Well, we are getting ready to hit the road (the one that leads to the airport) soon, so I figured if I had anything further to say about last fall’s trip to Northern Italy, now is the time to say it.
My last post was about the city of Verona. Although it was a lovely city, it was a bit crowded, so when we had the choice of spending another day in Verona, or going on an optional trip to Mantua, we (and everyone else on our tour) opted for the optional, and we were glad we did.
Yes, Mantua had the requisite castle, with beautiful frescoes, but the castle also had something I’d never seen before — a moat with lovely sculptures plopped in it. Were they ballerina or fairy costumes? I have no idea; either one works for me.
Mantua also had the mandatory clock tower, but this one was so beautiful, I felt compelled to include two photos of it- the one below to give you a sense of its placement and scale, and the one atop this post to show the beautiful craftsmanship. Just think how amazing it must have been before the frescoes were damaged.
Can you tell this tower has been repaired more than once?
Like other cities, Mantua has an object, which, if rubbed, promises thAt the rub-ee will grant the rub-er good luck. In Verona, it is Juliet’s right breast. In Mantua, it is Rigoletto’s hump. We avoided the fake Juliet balcony and statue, but we ladies couldn’t resist Rigoletto.
What was MOST memorable to me, however, was the “relic” in the Basilica of Saint Andrew. According to the plaque, the soldier that stabbed Christ (Who later became a saint –Longino– but not all that popular, because I’d never heard of him before. Had you?) was prescient enough to know that the blood soaked earth was worth preserving, so he did. For thousands of years. Quite a story, and I’ll leave it at that.
The legend
The relic repository
The artist’s interpretation of the event
Our next stop was Trento, the site of the Council of Trent, where Catholic bishops got together and did something important that I learned about in high school but have since forgotten. Here too, we encountered a magnificent cathedral. Could this be The Stairway to Heaven that Led Zeppelin sang about? Take a look. It sure doesn’t seem to lead anywhere else. If you took a tumble from the top, Heaven may be where you’d land, but probably only if you went to confession first.
Right outside the church, beside Neptune’s fountain, it was quite festive. Lots of young people holding flowers and plaques, wearing laurel wreaths on their heads were milling about.
Our group is nothing, if not astute. We immediately figured this was some kind of commencement celebration. I’ll tell ya, if I had been given the choice, I definitely would have gone with the laurel wreath instead of the mortarboard monstrosity we had to put on our heads.
If this cold weather continues, I may get it together to do one final post: the last days of our trip in the Dolomites and Alpine villages. Ciao!
After thoughtfully packing my carry on, I discovered that my trusty Eagle Creek, which had happily fit into MANY overhead compartments, mysteriously grew. It no longer fit into that silver box by the boarding gate door.
According to United’s website, the approved size is 9″ by 14″ by 22 “. Did these dimensions change? When I get home, the measuring tape is coming out.
I’m thinking a small duffel might be the way to go when I absolutely MUST do carry on.
It actually was no big deal. I would have had to gate check from Denver to Jackson Hole anyway. But I AM going to see if I can get the bag on for our flight home.
But THAT certainly was not my unique flying experience. You ready?
Once on board our flight from Denver to Jackson Hole, we learned that there would be a delay because of thunder storms in Wyoming. After about a half an hour wait, the crew told us the plane would have to be lightened. It seems that the Jackson Hole runway is “short”. Short, plus wet, plus heavy equals danger because, we learned, the pilot might not be able to get the plane to stop when it should. Oh dear.
How much weight? The equivalent of 18 passengers (about 20%) would need to disembark before the plane could take off. What? How will they decide who has to get off? Will they bring in a scale and have each of us step on? In all my years of flying, I never had anything quite like this happen.
Turns out, the crew had a better idea. Volunteers would be compensated with a $500 voucher for a future flight, plus a meal voucher (no value mentioned).
Well, we did a quick analysis of the situation. Although we were meeting our son at the airport, HIS flight might also be delayed, and even if it wasn’t, I could email him our confirmation for the car and the hotel, so he wouldn’t be stuck waiting at a tiny airport with nothing to do. We didn’t have any pressing work or family obligations, so why not help out those who did? And hell ya, that $500 voucher put a smile on our faces as we walked out of the plane, as did all the “thank you’s” from the passengers and crew.
So how did it all work out for us? Amazingly well. There was no weigh in, but enough tall and well proportioned men volunteered so that the 16 of us who DID, were deemed heavy enough. And we were a very congenial group, smiling as we waited in line to get all of the paperwork sorted out.
We were truly impressed by the professionalism of the United team in Denver. They were able to locate a plane with crew and get them to Denver amazingly fast…within two and a half hours. Wow! The 16 of us had the plane to ourselves. And because Mike and I were the last volunteers to get our paperwork processed, we were made the solo passengers in first class because we were so patient (or brain dead… I forget which).
Anyway, kudos to United for treating us so well for a weather related problem. And yes, my checked bag was waiting for me when we arrived.
Additional positives: we were pretty hungry, so getting off the plane allowed us to get something to eat. Okay, it was airport food, it was expensive, the $10 voucher per person covered less than half the cost of our burgers and beverage, but if you are hungry enough, you don’t care.
As for our son, he arrived on time, picked up the car, checked in to our hotel and returned to fetch us when we landed.
One more plus (?). Enterprise upgraded us from the Toyota Camry to the biggest SUV I have EVER seen. This Prius driver would definitely have refused the upgrade, but turns out it WAS good to have on some of the park roads.
This Nissan Armada Platinum was well named. It FELT like we were riding in a warship!
It is time to start packing for another adventure. Anyone wondering whether I am now a firm believer in One Carry On (OCO) packing?
The short answer is–it depends. My one month packing experiment taught me a thing or two and I am happy to share everything I learned.
Climate matters. Big time. OCO is much easier when the weather is consistently warm because those clothes are SMALLER and lighter weight.
It gets challenging when the weather at the destination is changeable. Sometimes warm, sometimes cold, like our upcoming spring trip to Yellowstone. Yes, yes, I know. Dress in layers. Still, when the weather is expected to fluctuate between 33 and 75 degrees, with the possibility of thunderstorms and even snow, it becomes tricky. I can wear my waterproof hiking boots on the plane. My parka? I don’t think so.
Self knowledge is powerful. I learned I really hate doing laundry in hotel bathrooms. It wasn’t bad during my two weeks in Portugal, because I was in the same hotel the entire time and had my own room. So, draping my underwear from every available surface didn’t inconvenience anyone else. When I met up with my husband in Spain, however, and shared space, I was glad that I had used the laundry service in Beja, arriving with everything clean, so the need to do laundry was limited.
Another insight? At home, I wash clothes far more than I need to. Because I have access to a washer and dryer, I wear something once, then toss it into the laundry basket. Why? It isn’t as if I spend my days mud wrestling or cleaning sewage ditches. Okay, work out clothes and underwear are “one wear” items, but my black travel pants? I discovered I could easily wear them two or three times with no ill effects. Better for my clothes, and much better for the environment. I’m now doing “multiple wears” at home.
Traveling solo is different from traveling with a group. If I am on my own, as I was getting from Portugal to Spain–by bus, plane and taxi, then OCO makes sense. The hassle of doing laundry is much less than the hassle of lugging a bigger bag when moving from one mode of transportation to another. If I am on a group tour, or traveling with family, then once again, it depends. Why carry on, if you have to wait for others held up at baggage claim? On our group tours, our bags magically move from outside our hotel doors to the van or bus. So easy. On family trips, I have my personal baggage handler, who never expects a tip. Still, if we are only spending two or three nights per hotel, it is so much easier if your wardrobe choices are limited.
The airline may make the decision for you. Just because you PLAN to carry on, doesn’t mean the airline will ALLOW you to do so. If the flight is too full, the airline may force you to gate check your bag. Bonus discovery–if you gate check, your bag is one of the last ones on the plane and one of the first ones rotating around that baggage carousel. Not a bad deal. I’m not sure how it works with connecting flights. THAT could be problematic, especially on international flights, if your bag is not checked all the way through.
Planned activities are an important factor. Will I need a “dress up” outfit? If so, then I will need the appropriate footwear. Sneakers or Keens just don’t look right with a dressy outfit. Normally I limit my footwear to two pairs (one worn on the plane, the other packed-and jammed full of small “stuff”). If I need something dressy, sandals are a good option, don’t take up space and can sometimes be good for walking. And yes, I either use the hotel’s shower cap or a plastic bag from the fruits and vegetable section of the grocery store to protect my clothes from my shoes.
Will we be using a pool or going to the beach? Fortunately flip flops don’t take up much room, and bathing suit coverups can sometimes do double duty.
Packing skills can make or break OCO. There are those who swear by packing cubes. I’m not one of them. I find that zip lock bags work better for me. I can see what’s inside, the bags weigh next to nothing, and they can be smooshed to fit into odd spaces.
A combo of rolled and flat methods allow me to maximize space, with small things tucked into any available space.
For long trips, I find compression bags helpful (except I seem to keep losing the little closure thingy.) Sometimes kneeling on my zip lock bag achieves the same effect.
I LOVE my hanging toiletry bag, especially when traveling with my guy. The hanging bag allows me to let him have the space by the sink, which is usually too small for two. BUT if I am doing OCO, I will give up my beloved hanging toiletry bag, and revert to zip locks in a plastic grocery bag, which I can hang over the bathroom door knob. (Most of the time I use cloth grocery bags, but for the few occasions when I end up with plastic, I save them for this purpose.)
So, there you have it. Before each trip the pros and cons are balanced. Sometimes one carry on makes sense–and other times, my large duffle does the trick. How about you? any packing insights you want to share?
In my last post, I blogged about jamming a month’s worth of apparel into my carry on. But can I do better? What about just a backpack? What about just a backpack that was initially intended to accompany a carry on? Well, we shall find out, because Lufthansa lost my luggage. How could that be, you wonder? Isn’t the point of a carry on that you carry it on to the plane so that it is always close to you? Wonder no more, because I’m going to tell you.
When I learned that my connecting flight had been changed because of snow in Frankfurt, I envisioned several inches of wet slush. Jetways are not guaranteed in Frankfort. Sometimes you have to walk from the plane down steep metal stairs, to a bus that drives you to a door where you find yet more stairs, and if you are lucky, a working escalator. Carrying 26 pounds, plus backpack, through all that was not an appealing prospect. So, I checked said bag. But only to Frankfort. I’m no fool. What if the snow was so bad I was stuck overnight in Frankfort? I’d definitely want my jammies.
I was feeling pretty good about my decision as I walked down the stairs and onto the bus (yep, no jetway– but not much snow), but those feelings quickly evaporated as I watched bag after bag arrive. None of them being mine. How could you lose a bag that got on a plane in Newark, that landed in Frankfort? The list of life’s mysteries just got one item longer.
Here’s what immediately went through my jet lagged mind:
good thing I bought travel insurance
For once in my life, I have a complete record of everything my bag contained. Who knew blogging could be so very helpful?
Everything that is not easily replaced is in my backpack: my iPad, iPhone, chargers, camera, passport, money and charge cards
I’m so glad I only checked the bag through to Frankfort, because when Lufthansa changed my flight they put me on TAP Portugal. Can you imagine what a nightmare it might have been trying to figure out which airline was responsible for losing my bag? I know Lufthansa is responsible, and more importantly, so do they.
Let’s see how I do with this challenge. I only have the clothes that I am wearing and no toiletries. Snacks and a flight pillow aren’t all that helpful now, but the Motrin may come in handy.
Will my Amazon Prime work for deliveries in Portugal?
The line for customer service at Lufthansa was surprisingly short. When I asked the rep about the probability my bag would be found the same day, she said it was slim. So, since I was only going to be in Lisbon one night, I gave her the address of my hotel in Beja. She said they would call and email me with updates.
So what little pearls of wisdom can I share from my science experiment?
Lisbon has amazing malls, and the staff there actually HELP you, which was important in figuring out my size. I didn’t have the time or the energy to try things on. In Italy, I was saddened to learn only “molto grosso” fit; in Argentina, it was “muy grande”. In Lisbon, I was “medium”.
I didn’t need to know Portuguese to translate this sign. Bet you can figure it out too.
I CAN get by with one change of underwear, just not THIS one…
A tee shirt is still great for sleeping, just like in college
Next time, put an adapter in my backpack. Luckily, the mail had an electronics shop, but you can’t always count on that, plus they aren’t cheap – €20 or about $25 for a basic model.
My toiletry essentials are toothpaste (the hotel gave me a tiny tube but it tasted terrible), deodorant, a comb and brush
Shampoo works fine as laundry detergent
Although my underwear was perfectly dry by morning, my shirt was not. Wrapping it in a towel did NOT work. I tried the hair dryer, but it kept switching off after a few minutes. The front desk explained it was a “safety feature” to keep it from overheating. Good thing I kept the plastic bag from my shopping extravaganza for my damp shirt.
Not all hotels supply conditioner. It is wise to read labels so you don’t put body lotion in your hair
Conditioner DOES make a difference
In the future, avoid Frankfort airport. The gate for my flight to Lisbon changed THREE times.
Losing luggage caused my adrenaline to kick in. I was able to go without sleep for over 40 hours, then wake up completely jet lag free. Despite that happy side effect, I do NOT recommend you voluntarily replicate this experiment.
Bet you’re perched on the edge of your recliner, wondering how this saga ends? How long will our heroine have to wear the same corduroy pants and Keen sandals with socks? Are her air-cooled, memory foam Sketchers gone forever?
The good news? I got an email Saturday at 6 PM telling me the bag had arrived in Lisbon. The bad news? There was no way for me to get in touch with the courier to tell them to bring it to my Lisbon hotel. No phone number, no email address. The courier promised that EVENTUALLY it will make its way to Beja. I figure I can last a couple more days with what I have.
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE…
It’s ALL good. My bag arrived in Beja before I did. Not only that, but it was waiting for me in my room, so I didn’t have to carry it up a flight of stairs in this elevator deprived hotel.
Lufthansa has not mentioned any compensation for delayed baggage, however I have saved my receipts, and so far, they owe me €99.90, or about $125. Travel Insurance would cover up to $100, but I’m going to call Lufthansa customer service to inquire where I should send my receipts and how long before I’m reimbursed.
Packing is one of my biggest travel challenges. I always intend to travel light, but sometimes I get carried away at the last minute.
I’ve been able to go for two weeks with just a carry on. But a month? Can I get everything I will need into my trusty eagle creek carry on and my backpack? I’m going to try. I hope others find my attempt helpful. If not, at least this post will allow ME to remember what the heck I stuck in my bag.
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been “auditioning” my clothes to see whether they dry quickly, are versatile enough for weather that will vary between the 40’s and 70’s and, most importantly, can be crammed into my bag. I’ve tried out different combinations to see how comfortable I am at NJ’s current cooler temperatures. My discovery is that lightweight pants, when paired with silk long underwear work out just fine.
For past trips, I have either used local laundry facilities or I packed enough to get me through the entire trip.
In Pokhara, Nepal, doing the laundry was a cultural experience. The promised “tumble dry” only works if the government doesn’t shut off the electricity for several hours every day. Bet you know what happened while I was there.
THIS time, my plan is to wash as I go. I don’t normally hand wash clothes at home, so I gave it a whirl. I wanted to see how long it took for different items to dry, and I was also curious as to how my duds would look after I had sloshed and wrung them out. The verdict: I figured my technique needed a little work. Then I remembered a tip from a fellow traveler. She nixed the wringing, instead opting to gently squeeze, then wrap her garments in a microfiber towel. She swore her clothes were dry by the next morning. So, I ordered a microfiber towel from Amazon and gave it a try. My technique still needs work.
Because I expect to do a lot of walking, I wanted to make sure that I had comfortable shoes. I found a pair of Sketchers that should do the trick. Air cooled? Memory foam? My feet may be in better shape than my head.
I have super sensitive feet, so I am reluctant to put all my toes into one basket–or one pair of shoes– so I’ll be wearing my trusty Keens on the plane. Yes, I WILL wear those Keen sandals with a pair of socks, and YES, I DO know that is a huge fashion faux pas, but hey I’m old enough not to care.
Here’s how I started out:
Then I had to make some choices. One white knit top and pink bathing suit – out. (I found another bathing suit that squishes up smaller) Hanging toiletries bag, replaced by a zip lock bag, which also freed up space for my hair dryer and adaptors.
There are those that swear by rolling clothes, so I thought I’d give it a try. Some might think I am REALLY obsessive compulsive, to take everything out, and try to put it all back without rolling. Others would realize that I am completely committed to the scientific method. YOU can pick whichever explanation you prefer, but I’m going with the latter.
Want to know the result of my “science” project? Both methods produced the exact same result. Conclusion? Do whatever brings you joy. I wasn’t going to take everything out and roll it up again. I’m not THAT crazy, so I left everything packed flat. Here’s what made it into the bag.
6 long pants – 1 corduroy, 1 jeans, 4 quick drying (one lined, three lightweight)
6 long sleeved cotton tops. 1 knit, plus 2 short sleeve shirts
1 pajamas and 1 long underwear set that can double as pajamas
2 long underwear bottoms and 7 underwear, 2 bras, 8 socks
2 scarves
hair dryer (which I can use to dry clothes, if needed) and toiletries
laundry kit
1 Sketchers black air cooled shoes, with memory foam and flip flops for shower (or if I’m lucky, pool)
index cards (for teaching). According to our team leader, former volunteers have left supplies behind, so i don’t need to bring a white board or other teaching materials.
1 waterproof windbreaker with hood
Plus, of course, I’ll have the clothes I wear on the plane, like my fleece and the zip up sweater that would have fit in the bag if I had unzipped the expandable part. (But then, it might have been hard to get the bag into the overhead.)
My back pack will carry my money, credit cards, passport, travel info, iPhone, iPad, chargers, my mobile “pharmacy”, camera, , pens, snacks, sun glasses, water bottle and travel pillow.
Total weight of carry on–26.5 pounds, something I can easily hoist into that overhead bin. I think I’m all set. We shall see.
If you plan on vacationing in Italy, why not extend your visit a smidgen and hop over to Malta? This amazing little country has an abundance of things to see and do, especially if you are interested in history and archaeology. We spent five days there in late May, and felt that our timing was perfect…perfect weather, not too crowded, reasonably priced. Yep, there was a whole lot to like about Malta.
It is very easy to get to Malta from Italy. Although we could have taken a ferry from Catania, we opted for the less expensive, faster way, via Air Malta.
The title of this post is “RANDOM Reasons” to visit Malta and that’s exactly what you are getting. Not order of importance, or magnificence–just the order in which they popped into this lazy blogger’s head.
1. The Grand Excelsior Hotel
It’s beautiful, it’s just outside Valetta’s wall, it’s close to buses that can take you wherever you want to go, the service is great, the pool is fantastic, the views from the restaurant and bars are incredible, and it is relatively inexpensive (at least it was in May, with several months advance booking. )
The Excelsior’s pool at sunset
Be forewarned, though. The hotel is located below street level. 88 steps below, to be exact. The steps aren’t steep, but you WILL get your exercise. Which can be a good thing, if you eat as much as WE did.
The hike up those stairs is so worth it, because where else can you find…
2. Flower Shaped Gelato
Although there is an abundance of gelaterias in Malta, Amorino was our favorite. You can’t miss it–it is on Republic Street (the main street), on the right, if you are coming through the city gates. Your flower can have as many flavors as you want.
It doesn’t get much better than that!
And since we are on the subject of food, we discovered this wonderful restaurant close to the Blue Grotto.
3. La Cucina de Bettina
The owner of the restaurant was also our waiter. That’s him, in the black tee, explaining the menu to customers.
I’m ordinarily not a HUGE seafood fan, but this was incredible–the best tuna I have ever tasted! Fresh? Well, the owner told us our lunch had been swimming in the ocean just a few hours before. Take a look.
No, that was not the serving size, but close.
We also had a wonderful antipasto platter, and a bottle of wine recommended by the owner/waiter. I should have made a note of what we spent for this feast. All I can remember was that it cost MUCH less than we ever expected!
I could go on and on about the Malta food, but I’m sure you get the idea. It was delicious, varied and affordable.
4. Valetta
Let’s just start with the festive Republic Street.
Yes, it does look a bit crowded, but if you want a more peaceful experience, all you need to do is duck down a side street. Cruise ships dock in Valetta, so when multiple ships are in town, you do get throngs, but after 5, the city is yours.
The Grand Master’s Palace is on Republic Street, and there IS a guard changing ceremony every day.
Other activities in Valetta definitely deserve their OWN number, like…
5. The Malta Experience
Perhaps you arrived in Malta without doing any research at all. You know NOTHING about its history or the history of its many invaders. Not to worry. All you need to do is buy a ticket to The Malta Experience, then sit back and enjoy. You will be quickly brought up to speed! There are other options on the island, including one that promised you a 5D experience (moving seats, water spray, air blasts and leg ticklers) but this was the one we chose and we were not disappointed. Now if we had been traveling with children, we probably would have opted for the multi-sensory extravaganza.
6. St John’s Co Cathedral
It is impossible to capture the majesty and magnificence of this building. It doesn’t look like much on the outside. In fact, we walked past it a couple of times without even noticing it. But walk inside and WOW!
We’ve hit a lot of churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, and the Americas, but this has to be the most jaw-dropping one I have ever encountered.
“The Beheading of John the Baptist by Caravaggio is in the Co-Cathedral, but just off to the side. I needed to ask directions to find it.
The painting is HUGE–it fills a wall. You can’t get close to it, so I was unable to verify whether Caravaggio’s signature was formed by the blood flowing from the Baptist’s neck. TIP: If you go, bring binoculars or opera glasses to get a better view.
You are not allowed to photograph the painting. If caught, supposedly they confiscate your photo card.
No, I did not break the rules. This is a photo of a postcard, purchased from the gift shop. A poor substitute, but better than nothing.
7. Transportation Alternatives
Here’s another tip: forget about the Hop On Hop Off buses here. You are better served riding the regular city buses. They are far less expensive, and more frequent. Normally we are huge fans of HOHO, but this one had a host of negatives. Its headsets were not reliable. Some worked–some didn’t, and the information they provided was not that great. There were long periods of silence, causing me to wonder whether the headset had stopped working. I was frequently consulting the brochure to try to figure out where we were.
We soon discovered the HOHO doesn’t necessarily stop in front of attractions listed in their brochure. But it DID stop at listed attractions that were closed.
We made the mistake of buying the two day, (red and blue) pass, so never tried out the city buses, but we sure saw a lot of them. Next time, city bus will be our preferred mode of transportation.
If you DO decide to go the way of the HOHO, you can get aboard near the bus station close to the Grand Excelsior.
8. Tarxien Temples
If you are into archaeology, you’ll love the Tarxien Temples. Full disclosure. We had wanted to see the Hypogeum, but that was completely booked. And the Tarxien Temples were supposedly on the HOHO route, (not exactly, as noted above, but we found our way), so why not?
These four temples date back to the Neolithic age (3600-2500 BC). The Romans, 2000 years later, used the site for agriculture. The original structures were discovered In 1913, when local farmers complained about the large blocks of stone they were striking while plowing.
There are other ruins for those that are really, REALLY into prehistory, but this was enough for us.
9. Gozo
We wanted to spend a day touring Gozo, and after our experience with HOHO, decided to book a private tour through the hotel. We were not disappointed with our choice. Marco picked us up at 8:30, drove us to and from the ferry and around Gozo, making sure we spent our time the way WE wanted.
View of Gozo harbor from the Ferry
We drove by Popeye’s village, now a tourist trap, formerly the set for Robin William’s 1980 movie, stopping just long enough to take a couple of photos.
I remember suffering through the Iliad and the Odyssey during my Freshman year in college. Maybe if I had known I’d be visiting the cave of the nymph who bewitched Odysseus, I would have enjoyed the books more. (But probably not). The cave was closed because of “geological movement”, so we could only look at a hole in the ground, partially hidden by bushes, but the view of the nearby beach with its red sand was quite lovely.
Gozo had lots of beautiful ocean vistas, a lovely cathedral, a great multimedia show in Rabat, (the old center also known as Victoria), fantastic food—AND this rather graphic painting of St. Agatha. Seems the Roman suitor she rejected got a bit miffed and decided to cut her breasts off in retaliation.
She looks remarkably unconcerned, maybe because the little angel hovering over her head (holding a crown) told her that in years to come, the Maltese and Sicilians would create a pastry in her honor. Think I’m kidding? Take a look. They are called “Minni di Sant Aita”. Honest.
The Azure Window would definitely have made the list had we traveled to Gozo in 2016. Unfortunately for us, in March of 2017, the arch tumbled into the sea, so we had to content ourselves with this post card image, and a view of the site where it once stood. Still a scenic and lovely area, though.
10. Mdina
The oldest city on the island of Malta, Mdina was built and inhabited by Arabs until they were expelled by the Christians in 1250. Another fortified city, it has the mandatory moat and gates.
It also has the requisite cathedral, old buildings repurposed as cafes and gift shops, but MY favorite thing was the Palazzo Falzone, a 13th century building loaded with an incredible collection of antiques and the very coolest sound system ever.
You just put on the headset, point the wand at a plaque on the wall and voila, you have a narrative about the article/ room you are viewing!
Olof Gollcher, a Swedish philanthropist and heir to a shipping fortune, purchased the building in 1927, and used it as a repository for his collections of art, silver, furniture, weapons and books.
There you have it. This lazy, random blogger got you started. These ten highlights barely scratch the surface of all that is wonderful and glorious about Malta. The rest is up to you!
Ultimate packing challenge??? Well, at least it is for me. I’ll be gone for a month, visiting countries that have temperatures ranging from Lhasa’s average low of 31 F to an average high of 105 F in both Delhi, India and Chitwan National Park. Fortunately, I “met” a new virtual friend via OAT’s Forum. She gave me lots of helpful hints, and most importantly, clued me into the existence of laundry facilities that are plentiful and cheap. Thanks to her advice, I am able to be safely under the airlines’ 44 pound checked luggage maximum.
In the spirit of giving back, this post is all about what I’m packing. Maybe a future OAT traveler to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet will find my information as helpful as I found Janet’s.
There’s nothing like a visual, right?
Being your obsessive compulsive kind of gal, I start packing many days before departure, loading articles on the bed in our spare room. I use a paper list and check off as I go.
One of the many nice things about OAT trips is no one cares what you look like. No one dresses to impress–it is all about comfort and adventure, so you will notice a total absence of makeup, jewelry, fancy clothes and dress up shoes. But then, my family would tell you that’s how I normally roll.
I’m not bothering with a hair dryer because some of the places we will be visiting won’t have electricity. I let my hair grow just for this trip, so I can pull it back and forget about it.
Miscellaneous: binoculars, sunscreen, Insect repellant, anti itch gel, lip balm, lotion, Ibuprofen, Pepto bismol, gasex, Imodium, Hydrocortisone, Bandaids, bonine, moleskins, z-pak, granola bars, small duffel (supplied by OAT).
I’m hoping I won’t need any of the medications. Whatever I don’t use on the trip, I’ll give to the trip leader. Might as well have someone make use of it before the expiration dates.
Clothes: Rain jacket, down jacket, Sun hat, Sweater, Underwear(14 days), socks(10 ), long underwear (2), Pajamas (2), Shorts (2), Short sleeve tops (7), long sleeve tops (5), Long pants(4), capris (1), Sneakers, flip flops, keens, bathing suit, buff, chill band.
For the colder parts of the trip, I figure I can wear long underwear beneath my lightweight pants. No need for corduroys. I’m counting on layers to keep me warm.
My goal is to get by for at least a week, maybe two, without having to do laundry. I may have packed more than I need; I will report back after the trip is over, identifying anything I took that I didn’t need, and anything that I didn’t take, but wished I had.
As with other OAT trips, we will be visiting a local family, so I packed gifts. Our guide told me that warm socks are always appreciated for the cold winter months, something I never would have thought to bring. Of course, I had to include toys for the kids, plus an inflatable globe.
On our OAT trip to Africa, we discovered that a duffel holds more than we ever imagined possible. We also learned there is no need for those fancy packing cubes. My jumbo zip lock bags work just fine, allowing me to pull out only what is needed. Take a look.
Shoes in the bottom, along with items I expect to need at the end of the trip.
Yep. It all fit and I even have a tiny amount of extra room.
I know you’re wondering, so yes, that white decoration on my teal LL Bean duffle was my very own creation. Nobody is walking off with MY bag and claiming it was a mistake!
Because I have a direct flight to Delhi, I don’t need to pack a change of clothes into my carry on. Here’s what’s going inside.
That little black bag with the white decoration? That’s my “comfort case”, which holds the small items –cough drops, pens, gum, etc. so that I don’t have to rummage through the many pockets of my back pack.
The good news? I did indeed score the first class upgrade I requested back in November, so I probably won’t need to be digging into that comfort case the way I would have if I were back in economy. United, you have been forgiven.
The sad news? Because of some late breaking events, Mike and Greg won’t be able to come on this trip. Thank heavens for trip insurance!
I’ve been traveling all my life. I can’t remember whether my first trip was to Neverland or to Oz, but I DO know that I returned to both places countless times.
For many, many years all my travel took place solely between my ears. Although school did its best to smother any interest in geography by forcing us to memorize products, capitals, and other bone crushingly boring trivia, I never lost my enthusiasm for the exotic places I discovered through our local library. Books were my magic carpet, whisking me to wondrous places a small town girl like me never dreamed she’d ever be able to actually visit.
Maybe that’s why today, before I set foot in another country, I try to read as much as I can about its culture, religion, politics, history and yes, even geography. I want to experience in it my head first. It sounds crazy, even to me, but a place seems more REAL if I have read about it.
Our next trip will be to the Himalayan countries of Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. Here’s a map courtesy of Overseas Adventure Travel, roughly showing where we will be easin’ on down the road. Notice the red line stops at the Seti River? That’s where the rafting starts, because there ain’t no road to get where we are going, yellow brick or otherwise.
Overseas Adventure Travel Itinerary
So about those books I’ve been reading– lets start with Bhutan.
My interest in that country began several years ago when I stumbled across The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. It introduced me to Bhutan’s concept of Gross National Happiness. Also around that time, we’d had the good fortune to meet and travel with Dr. Peter Steele. In 1967, at a time when it was closed to most of the western world, he and his wife were invited to visit Bhutan by the royal family. After reading his account of the trip, Two and Two Halves in Bhutan, I became even more interested in visiting that fascinating country.
OAT provides a list of “additional resources” for each country on the tour. That list was my starting point, supplemented by what I could find on Overdrive, an online resource available through our library and of course, by random internet searches.
What follows is nothing even close to a book report, mainly I am somewhat lazy, but also because you will get better summaries by clicking on the blue words in this post. The Amazon and Good Reads reviewers will do a much better job filling you in than I would have done.
I had no idea that in addition to Peter Steele, Shirley Maclaine also visited Bhutan in the ’60s. In her 1970 autobiography, Don’t Fall Off the Mountain, she explains that she had gone to India to learn to meditate, and while there met the new Prime Minister, Lhendup Dorji. He had assumed that position after the prior Prime Minister (his brother) was assassinated by a member of the military. She accepted Dorji’s invitation to visit Bhutan, but unfortunately there was still political unrest in the country, so her visit was cut short. Still, she was there long enough to give me a feel for what Bhutan was like during that period. Plus, she DID make it to the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro. And so will I.
Jamie Zeppa’s book, Beyond the Sky and Earth is a wonderful description of life in Bhutan during the late ’80s. She spent two years as a teacher, first with elementary students in a remote village, then teaching college students at Sherubtse College near Trashigang. Yeah, I’d never heard of those places either.
Jamie married one of her students,Tshewang Dendup. Why did I feel compelled to tell you his name? Well there is a reason. In 2003, he had a starring role in the lovely Bhutanese movie, Travellers and Magicians. I got the DVD from my library; it’s a great way to sneak a peek at the beautiful Bhutanese scenery (and to check out Jamie’s ex- husband, if you are so inclined.)
Lisa Napoli”s book,Radio Shangri-La is about her volunteer work at Kuzoo FM, Bhutan’s “youth based” radio station. Established in 2006 as one of the king’s projects, Kuzoo broadcasts in both Dzongkha and English. Lisa’s several years with NPR made her a valuable resource for this young radio station.
Those 4 books gave me glimpses of Bhutan’s evolution from a closed Himalayan kingdom of the ’60s up to around 2009. What did I learn from my reading?
Ten Fun Facts About Bhutan (Not in order of importance, or any other kind of order, for that matter)
Bhutan is also known as Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon
Marijuana grows wild in Bhutan, and is fed to the pigs because (surprise, surprise) it increases their appetite.
Ara is the local moonshine; its a clear wine made from rice. ( Now that we’ve gotten the local stimulants out of the way, let’s move on)
All doctors visits and health care is free
Drukpa Kinley, a Tibetan monk who lived in the late 1400’s, made his way to Bhutan. He was also known as the Divine Madman who used his “flaming thunderbolt” to bless women and to bestow “enlightenment”. He was so successful in his endeavors, he became the patron saint of fertility.
Thanks to the Divine Madman, many Bhutanese houses sport paintings and sculptures of phalluses. Who knows, photos of the artwork may be a coming attraction of this blog.
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th king of Bhutan, voluntarily gave up absolute power in 1998. (When does THAT ever happen??) He guided the nation from a hereditary monarchy (which had been established in 1907) to its current status as a parliamentary democracy.
Okay, so now the”People Magazine” type information: The 4th king had 4 wives, all of them sisters.
His son, the 5th king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, was crowned in November of 2008. That king has only ONE wife, who he met at a picnic when he was 17 and she was 7. According to legend, he said ‘When you grow up, if I am not married and if you are not married, I would like you to be my wife, provided we still feel the same.’
Men wear the Gho, and women wear the Kira; these two articles comprise Bhutan’s national dress. Jamie’s book mentions that all Bhutanese were required to wear the national dress. This dress code was an issue for the Nepalese immigrants living in the southern part of the country. I don’t know whether the requirement still exists today, but it will be pretty apparent once we get there whether it does or not.
I actually learned a whole lot more, but I have to save SOMETHING for when we get there, right?
Wouldn’t it be nice if every country in the world had identical electrical outlets, so us wanderers could plug in anywhere, without any problem? I can dream, can’t I?
Up until now, we have always carried a bunch of different adapters. Although this worked, we were always afraid of losing one, or leaving the exact one we needed at home.
Recently, I came across this little beauty. It’s compact, lightweight, and claims to work in over 150 countries.
I’m not so sure about that–the pictures on the website look different from the plugs in my gadget, but I guess I’ll find out. What I like best is the addition of two USB ports. This allows me to charge an iPhone, an iPad and my camera battery–all at the same time, using just one outlet.
Because one of the included plugs is designed for use for the USA, I decided to take it for a spin while still at home, and yay, it worked beautifully. All three items charged quickly.
I got mine at Staples, because I had a coupon, (I do so love a bargain!) but you can also buy direct from the manufacturer via the internet. Either way, it will cost about $30.
By the way, this is NOT a converter, so if your appliances can’t accept a variety of voltages you will need a converter along with your adapter. My iPhone and iPad so far have worked quite happily in the US (120 volts) and everywhere else I’ve plugged in, like Slovenia and Zimbabwe (220), South Africa and Italy (230). I have no idea what that all means–I just know if the volts don’t get along, you end up with a fried appliance–and I have the hair dryer to prove it!
Our 40th Anniversary trip starts with a multi-day adventure, known as “getting there”.
For the first leg of the trip, OAT’s proposed itinerary included a stop in Dubai, landing in Delhi after being in transit for 18 hours. Not what I call ideal, particularly when I saw our return flight would depart at 4 AM.
Letting my fingers flutter over my keyboard, I was thrilled to discover that United has a direct flight between Newark and Delhi for about the same price, but only (!?!) 14 hours travel time. Best of all, the return flight departed at 11:30 PM. So, instead of sitting miserably at the airport, waiting to board that 4 AM flight, we’d leave the night before, and would be several hours into winging our way home. Sweet! Not only that, but for years, I had been hoarding frequent flier miles for an occasion exactly like this. Business class, here we come!
EXCEPT
When I tried to upgrade on line, I got a message that we were put on a “waiting list”. How could that be? The flight was five months out, and our flight’s seat maps showed only one seat in business class was occupied. Clearly not a lot of OTHER frequent fliers had already upgraded on OUR flight. I thought it was strange that the same seat was occupied, coming and going, so I did a little checking. Seat 5D was the only one occupied on every flight that I checked. Perhaps reserved for a member of the crew? Well, I was confident that a quick call to United’s customer service would fix everything right up. Did I mention that I’m a hopeless optimist?
Here’s what happened. The customer service rep confirmed that we were indeed put on a waiting list. Okay. When I asked how many others were on the list, he explained he couldn’t tell me for “security” reasons. (Security??? I didn’t want to know names or home phone numbers. Just tell me where I am in line so I can figure the odds of getting the bloody upgrade!) He also was going to charge me $20 for the pleasure of speaking with him, but after we exchanged “pleasantries”, he thought better of it.
Those frequent flier miles that we accumulate, expecting one day to trade in to make a long trip both pleasant AND affordable? Well, it appears that United reserves the right to let us know at the very last minute whether or not they are going to allow us to redeem the miles, perhaps because they MIGHT be able to sell the seat we covet for the full price. They just don’t know yet. By the way, in addition to redeeming 140,000 miles, our roundtrip upgrades weren’t free. We paid an additional $2,400 for them. To me, that’s a whole LOT of money!
United took our money and deducted the miles from our account, which sure felt like we had purchased seats, EXCEPT we couldn’t choose which ones they would be. We will find out the day of the flight whether or not we get the upgrade, and where we will sit. There is no guarantee that we will even be next to each other. Normally that would not be a big deal, but 14 hours is a long time. Call us crazy, but given the price we paid (in dollars and miles) we’d like to be able to choose who we sleep with. If we don’t get the upgrade, United WILL refund our money and will redeposit our frequent flier miles, without charging a penalty. (Yes, the representative actually did say that.) If we had paid for the tickets with a United credit card, would they also refund any interest? I think we all know the answer to that one.
As luck would have it, at the end of December, I received an email “signed” by Sandra Pineau-Boddison, the Sr. Vice President of Customer Relations, asking for feedback on a United flight we’d just taken. Now that I had a name, it wasn’t difficult to find her personal email, so I shared my tale of woe with her. How about that? FREE feedback from a long time former Continental Airlines frequent flier. No need to hire a market research company or do a focus group to find out how they are doing.
So what happened? Nothing. After almost two months. Not even an automated acknowledgement. From the SR. Vice President? Of Customer Relations? That speaks volumes.
Let this serve as a precautionary tale to all you Mileage Plus Members out there. United doesn’t care a bit about you or your miles or your loyalty. Think about that the next time you book a flight or get a solicitation for a United credit card that offers points for “free” travel.
But if anything changes between now and our flight, I’ll certainly let everyone know. Come on Sandra, do your job!
It’s beautiful, it’s just outside Valetta’s wall, it’s close to buses that can take you wherever you want to go, the service is great, the pool is fantastic, the views from the restaurant and bars are incredible, and it is relatively inexpensive (at least it was in May, with several months advance booking. )
Perhaps you arrived in Malta without doing any research at all. You know NOTHING about its history or the history of its many invaders. Not to worry. All you need to do is buy a ticket to The Malta Experience, then sit back and enjoy. You will be quickly brought up to speed! There are other options on the island, including one that promised you a 5D experience (moving seats, water spray, air blasts and leg ticklers) but this was the one we chose and we were not disappointed. Now if we had been traveling with children, we probably would have opted for the multi-sensory extravaganza.
Destination NOW 