Archive for August, 2008

All Inclusive in Nassau

{ August 20, 2008 @ 9:15 pm } · { Bahamas, Caribbean }
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Most of my travel is for business, but I do get to take the odd vacation as well. This past May I went to Nassau, Bahamas with two friends and my  boyfriend. We stayed at Breeze’s, an all-inclusive resort – alcoholic drinks included cinched the deal.

Now, don’t get your hopes up when you visit the Bahamas, like I did. Flying into Nassau is not wonderful. The main airline that services Nassau from the US is US Airways, which is a discount airline with a hub in Charlotte, NC. That meant that we had a connection in Charlotte, and a dirty, old plane with advertisements on the tray tables. But that couldn’t dampen the happy vacation spirit.

The airport in the Bahamas is also old and dirty, and it takes ages to get through the customs and immigration lines (both coming and going!) Parts of it smell like old urine and the band in the waiting area playing loud Bahamian music was not cute, it was just annoying. We couldn’t wait to leave the airport.

All inclusive means airport transfer too, so we waited for a good 20 minutes to get a van to our resort. I guess luxury has a different meaning on the island. Check in at the resort was nice however, we were greated with an unidentified but tasty fruity alcoholic drink. Breeze’s is 16 and up, so it was quiet on the Sunday afternoon and we spent an hour or two drinking champagne in our rooms and unpacking.

(to be continued)

Hiking the Cinque Terre: Part 4, Corniglia to Vernazza

{ August 4, 2008 @ 1:51 pm } · { Cinque Terre, Europe, Italy, Liguria }
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Back towards the main road to the path to Vernazza, here the challenge begins and the climb is surrounded in olive groves and vineyards. The path is very wooded and mostly consists of large stone steps downhill. I highly recommend starting from Corniglia for this path, unless you are looking for a real challenge- climbing up those steps is torture! There are beautiful views of Corniglia, hills covered in vineyards and lengths through forest.

Seeing the olive groves up close is really a treat- tied to the trees are nets that the workers spread out between the trees to catch olives when the season is right.
This is a difficult and tiring walk, and takes about 1.5 hours. When you reach Vernazza the fun isn’t over, as you will descend hundreds of steps to get into the town, passing a tower and overlooking the Castle Doria.

Castle Doria is well worth a visit if you have the time, but beware, a visit means even more steps straight up! The castle is open weekdays and Saturdays, and costs a few euros for entrance. Climb to the top of the castle tower for a terrific view of the sea. Vernazza is one of the loveliest and most popular of the Cinque Terre, take your time to explore its streets and enjoy the beautiful marina.

Staunton’s Gypsy Hill Park

{ August 1, 2008 @ 3:47 pm } · { North America }
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I was blessed to attend a wedding this summer in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The reception took place in nearby Staunton (about 30min South) and after a fabulous meal at Stonewall Jackson Hotel (this is the South after all) we stumbled upon a little park.
Gypsy Hill Park is on first glance, a small park in the center of town, near the intersection of Churchville Ave and Thornrose. Upon further inspection, the park actually extents to an impressive 214 acres, including a golf course, football stadium, swimming pool and more.
The Gypsy Express train is particularly charming, a miniature train which operates on Saturdays and Sundays for only $1 per ride, children will adore it

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Bring a bird lover, I enjoyed the duck pond, which was filled with ducks and geese during the summer months. The pond itself was overflowing with koi (kind of gross if you ask me), and food for the ducks and koi could be purchased at machines along the edge of the pond. It’s much healthier than feeding them bread!

On a Saturday afternoon the park was pretty quiet, with just a few groups with picnics and families taking children to see the ducks or train. It has an idyllic Southern charm that reminds visitors of the simple life possible in a small town.