the name of the sheep farm in the book) and sheep until it pulled up in front of the Newgrange site. Visitors get off the bus and gather at a small building where the tour guide meets you. This was all very casual – no lines, no big groups of people. At the top of the hill is the

imposing tomb. This does not look like a prehistoric site. It looks like a newly constructed bunker.

Our guide led us to the opening of the tomb where she pointed out the rocks with the symbols made by the people who created the tomb. These are beautiful symbols, but no one knows for sure what they mean. The outside of the tomb has been repaired and the entrance has been made more accessible with some stairs. Our guide talked to us about the people who built this tomb and pointed out that the countryside in this area is littered with these types of tombs (in my photo below, you can see a small bump in the middle of a sheep pasture – that is another tomb), although Newgrange is the largest. Most have not been excavated because there are simply too many. The tombs seem to not only be

for burial but also for memorial and as a way of marking territory or areas, as well as for possible religious reasons.

Our group was divided in half for entry into the tomb because although the outdoor structure is gigantic, the inside of the tomb is actually very small. She explained that the passageway is very narrow and instructed us that we had to take all bags and purses off our shoulders and carry them near the ground, where the widest part of the tomb is (I imagine this is the case since they slid or rolled stones in along the floor). Both my son and I, who are none too fond of enclosed spaces, were slightly nervous about going in, but I’m not about to

let some irrational fear stop me from seeing something made 5000 years ago! We entered the tomb single file, ducking to get in. It starts out pretty comfortably but as you move through, there a couple of spaces where you wonder “Am I going to fit?” as you duck and turn sideways. I kept telling myself all the people in front of me had managed and I could too. Before you know it, you are into the open part of the tomb and you can breathe. It’s actually a very short passageway and I think most people would have no trouble physically fitting or mentally coping.

Entering a Mystical Space

The inside is magnificent (and no photos were allowed so you will have to let my words show you). The narrow hallway opens up into a round center section where our group of 15 were able to stand comfortably. The roof above our heads was rounded and made up of gradually layered stones, climbing around and around, up to the ceiling. It had a beehive feel to it and was a very high ceiling, possibly 20 feet high or more at the center. Our guide told us that this portion of the tomb has been untouched and unrestored. Construction that has lasted more than 5000 years is astounding to see. If only the roof on my house could last this long.

Off of the center section, there are three small little cubbies. Each one has what looks like a giant shallow stone bowl sitting on stones. This is where the remains were placed. There are carvings and symbols on the walls.

Seeing the Light

This tomb goes beyond burial. It also has astronomical significance. At sunrise on the winter solstice and only then, the sun shines directly through an opening above the door and completely illuminates the inside of the tomb (there is a lottery to win tickets to be present for this event). Or guide first turned off the artificial lights so we could experience what the tomb is naturally like on a normal day and it was astounding to be in such complete and utter darkness. If you think about it, we are almost never in total darkness. When we turn off the lights in our homes there are alarm clocks, DVRs, and appliances with displays shining, not to mention the street lights and light from our neighbors. Even if you go into the forest or desert at night, there is light from the moon and stars. The inside of this tomb has absolutely no light. The darkness is heavy, rich, and velvety. Then our guide turned on an artificial light that recreates the rise of the sun on the solstice. It was simply magical to see and feel the light moving through the tomb. It filled the space with vibrancy and life. It is very clear that this moment once a year had a deep significance to the people who built this tomb. I could imagine what it would have been like to be there for this highly awaited event and feel the power of the sun that had somehow been captured by humans.

In that tomb, I felt deeply connected to these ancestors who had a necessary connection to the sun and rhythm of nature. It is hard to imagine that people who themselves lived in dwellings that did not last could build something so huge and magnificent to honor their dead and to be connected to the universe. The amount of resources, energy, and time that were put into creating this tomb is truly difficult to grasp, given their technology and the harshness of their lives.

We came out of the tomb and walked around it while the second half of our group went inside. There is a beautiful 360 view of the green rolling countryside from the tomb’s hill and I could imagine a group of people looking out and thinking “all of this is ours and we have put this marker here so everyone will know.”

Back to Reality

The shuttle took us back to the visitor’s center where I again realized that perhaps my true calling in life is to be a merchandiser for gift shops. The selections were not great. First of all, you’ve got to have a great t-shirt and a really good magnet (please – no more of the rectangular magnets with just a boring photo of the location) at major historical sites. There were stunning and moving designs on the outside and inside of the tomb – I would have expected jewelry, art, and other items depicting these.  There were some local artists set up inside the center center selling their work, but none of it impressed or excited me – it had no connection to what we saw or to the countryside. So while I can’t whole-heartedly endorse the gift shop, I will tell you that the memories you will bring home from Newgrange are better than anything you could buy.

 

One of things you realize about America when you travel abroad is that it really is the New World. What we think of as old is practically yesterday in Europe. It’s not until you walk in castles or colosseums built before Europeans set foot in or imagined America that you get a sense of how … Read more →

I can find an excuse to eat chocolate just about everywhere I go, and Paris is no exception. Choco-Story, the museum of chocolate made it pretty easy for me. Located on the Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, right in front of the Bonne Nouvelle Metro Station, this museum was easy to find. It doesn’t compare on the outside to the other grand museums you will likely visit while in Paris, but it’s bigger than it looks. The museum is three stories and at 9 Euro a person it is well worth a visit for anyone who enjoys chocolate.

This museum pays special attention to the littlest visitors. Each exhibit has a child’s level explanation in Lego (I adored these little Lego dioramas that illustrated the point of the main exhibit) with simple text for the youngest visitors.

The main gist of the museum is to guide you through the development and 4000 year history of

chocolate. Chocolate originated with the Mayans, who used it as an unsweetened hot drink only allowed to the nobility. You follow the history of chocolate as it is used by the Aztec, then comes to Europe and the colonies. The museum has an astounding amount of information and displays. You could easily spend an afternoon here if you wanted to read everything (and there are English translations of just about everything).

In addition to learning about how chocolate has been used in different cultures, you can see the actual plant and pods and learn how it grows, is processed, and cooked with. Cacao was not only used as food, but also as a monetary system (personally I would have no problem with being paid in chocolate!). Detailed exhibits explain

how chocolate has been prepared through the ages. Recipes are posted for visitors’ use as well.

The third floor of the museum has displays that pertain to current and mainly American use of chocolate (are they trying to say something?). The huge display of beautiful chocolate pots and cups fascinated me. Chocolate molds reminded me of the ones my father-in-law used to use. You’ll also see some chocolate advertisements.

The basement of the museum (which is the last part of the visit) contains some videos, but also has an interactive computer quiz you can take that assesses your tastes and recommends a type of chocolate and a country of origin for it that you are

most likely to enjoy. Everyone in my family loved this part of the museum.

Also in the basement is the chocolate making demonstration. We were very interested to go to this, but it was a huge disappointment unfortunately. The chef leading the demonstration spoke in rapid fire French. Someone in the audience asked if he could speak “En Anglais, s’il vois plait” also. He slowed down for a moment to say he was also speaking English and then proceeded to continue speaking in an fast and indecipherable way – presumably in French and a very heavy English accent. No one had a clue as to what he was saying. The demonstration began with samples of different types of chocolate. Then the chef turned on a machine that poured melted

chocolate into a mold. He put it in the refrigerator, pulled out one that had already chilled and dumped the chocolate out. This was the entire demonstration. In my book, that’s not making chocolate, it’s just molding chocolate. There were more samples at the end which kept us quiet. It’s hard to complain when your mouth is full.

After we had explored the museum, our path led us to the gift shop (always my favorite part of a visit to a museum). We bought different types of chocolate to bring home (white chocolate for the husband, dark orange chocolate for me and dark chocolate for my daughter). At the conclusion of the visit, you get a cup of hot chocolate in the flavor of your choice. There are about 8 different flavors to choose from. One was traditional Mexican with chile in it. White chocolate, hazelnut, dark chocolate, and orange chocolate

were all options. You are handed a cup of hot milk and a piece of chocolate on a stick. You swirl it in the chocolate until it melts. There’s just one small bench to sit on and enjoy this, but there are some public benches in front of the museum if you can’t find a spot.

This was a sweet ending to a fun afternoon for us. When we visited on an August weekday, the museum was not crowded at all. This is not on most people’s radar, so at this point, it’s still a hidden gem you can enjoy without crowds.

I can find an excuse to eat chocolate just about everywhere I go, and Paris is no exception. Choco-Story, the museum of chocolate made it pretty easy for me. Located on the Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, right in front of the Bonne Nouvelle Metro Station, this museum was easy to find. It doesn’t compare on the … Read more →

My grandfather, Raymond Francis McWhorter, fought in World War II. He did not come ashore at Normandy, but he was part of the war effort in France and Italy. He lied about his age to be able to enlist. My father was born while he was away and didn’t meet him until he was a year old. Fortunately, my grandfather survived the war without injuries. He didn’t tell me much about it, other than how beautiful Paris was, even though he saw it without lights.  I had the sense that the war weighed heavily on him.

When our family planned a trip to France, Normandy seemed like a good destination. We were planning to visit Paris and Versailles. I wanted to see Monet’s Garden, so why not continue east to Normandy (my son has an interest in history and it seemed like something we should see). And so we did. I’ll be sharing our other adventures along the way, but today I

want to share about Omaha Beach.

The Beach

I did a lot of reading before we went, trying to decide exactly which beach we should go to. Ultimately I chose Omaha because it was the center of the action for Americans. We arrived at the beach at about 9 am on a week day morning. There is a small parking lot across the street which was completely empty. We walked across the street to the beach. It was a cloudy morning with a cool breeze,which felt appropriate.  The beach is a long, beautiful sandy beach. There are some houses, but I wouldn’t call it developed. There was one man walking a dog. Far down the beach there were some boats being launched (people drive their boats onto

the beach, dump them on the sand off the trailer, then wait for the tide to come in). Mostly though it was simply quiet except for the surf and the wind.

There is a large abstract metal sculpture on the beach that is roped off. There are a few plaques facing the beach and a concrete memorial just next to the sand. Frankly, given the enormity of what happened here, it is all extremely understated. If the Americans hadn’t landed on that shore it would be part of Germany not France.

Honestly, there isn’t much to see with your eyes here, instead it’s all about seeing with your mind’s eye and your heart. We stood on that beach and looked out to sea and imagined all the boats that filled the horizon. Then we turned and looked at the cliffs where the Germans were entrenched. We thought about the men who first set foot on the sand and the many who died on that sand or in that water. It is a

place that echoes with bravery, sadness, and silent pride. Although my grandfather didn’t land on this beach, boys like him did and I thought about them as I stood there and tried to feel their determination, their fear, and their victory. If you listen carefully, you can connect to the sounds of that day and breath the emotions that were in the air.

This definitely ranks on my list of “woo-woo” places, locations that somehow speak to me and connect me with the spirit of the people who were there. It is eerie and it is haunting, but it is also simply achingly beautiful. A perfect untouched beach that was once the scene of something incredible.

The Museum

There is a small World War II museum just across the street from the beach. We were the

first visitors of the day. This was about as low tech a museum as you can get. There are cases showing photos of life before the occupation and life during the occupation. Mannequins in German uniforms stand among German equipment. Cases hold their hats, their letters, their belongings. They were real people too, caught in a war they might not have chosen. That was something I definitely felt here.

As we moved along we saw American mannequins in their uniforms, with tents, equipment, jeeps, guns and more. Cases hold their letters, their photos and their belongings. The part of the museum that had the greatest impression on us was the models of the military action. A diorama showed all the ships that were in the harbor. There were more than could be counted. This brought home

the enormity of the work involved in that day. I walked away imagining my grandfather’s face on those mannequins, sleeping in those tents, and riding in those jeeps.

The Cemetery

Next we drove down the road to the American Cemetery. I had read on the State Department web site that there is an alert out to American travelers that many cars are broken into in the parking lot and the you are advised not to leave anything in your car. This made me paranoid, so we left our luggage at the hotel that morning after we checked out and then backtracked 20 minutes to get it after our visit (our car was untouched fortunately). I can see how this would be a prime spot for theft. The lot has a lot of trees and

shrubs between cars. And many people who come here are in an emotional state. (This was also a wake up call to me: for much of our trip we would be traveling with a car full of luggage, so my husband always parked carefully in highly visible areas and we made sure the luggage was always covered with blankets.)

We pulled in the lot at the cemetery and my son reminded us that we were on American territory here (a piece of home in a country far away – I knew I was in America when I used the bathroom and it wasn’t a hole in the ground as it is through much of rural France). We got out of our car and walked past the visitors’ center. The ocean is in front of you as you walk towards the cliff edge and its blue is almost overwhelming in intensity.  There are an insane (really and truly insane) amount of stairs down to the beach here, and it would take hours to go down and up. Instead, we followed the path to the cemetery. At one

point, the path curves and ahead of you is the other ocean – the ocean of grave markers. There are more than 9,000 graves (actual graves, not markers for people who aren’t there) here.  They are all white marble and the ones we saw were either crosses or stars of David (are there no soldiers of other religions buried here I wonder?). The cemetery is marked with discrete row numbers and each grave has a number, otherwise you could get lost. There were some people there bringing flowers to graves. Mostly the cemetery was rather empty and quiet.

This was a place that was hard to visit. It was deeply, overwhelming sad to be there. I felt no triumph, no victory here, only grief. I tried to imagine a young man standing at each marker and it was a very difficult visual. All the families, wives, children, and girlfriends who had someone buried here were somehow there too and their sadness permeated the place.

I ran my hand across some of the markers and read some of the names. The smoothness of the markers belie the sharp emotions of this place.

There is a lovely memorial that has maps of the D-Day invasion and a calming pond with lilies near it. It didn’t take the edge off the place or make it any better. It was a very difficult place to visit, but one I am glad I had the opportunity to see.

This was the most somber morning of our trip, but one we will remember for a long time.

My grandfather, Raymond Francis McWhorter, fought in World War II. He did not come ashore at Normandy, but he was part of the war effort in France and Italy. He lied about his age to be able to enlist. My father was born while he was away and didn’t meet him until he was a … Read more →

Ireland is populated with incredible castles almost everywhere you turn. There are tourist attractions (like Blarney Castle which we visited), castles people actually still live in and ruins just sitting in fields. “Yeah, that’s the castle in my backyard.” I think that if you live there you are immune to their magnificence, their stories, and their draw. I live near Niagara Falls and while I can appreciate its power and beauty, it is nothing I wonder at. Since I don’t happen to have a castle in my backyard, we spent a lot of time in Ireland in castles. There are big castles, small castles, dilapidated castles, and luxurious castles to choose from. While I knew we would be tromping through

plenty of them, what I really wanted was to sleep in one. I might not have Rapunzel’s hair to let down, but what girl didn’t grow up fantasizing just a wee bit about handsome princes, drawbridges, and turrets?

Hello Dromoland

We decided to stay at Dromoland Castle in County Clare outside Newmarket-on-Fergus. This is in southwest Ireland. It is slightly in the middle of nowhere, but the middle of nowhere is quite relative in Ireland

since everything is so close together. It’s located near  enough to the Cliffs of Moher, the bogs, the Burren, and Limerick to make it a jumping off spot for those places. It’s also located near the tourist craziness of Bunratty Castle, a Disney-fied version of castle life (we avoided this stop!).

Our GPS had a little trouble finding Dromoland, but eventually we pulled into the driveway, which winds its way past the gates, by an abandoned guard house, and through a green golf course, past a small lake and then – gasp – in front of you is a huge, gray,

imposing castle. It’s everything you could imagine a castle to be, with turrets and huge stone blocks, sitting on a giant estate. As you drive closer you find yourself asking in wonder, “Am I really going to stay HERE?”

You pull the car up to the imposing steps at the entrance and a friendly gentleman in a morning coat rushes out to unload your bags and welcome you. He shook hands with all four of us, even my teenage son, and managed to contain himself at the sheer ridiculous volume of our luggage. A

walk up the steps brings you face to face with the huge wooden double doors that look like they’ve kept out Attila the Hun. Once through the doors, two suits of armor let you know you are indeed in a castle. The lobby was small but regal, with a huge table with a guest book, a few chairs and lots of red. We found the desk staff to be friendly and welcoming.

The Rooms

As you head to your room, you leave the definitive castle feel of the lobby and enter hallways built at odd angles with steps up and down at unexpected places. It’s clear the whole place has been retrofitted to meet modern expectations. When the door swung open on one of our two connecting rooms, I caught my breath for a moment. There no stone walls with torches here. Instead, you find yourself in a large, comfortable room that feels

elegant, regal, and comfortable. Since I am a girl of the 80s, I was enchanted with the pastel color scheme, including the creamy white furniture, delicate wallpaper and soft draperies. A dressing table that had electric outlets conveniently located with it made getting dressed a real joy. There was also a sitting room and a large armoir in addition to the bed, nightstands, and a bench. There are no TVs.

Our windows looked out on the lake. The bathrooms were huge and thoroughly modern with double sinks, towel warmers, and marble. This may have been the most comfortable place we stayed in all of Ireland. The beds were perfect, in contract to the boxes

of plywood we encountered elsewhere.

There was no air conditioning, but with the windows cracked just a bit (no screens though!), we were completely comfortable on our August stay. A lovely little breeze brought us the perfect amount of coolness to feel comfortable. I also suspect the thick stone walls keep the inside quite cool.

Turn down service involved chocolates (by this point I was over the moon) and a little engraved card reading “In Ireland there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met before.” That is precisely how this room made me feel

– welcomed, cherished and pampered.

The Grounds

While the rooms were enough to make me want to stay inside, the lure of the grounds got me on my feet.  The castle is surrounded by acres and acres of lawns and woodlands for guests to explore. While the golf course (with a little putting green available for guests at no charge) takes up a lot of space, it felt like a tiny fraction of the estate. We wandered to the walled rose garden which had a water feature, a pergola,

lawns, and flowers. It was peaceful and fragrant, a place to linger.

Our next adventure involved the lake. The castle has rowboats, life jackets, and fishing poles available for guests at no charge. It was a tad inconvenient to have to walk over to the golf course clubhouse to get the equipment and the go-ahead to take a rowboat (can you tell by this point I truly felt like a princess – why couldn’t my footmen handle this terribly inconvenient chore?) then we headed back to the lake. The rowboats were

quite large and our family of 4 fit well. My husband used to row crew, so he was quite comfortable behind the oars, rowing us all around the lake. The staff assured us the lake was stocked with fish, but had no bait for the poles, only lures called “spinners.” We dropped our lines throughout that lake and didn’t get a single bite, but it was simply perfect to be floating on a row boat on a quite, glassy lake with this huge castle looming over us. A few swans floated silently, avoiding us at all costs. We happened to go boating in the late afternoon when

Ireland becomes oddly warm (dare I say almost hot) for a few minutes between 4 and 6 pm in the late summer, so we enjoyed our quiet time floating in the warm sun, knowing we were going to be sleeping in a castle.

The castle provided us with a map of the grounds, so we couldn’t resist heading out into the woods to look for the small Roman temple, lily pond, and river. The only thing that disappointed was the river which was mostly a dried up ditch. We passed some people taking archery lessons

and a family heading out for a falconry experience (we did this elsewhere in Ireland and I’ll be writing about that separately). Skeet shooting and horseback riding are also available. The castle has a fitness center in the golf club with a pool, but we were too lazy to have to walk across the grounds to use it.

The gift shop was a major disappointment. They had a few golf shirts with the name of the property on them, a few baby items, some books, some candy and that was about it. I’m not a millionaire who is jaded about staying at 5 star properties so I was really hoping to buy something with the castle logo on it, but clearly that marks me as “not one of us.” (I did smuggle home the paper coaster in my room that has an outline of the castle with its name).

Breakfast

Breakfast was included in our stay (as it was everywhere we stayed in Ireland). We wound our way through many hallways with velvet wallpaper to enter a very formal and imposing dining room with crisp linens, heavy wallpaper and draperies. We were carefully scrutinized by the members of the

Butler family who hang on the walls in portraits, the ancestors who owned Dromoland.

As in much of Ireland, the waitstaff was from other countries (often Poland) imposing a language barrier in a country where you wouldn’t expect one. We found the waitstaff to be a little stiff and unfriendly here. Breakfast was a buffet of fruits, meats, cheeses, and pastries with hot items made to order from the menu (also included). Service was a bit slow we felt. The food was good.

We were sad to pack our bags and leave Dromoland. It’s a perfect place to go and stay for a few days to simply relax. It is not an ideal location as a base for

sightseeing, but staying in a castle is definitely a dream come true. I’ve saved the sticker shock for last. Two rooms for one night with breakfast included cost us $1274 total.  Certainly not a bargain, but for a once in a lifetime experience, it was worth every penny.

 

Ireland is populated with incredible castles almost everywhere you turn. There are tourist attractions (like Blarney Castle which we visited), castles people actually still live in and ruins just sitting in fields. “Yeah, that’s the castle in my backyard.” I think that if you live there you are immune to their magnificence, their stories, and … Read more →

We’re getting ready for our big summer trip. We do a lot of walking on our vacations, so having shoes that don’t hurt is crucial. That is easier to say than to achieve for me. I’ve got wide feet, a high instep, and a Morton’s neuroma (basically a bundle of nerves between the first and second toe inside the foot that screams if it gets squished). I also am at the point in my life where I am simply not ready to suffer for beauty. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to look good, but I’m just not willing to sacrifice comfort for looks. I want a compromise. All of this presents a challenge when finding good travel shoes. Here are my criteria:

• Comes in wide or double wide
• Does not pinch my toes together
• Has a very solid cushion on the ball of the foot
• Is not hard, rigid, rough, or sharp anywhere
• Has some give
• Has room for my high instep
• No heels. I can’t walk in heels
• Offers the comfort of a sneaker without being a sneaker

While this is a long list, you would think it would be achievable, particularly since there are quite a number of companies that now specialize in travel shoes. For some reason Clark’s and Tevas never fit my feet, so I don’t even bother to try those on anymore. Birkenstocks hurt my feet. Dansko clogs are fantastic for standing, but not for walking long distances, so they don’t work for travel for me.

In the past, Propet was my savior. I always buy Propet athletic shoes and those still work for me, but all of their “fun” shoes have been redesigned so now I’ve got issues with them. The past few weeks have seen a flurry of Zappos boxes at my door and I also made a trip to the Easy Spirit store as well as Famous Footwear. I continue to fall into the trap of a shoe that feels fine at home, but when I take a walk, about halfway through I realize it’s not going to work. The result is I still have no shoes I feel 100% comfortable with. This is the tale of 8 shoes. And let me be honest, I know I sound like a crazy, uber-picky lunatic, but there is nothing worse than trying to spend an entire day walking in shoes that hurt or give you blisters.

First off are my trusted white walking sneakers. They’re comfortable and I can go long distances in them. However, I want to look somewhat decent in Paris. Therefore, they are being packed to wear in the countryside but not in the city. Next up are the shoes that saved my butt last summer.

 

These blue shoes are Propet Travel Walkers. I wore these all over Italy. They are lighter than my sneakers, more breathable, and at least are not glaringly white. Fantastic. Except one shoe leaks up through the sole when it rains. So I wanted to buy a new pair.

 

Which brings us to the Propet Travel Walker IIs. Yes, they changed them. I had to order a double wide in this and they made the toe cap a little bigger and of harder plastic (see how it’s shiny?). Therefore, my big toe rubs against it. I am certain I will get a blister if I wear them for a full day of walking.

 

These blue suede shoes were last year’s purchase. They’re comfortable, but aren’t perfect for a full day of walking. The bottom of my foot rubs and gets irritated. I can wear them with one of those little nylon stocking footie things and do ok, but it’s just not ideal.

 

The black Skechers are also from last year. I’ve turned to these shoes when my bad foot really hurts because they are well-formed and keep everything in place. They’re not good for long treks though. Too tight.

 

These black Mary Janes with white soles are Propet shoes. Cute, light, breathable – everything good that the Travel Walker I had, however they have the same toe cap as the Travel Walker II and thus my toe rubs when I walk.

In an attempt to expand my horizons, I ordered these Easy Spirit Escape shoes. They had everything I wanted. I wore them around the house for a day and was pleased. Then I wore them on a walk and I realized that in the right shoe (my problem foot) the inside of the toe part of the shoe is coming apart, so it catches my big toe and pulls. Only the right shoe is defective. Unfortunately, by the time I realized this, I could not get a replacement in time. Interestingly, the shoes that Zappos sells are apparently old styles because this is no longer sold at my local Easy Spirit store.

 

I went to the Easy Spirit store anyhow, hoping to find something – anything. My apologies to the saleswoman who brought out about 20 different shoes for me to try on.  By the time we were done she thought I was the pickiest person she’d ever met, I am sure. I ended up buying these shoes. I had buyer’s remorse after the fact. They are low cut in the back, like a mule or a clog and so when I walk, that slaps against my foot. I can’t imagine dealing with that during a full day of walking. I also realized when I got home that they really do look like sneakers. Sigh.

So where does that leave me? Honestly I don’t know. I am packing as I write this and I will probably bring several of these shoes along. I will likely give in and wear my Travel Walker Is since they are so comfortable and if I get wet, I get wet. The new flapping Easy Spirits will likely come also and the blue suede shoes. And there is no doubt my white sneakers will be packed. I wish I had cute shoes to wear in Paris. Maybe next year I’ll find something cute and functional. If you have wide and difficult feet what brands work for you for travel shoes?

Update: I ended up taking the white Propet sneakers, black Skechers, blue suede shoes, both Easy Spirit shoes, the blue Propet shoes from last year, and a pair of sandals to wear to dinner. I determined that the white Propet sneakers are making my hip click – I’ve been wearing them for 6 months without a problem but they must be worn out, so those stayed in the suitcase. The Easy Spirit Escape shoes cut into my heels and gave me sores. I wore them for several days and I couldn’t get past it. The black Skechers are not good for walking, but I wore them a few times at night to dinner when my feet hurt. The blue Propet shoes worked ok, but irritated one toe so I couldn’t wear them every day. The new Easy Spirit slides at first made my toe hurt, but eventually became broken in. They were probably the most comfortable, however after several days of wearing them without socks they smelled pretty badly. The blue suede shoes are comfortable but don’t have a lot of padding on the bottom, so they aren’t ideal for tons of walking. They were great for days when we weren’t walking all the time though. The end result? None of these were perfect.

We’re getting ready for our big summer trip. We do a lot of walking on our vacations, so having shoes that don’t hurt is crucial. That is easier to say than to achieve for me. I’ve got wide feet, a high instep, and a Morton’s neuroma (basically a bundle of nerves between the first and … Read more →

We refer to our GPS as Gypsy. When Gypsy first joined our family, I was resentful of her. Was my map reading and navigating not good enough? Soon I learned to love her, and we rely heavily on our GPS whenever we go somewhere unfamiliar. We started with a GPS that sat on the dash, but now use apps on our phones.

We often find that Gypsy is not completely trustworthy. There was the time we were driving home from a vacation and she  had us circling in a residential neighborhood in Pennsylvania, in an endless loop. Then there was the time she thought the best way to get home from another trip was via slow and windy backroads – for 3 hours – when there was an interstate nearby. Then there are the times when we’re driving along and she thinks we are not on actual road.

Lately I was ready to toss her out the window when she could not find a street I needed to go to. It didn’t exist, according to her.

I’m not alone apparently. Michelin recently did a survey and found that 63% of Americans who use a GPS say it has led them astray at least once. Most drivers say it’s been wrong 4.4 times. 7% of users say it’s misdirected them more than 10 times.

Whenever we are traveling, I always make sure I have a back up map because I don’t feel I can completely trust the GPS not to get us lost. The other issue with a phone app is that if we lose our signal, the GPS is lost also. A backup map is still necessary in my mind.

What are your experiences with the GPS? Do you bring a backup map?

We refer to our GPS as Gypsy. When Gypsy first joined our family, I was resentful of her. Was my map reading and navigating not good enough? Soon I learned to love her, and we rely heavily on our GPS whenever we go somewhere unfamiliar. We started with a GPS that sat on the dash, … Read more →

When my daughter and I visited St. Martin, we spent a lot of time at the beach. Sun, sand, and sea are irresistible to us, not to mention the gigantic infinity pool we enjoyed at our resort. We ventured away from the water to shop but also to eat (two primary needs for survival). Although the best dining we had in St. Martin was in the tiny town of Grand Case, we headed inland for a visit to the Hidden Forest Cafe, at Loterie Farm, in Pic Paradis.

Loterie Farm is a private nature preserve in the hills. This former

plantation (dating from 1721) is now an adventure zone, with zip lines, hiking trails, and obstacle courses. Getting there is a bit of an adventure as well. We carefully drove our rental car up the rocky, steep incline through what felt like a leafy uninhabited area until we came to the sharp turn down the very steep and narrow driveway to the farm . The parking lot was very full, but we managed to squeeze our way in.

We walked up several steep ramps to get up to the entrance, where you could choose from the menu of activities,

head to the Tree Lounge for cocktails, or follow a covered walkway to the Hidden Forest Cafe. The restaurant is up on tall stilts, so you really are in the trees. The view is not stupendous, but it is tropical, green, leafy and very pretty. Two walls are open, with big curtains keeping out the elements. The breeze blows through, making it very comfortable. You do feel as if you are on a special escape somewhere.

The service was typical Caribbean. It took a while for anyone to notice us. The tree house itself is quite large, but there aren’t many tables, maybe 12 all together. They seem to have a limited supply of menus (possibly only about 6) so we had to wait for some to become available, then we waited to order, waited for our food, and at the end of the meal, we followed the lead of other guests and just went to the bar to get our bill and pay, rather than sit and wait another half hour. There were also some shenanigans with a couple near us. They were originally seated at a large table for 6 but told if a big group came in, they would have to be moved – this despite the fact that there was a table for two available, but it seemed to have only one chair. They were eventually moved, and another

chair found.

The atmosphere in the cafe is lovely and relaxing. You feel you are in an airy tree house, close to nature. And in fact, nature made its way into the tree house to visit us. There were several chickens who pecked their way through, looking for scraps. A dog also meandered through.

The Tree House has a long list of specialty frozen drinks, so we had to sample those. We ordered Sex in the Trees, but got the nonalcoholic version. It was essentially a

strawberry smoothie with fresh ginger and lime, which gave it a very biting, fresh kick. It was delicious.

I ordered the farmer’s salad. The best part was the big, super ripe chunks of fresh tomato (when we were there in March, it was a sight for sore eyes!) and my daughter enjoyed a mahi-mahi sandwich with mango salsa, cole slaw and fries.  We loved every bite.

The bathrooms were a bit dicey – out behind the restaurant in little cubicles that were run down, dark and unpleasant.

Although we were far too chicken to try any of the activities (zip lining is on my bucket list though and some day I will get up the nerve to try it!), we enjoyed our time here and highly recommend it for a a very different dining experience in St. Martin.

When my daughter and I visited St. Martin, we spent a lot of time at the beach. Sun, sand, and sea are irresistible to us, not to mention the gigantic infinity pool we enjoyed at our resort. We ventured away from the water to shop but also to eat (two primary needs for survival). Although … Read more →

When my college age daughter and I went to St. Martin, we stayed on a beautiful beach in Anse Marcel up at the northwest tip of the island. We always like to visit several beaches on islands (and they usually are very, very different – something that might surprise you). Anse Marcel was a quiet cove, surrounded by mountains, with lots of sailboats at anchor. It was lovely, but we wanted to see what else the island offered.

Getting Oriented at Orient Beach

The most famous beach on St. Martin is Orient Beach – its considered THE beach to visit while you’re on the isladn. Also on the French side of the island, but on the northeast side, it’s a long, flat beach with a beautiful view of rocky islands. There are lots of windsurfers and parasailers in the blue and turquoise water. Finding the beach was a bit tricky (lots of little roads through a very busy development area), but eventually we got there and parked (free parking) in a sandy lot behind some low dunes. There were plenty of spaces when we arrived in the late morning.

If you’ve heard of Orient Beach, you’ve probably heard it is a nude beach. Lots of people head

here just for this reason – assuming there will be a show, in addition to the lovely water show.

We were a bit timid about actually going to this beach because of this reputation, but we decided to be brave (and firmly keep our suits on).

Seeing the Sights

We walked over the dunes and found an open section of beach. There are many beach clubs lining the sands. If you’ve never been to the Caribbean, this is the quintessential beach experience on a lot of busy beaches. There are restaurant/bars that rents lounge chairs for the day. The chairs are lined up the way my son used to line up his matchbox cars – close enough not to be touching, but completely linear and way too close for comfort. You can buy a chair and lunch for a package price or just rent the chair. We brought towels and arranged ourselves on them on the sand, avoiding the beach club scene.  We were located just about in the middle of the long beach, with a perfect view of everything.

And honestly, “everything” did not include “everything” at all. We lounged on the sand for quite a while and saw nothing out of the ordinary. There were kids, families, couples, and older people swimming, sunning, and walking. The older men tended to wear tiny little speedo-type suits (the kind my daughter has forbidden my husband from ever looking at in a store). Eventually we saw a few women strolling by topless. Before you get excited, let me tell you about these women. They all had a faint European air about them and not a single one of them was under age 55 (and most were older). They had real bodies – no silicone in sight and were either thin or chunky, and they were simply comfortable with who they were. They weren’t showing anything off, instead, they were just enjoying the weather. It was actually very refreshing to see.

Stumbling Into the “Zone”

Eventually we decided to talk a walk and check out the rest of the beach. First we headed south. The beach clubs are tightly packed down there and there are lots of people out and about. Eventually you get near the end of the beach and there are some big rocks going into the water. You have to kind of walk or climb around them and once you do, you notice a security guard standing up on the dunes. There is also a sign stating that photographs are not allowed. This, my friends, is where the suits apparently come off. Once you cross the rocks (which I am pretty sure are left there to purposely discourage people from coming through), you’re in Club Orient, a beach club and hotel that is nude.

It looks like any other beach club – lots of lounge chairs and umbrellas and at the far end is a restaurant. But as you walk, you notice that some of the people (and certainly not all) are topless or completely nude. They’re very casual about it, sprawling on their lounge chairs, standing in groups and chatting, and even, yes, snorkeling (which looks frankly ridiculous – to be completely naked except for your fins, mask and snorkel). There wasn’t a single person under age 50 and most were much older. There was a lot of gray hair. There were plenty of paunches and big bellies. There were women who did a lot of grooming and women who did none. There were a lot of gold chains.

There seemed to be two types of people. There were people who were intent on showing themselves off – strutting around, running, snorkeling with an air of “look at me.” Then there were the people who were just naked because it was comfortable and who didn’t care if other people saw them, but they were in no way courting attention. We saw just one woman who clearly had implants. The rest were just older folks who didn’t really care if they had less than perfect bodies.

I felt that some of the people ought to be a little more cognizant of how they were sitting or laying on their chairs (some of the views were a bit too personal) and the people who were paddle boating and doing water sports nude looked pretty silly.

We did pass one trio of college age young men who clearly were passing through (in their bathing suits), hoping to see something to tell their friends about. I am sure they were extremely disappointed!

We definitely saw more than we planned on and turned around to head to the other end of the beach. After we came home,I checked out the Club Orient web site. It shows pictures of attractive people in their 20s and early 30s with young children. No one I saw resembled anyone in those photos.

The north end was more deserted, with the beach clubs becoming fewer and farther between. We passed a couple of male couples tanning in the nude, but they were discretely tucked back away from the water by the bushes or big rocks.

Should You Go?

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Orient Beach to any traveler. It’s a simply gorgeous area where you can plan to stay all day if you rent chairs and buy some lunch. I wouldn’t have a problem bringing children here either. I probably wouldn’t take my young children to the south end but if you don’t head into Club Orient there isn’t much that will shock anyone. Yes, a few older women may walk by topless, but honestly no one really pays attention.

Should you take it off? Women who go topless will fit in all along the beach, but if you take your top off to reveal glaring tan lines, you will stand out for sure and people will mostly likely look at you – everyone who was topless was completely tan and was also practically a senior citizen. There is no complete nudity on the public part of the beach. Go, but keep your clothes on is my advice!

When my college age daughter and I went to St. Martin, we stayed on a beautiful beach in Anse Marcel up at the northwest tip of the island. We always like to visit several beaches on islands (and they usually are very, very different – something that might surprise you). Anse Marcel was a quiet … Read more →

My friend Irene recently wrote a post about having lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower, in which she debated whether it was worthwhile since it was such a tourist trap. This got me thinking about tourist traps in general.

Tourist traps might be crawling with tourists, but there is generally a reason for their popularity.  And my opinion is you should visit some of them, but go with proper expectations and also with a plan. I believe that you never regret having gone, but your opinion of the place might change after you’ve been there. For example, we took our kids to Disney and honestly I hated it, but I was glad I had been there to know what it was all about. Here are my tips for visiting touristy spots:

#1 Determine if the spot is one that is important or meaningful to you before you go. Will you kick yourself if you are in the vicinity and don’t go? I would have always regretted skipping the Leaning Tower of Pisa when we were in Italy, but there honestly wasn’t much to do there.  We skipped Pearl Harbor in Hawaii because it sounded like a major time investment and it felt depressing. I haven’t regretted not going there. Don’t just go because everyone goes. Go only if it is something you’ll be sorry you missed.

#2 Never allow yourself to head to a popular spot without completely researching what’s there, what else there is to do, what kind of waits and ticket prices are involved, and what you’ll have to go through to experience it. Knowledge is power. While in London we went to the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone, but because I did my research, I knew there wasn’t much else in the museum that would really interest my family, so we made a beeline for that exhibit, then headed out to explore other parts of the city. When you have a short time, you must prioritize!

#3 Let yourself be a tourist. Take time to just stare at the amazing place or thing you’ve come so far to see. Soak up the atmosphere. Take lots of pictures. Gawk. You’ll treasure the memories (and the photos!) for years to come.

#4 Fit the tourist trap into your trip schedule, but don’t let it be your entire trip. You’re bound to be disappointed if you spend an afternoon at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, when there is so much more to explore and see. I’m not one to spend hours and hours at any location. My family gets in, sees the important sights, and gets out.

#5 Take the tour, but know when to bail. You learn so much more about a place when you take a guided tour with a knowledgeable guide. The tour guide who took us through the Roman Coloseum and the Roman Forum brought to life what might otherwise have been a pile of rubble. My family is interested in ancient Rome, so it was a good fit for us. On the other hand, we pulled out our headphones and raced through the rest of the rooms several times on some far too long tours of castles and palaces in England. We also used a tour to skip the line at the Accademia in Florence, but ditched the tour so we could see the David and then bail on the rest of the museum.

#6 Let yourself have a real experience of a lifetime at key places. For example, Irene had lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower. My family took a gondola ride in Venice, went to a lumberjack show in Alaska, and we took a family photo in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. There are some iconic experiences at famous places that you simply must do, or you’ll always wonder what they would have been like. It’s fun to be able to say “Hey, I’ve been there and done that!”

#7 Don’t let the experience own you. Don’t shed dollars for bad souvenirs, cheap t-shirts, or really bad food. We ate at one of the Grand Canyon Village restaurants and it was atrocious. We spent far too much time among the sidewalk vendors in Pisa looking for a magnet for my collection. It’s easy to get sucked into the money-making schemes, and it can be hard to separate them from the authentic experience of the place. I didn’t buy a thing at Disney and that was a good decision for me!

#8 Plan to overpay for mediocre food. The quality of the food was one of the concerns my friend Irene mentioned in her post. We’ve eaten at tourist traps such as a luau in Hawaii, Cafe Florian in San Marco Piazza Venice, and the top of the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls Canada in the rotating restaurant.  The food these places was nothing remarkable (although it was fun to eat poi!). You eat at these places for the experience, not for the Michelin quality of the food. You pay for the quality of the experience, the view, and the atmosphere, not for the food. If you set that expectation going in, you’ll be happy. So, yes, Irene, I think I will follow your lead and dine at the Eiffel Tower when I am in Paris!

My friend Irene recently wrote a post about having lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower, in which she debated whether it was worthwhile since it was such a tourist trap. This got me thinking about tourist traps in general. Tourist traps might be crawling with tourists, but there is generally a reason for … Read more →