Thanksgiving has always been my favorite time of year. The food, the wine, and dozing off in front of a crackling, playful fire. This year my boyfriend and I decided we would spend it up in Napa. We arrived at the River Terrace Inn, right by Copia, on the South side of Napa. The hotel was festive and cheerful preparing for their Thanksgiving dinner. Our room was lovely, and clean, the marble tiled bathroom was lovely, we shared it with a few ants, but the hotel staff was quick to come up and spray for them. We were able to enjoy a real old fashioned Thanksgiving meal by the large fire pit they had on the deck. The food was not the best but it was affordable and plentiful. We took a trip to Copia the next day and enrolled in a wine tasting class. It cost fifteen dollars a person. Not the most informative class in the world but we did get a passport to a bunch of wineries, and it offered discounts like buy one wine tasting get one free, or just a straight out complimentary wine tasting. For the passport alone the class was worth it. We visited Peju, the winery itself looks like something right out of a Lemony Snikket story, our wine aficionado there was very informative, and we learned alot, I would strongly recommend their mustards as well, they were amazing, especially the garlic and the cranberry garlic. They are about 7 dollars. This winery was amazing. We then visited PlumpJack's winery, which also is very storybook looking, but the wine was too bitter for my tastes. Next we stopped by Sterling, and with the Copia pass it's only 20 dollars for two of you to ride the Gondola up to the winery. It's a fantastic tour, and the giftshop is great, but once again, I wasn't the wine's number one fan. Once evening set in we headed up to Yountville for the festival of lights, it was the quaintest little town. Honestly it looked like a movie set from yesteryear. There were carolers, and christmas joy just surrounding the place. We at PJ's Steak House and let me tell you it would give Arnie Morton's a run for it's money, any day! they allowed us to split entrees between four of us, more than enough trust me, and we were able to get out of there for less than $200. Which is hard to do at Arnie's!
The last thing we did while there was visit Domain Carneros, and I would tell anybody any where go, go there, and order the cheese plates and do the tasting and if you are lucky enough to get a sweet older gentleman as your server, you will have the best time of your life. Not part of their tasting repitoire is there Avante Garde Merlot, which you absolutely should ask to try it's amazing, and it's only $27 a bottle! By far the smoothest and full flavored wine I was able to try in Napa. Well Well Worth it! If you are someone who loves the Autumnal colors of the fall, and reads about special places where magic is in the air, then Napa at Thanksgiving is exactly where you would want to be.

Posted By Joanna Lewis on April 27, 2007, 3:01 PM

LAST WEEK I went on a jolly up to Lancashire. Despite this being a wonderful part of England, even the Red Rose County has its thorn - it's a wretched 6 hour drive from my Devon home. So if, like me, you have the driving aptitude of a Norwegian salmon and the reactions of a 3 toed sloth, you do what I do, you go by bus. Being stuck in one seat for several hours with little more to do than vie for central armrest supremacy might sound like purgatory to some, but it does provide endless opportunity to read, to scratch, and, best of all, to daydream. Before we pulled in to Bolton bus station I was thinking back to my recent trip through Central America and, in particular, the Latino equivalent of our Luxury Coach Network - the ever faithful Chicken Bus.

For the benefit of those yet to travel by Chicken bus, allow me to set the scene. These machines start their life as a US school bus and, after the North American shelf life has expired, gain a whole new lease of life south of the border. Possibly the ultimate in recycling, these veteran workhorses - that would have been put out to graze long ago - are now loyal servants to umpteen million Latin Americans. It just goes to show that there's still life in the old dogs yet.

After arrival in the land of machetes and banana palms the vehicles undergo a complete facelift. Out with the old and in with the new, the well known yellow exterior soon becomes history when the former ugly duckling finally emerges as a chrome fronted, hand painted, religious billboard on wheels. It's like MTV's 'Pimp My Ride' on LSD laced steroids.

Excessive chrome, pious stickers, and garish paint schemes are definitely the new yellow and black. And that's just the outside. The interior also undergoes the same radical transformation. Once inside, aesthetics take a back seat among the sacks of rice and beans and functionality now dictates design. Fore and aft spacing between seats remains unchanged, meaning leg space is still barely sufficient for small American children, but on one side the bench seats are replaced with slightly longer versions that now devour half of what used to be the aisle. Although still possible to negotiate this central walkway, now the width of Sellotape, it does pose the odd problem for ungainly westerners wielding 20 Kilos of badly packed rucksack. Having boarded the bus, swift passage must be made to secure an empty seat, as they fill up quick Unfortunately, speedy manoeuvres plus small spaces equals skinned knees. You may not know this, but customised Chicken Bus seats remove more kneecaps in a single day than the IRA did in a full year. Bulkhead and ceiling spaces at the front of the bus don't stay empty for long either. Empty space means room for stickers, and Chicken Bus Jockeys simply love these things. In general, stickers consist of religious messages interspersed with Real Madrid and Barcelona FC Logos. God is the Light, Beckham is God, Jesus Loves Me, and I Love Him, too.

As for the rest of the decor, simply throw in two overhead luggage racks to accommodate cardboard boxes containing shopping and the odd armadillo, a TV in a welded cage (usually rendered defunct after the first man-sized pothole), 25 hefty speakers that wouldn't look out of place at a Steppenwolf concert, and a head-shattering air horn powerful enough to strip tooth enamel, and you have yourself one bad-ass Chicken Bus. But its the guys running the show that really impressed me. Not only the fearless driver, but also his mate - the Chicken Bus Jockey. With the tenacity of an Everest Double Glazing salesman and the physical prowess of a world class 400 meter runner fitted as standard, these chaps are a breed apart. I remember one in particular that had a dangerous habit of squeezing his way down the bus to collect fares, he would then exit the back of the bus when it slowed to an easy rumble, sprint back around as it began to gain pace, and then hurl himself back in through the open door at the front. A routine repeated at least twice hourly. Clearly, this must have proved easier than battling back through a packed bus. On one occasion, however, the driver sped off a little too early, leaving his amigo behind in a swirling cloud of dust and black fumes. Looking backward through small gaps in the sea of armpits and crotches I could see this maniac, in full sprint with arms flailing, hopelessly trying to close the ever growing distance between him and the bus. The look of sheer desperation on his face reminded me of that scene at the end of the Roger Moore movie The Wild Geese where Richard Harris, while being chased by a lot of rather angry natives, tried in vain to catch up with the plane as it accelerated along the runway. In our case, and in a different and altogether less gory ending, passenger intervention saved the day. One chap eventually piped up to signal the loss, forcing Stan Laurel to reluctantly hit the brakes and pick up a wheezing, and somewhat weary, Senor Hardy.

A Chicken Bus journey will almost guarantee entertainment in some form or another, and anxiety and exhilaration in equal measure. Forget Alton Towers and Disneyland for cheap thrills, these machines offer greater kicks for even less. And, after surviving a five hour trip hosting numerous up close and personals with oncoming traffic, youll believe that Jesus must really love you too.

By Ubertramp

Posted By Nath Richards on April 27, 2007, 7:50 PM

This post from my blog Christchurch Tour Guide:

The Christchurch Telephone Box War

I was walking along Worchester Boulevard the other day and spied a couple old Red Telephone boxes. I'd walked past them for years without thought, but having recently read an article by The Wizard of Christchurch about 'The Telephone Wars' they caught my eye.

Very few of the old red telephone boxes still exist. But those that survived only did so through the determination and persistence of the Wizard. Back in 1988, Telecom (the country's only telecommunications service) decided to paint all the traditional red telephone boxes pale blue. There over 500 of them and by the time Telecom had painted 90 of them blue, the Wizard was seeing red and organized a campaign of 'historic restoration by direct action'.

Targeting the now blue telephone box besides Captain Scott's statue opposite the then Christchurch Visitors Center, the Wizard repainted it red.

Telecom repainted it blue.

The Wizard repainted it red.

And so it went on...until Telecom backed down.

The telephone boxes remained red, but it turned out the Telecom was planning on removing all the boxes by the end of the year and replacing them with modern plastic boxes. So it was a bittersweet victory at best.

But the 'Telephone Box Wars' have not been forgotten. Sitting alongside the tram stop outside the Christchurch Arts Center is a traditional Red Telephone Box.

Don't believe me...come see for yourself.

Posted By Liz Lewis on April 27, 2007, 8:55 PM

We are on a working holiday through the USA. We are now staying in Norman, Oklahoma City. The people are very accommodating & friendly. Recently, the Manager of our hotel was alarmed by the possible invasion of Bed Bugs, as the people in the hotel room next door complained of night bites. He was so concerned he immediately arranged for our transfer to another room. Organized a thorough inspection & fumigation. The Manager paid for all our clothing & possessions to be hot-washed or dry cleaned. He even offered to pay for our relocation to another hotel. We were impressed with his hospitality, diligence & concern. He demonstrated he is a responsible owner/manager prepared to 'nip' this potential problem 'in the bud'. The accommodation is clean, economical, bug-free & comfortable. Our journey has been such a treat thus far & we look forward to more adventures & exploring more of the USA.

Posted By Andree Ernst on April 28, 2007, 5:35 PM

When I first visited Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula back in 1986, I fell hopelessly in love and have since been back about a half a dozen times over the past twenty years. Although I have finally grown to appreciate Cancun to some extent, I have always made a point of catching the first bus out of town immediately upon arriving at the Cancun Airport. The reason for this is simple--I am always looking for that idyllic yet budget tropical hideaway with as much charm and as few other North American tourists as possible. Cancun hardly qualifies.

In 1986, Isla Mujeres, just off the coast from Cancun served my purposes well. Just a half-hour ferry ride from Puerta Juarez (a few minutes taxi ride north of Cancun), Isla Mujeres has always gotten lots of daytrippers from Cancun. For those who make it their base of operations, however, this little island is about as charming as it gets, and its incredible "North Beach" rivals the best that Cancun has to offer minus the hoards of tourists. During my last visit there in December, 2006, I could still find a basic, clean hotel room at Hotel Vistalmar with a ocean view and balcony overlooking the marina for just $25 per night, but given its proximity to Cancun, I can't truthfully describe it as a tropical hideaway.

It was in 1986 that I first visited Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Tulum as well. At that time, Cozumel had already long been a major scuba diving destination, but Playa del Carmen was just a sleepy little coastal fishing village of about 1500 people, and Tulum was basically backpacking/camping territory.

Anyone who has visited the region recently can attest that Playa del Carmen has since exploded into a major city of about 100,000 people, and Tulum, while still oozing tropical charm, is hardly the hideaway it once was.

So this last time I visited the Yucatan in December, 2006, I was desparate to discover some new "undiscovered" gem that is still within easy reach of Cancun. Enter Isla Holbox, a tropical island with just 1600 residents that, despite my many trips to the Yucatan, I had never even heard of until this past year. As a matter of fact, detailed tourist information for Isla Holbox is still hard to come by.

Unlike Isla Mujeres and Isla Cozumel, which are off of the Yucatan Peninsula's east coast, Isla Holbox is located off of its north coast, and therein lies the major difference. Because Isla Holbox is outside of the normal tourist loop, it has remained relatively undisturbed. On top of that, its unique location at the very spot where the waters of the Caribbean meet those of the Gulf of Mexico make it a natural wonderland. In fact, Isla Holbox lies entirely within the Yum Balam Biosphere reserve and swarms with an incredible variety of bird and marine life, and the shell-collecting along its 26-mile long beach is incredible.

Despite Holbox's remote location, it is actually fairly simple to get there from Cancun. If you simply must spend lots of money, you can catch an Aerosaab flight to Isla Holbox from either Cancun ($500 US roundtrip) or Playa del Carmen ($450 US roundtrip). You can also rent a car for the 2 1/2 hour drive from Cancun to the coastal village of Chiquila, but that seems like overkill since you wouldn't be taking your car on the ferry from Chiquila to Holbox (there are almost no cars on Holbox) and would therefore need to pay to park it on one of the several lots in Chiquila. My advice to budget travelers is to do as we did. Go to the Cancun bus station, and buy a $7 US second-class bus ticket for the 3-hour ride north to Chiquila, and then relax in air-conditioned comfort as you soak up the local flavor along the way.

When you arrive in Chiquila, the bus will drop you at the dock, and within a few minutes, a "9 Hermanos" ferry (yes, I asked, and there really are 9 brothers!) will arrive to take on the half-hour trip ($4 US one-way) out to the island of Holbox. (You might as well jump on the first ferry, since Chiquila has next to nothing to offer tourists.) Watch for Holbox's famous pink flamingos on the ride over.

Once you land on Holbox, there will be plenty of golf-cart taxis offering cheap rides down the sand streets into the center of town, or you can do as we did and hoof it the half a dozen or so blocks. The whole reason for visiting Holbox is the incredible 26-mile long beach on the north side of the island, so it would be a shame to stay anywhere else.

There are a number of small hotels lining the beach in town and stretching both east and west from town. Xaloc Resort, just east of town, is the most well-known and the most expensive ($85 US and up for a standard double), but I recommend the picture perfect Hotel Mawimbi or its near twin next door neighbor, Casa Las Tortugas, both closer to town and both running $50 to $70 US for an oceanfront double. We stayed at the Hotel Mawimbi which, like many of the hotels here, is owned by Italians. The palapa-style rooms are decorated in a tasteful yet simple Mayan style with the requisite mosquito-netting-draped bed, and the oceanfront porches and balconies enjoy million-dollar views.

Hotel Mawimbi, like many of the island's palapa-style hotels, serves breakfast in its beachfront cafe. This is not only convenient but not to be missed. It's not everyday that you get to watch fishermen bringing in their early morning catch while sipping a frothy cappaccino. Otherwise, there are much better dining options around the island.

One of our favorite cafes was the coffee and dessert house on the north side of the plaza. (Are you picking up on the coffee theme here?) Like many Holbox establishments it doesn't seem to have an official name, but anyone in town can direct you to it. One of the few named restaurants in town in Edelin's Pizza on the southeast corner of the plaza where an unforgettable lobster pizza dinner for two will set you back less than $20. If you don't notice many restaurants on your first pass through town, don't worry. Several families simply open their living rooms as public dining rooms after dark and cook up wonderful regional specialties in the family kitchen. There isn't a better way to meet the locals and enjoy this region's abundance of fresh seafood.

To get around the island, you can rent golf carts, bikes, or scooters, but unless you aren't a strong walker, you really won't need them. Popular Holbox tourist pastimes (depending on the season) include diving, snorkeling, fishing, kiteboarding, bird watching, dolphin watching, eco-touring, swimming with whale sharks, and seashell collecting. We opted for long, lazy walks along the shell strewn beach stopping frequently to swim or bird watch. In one afternoon, we collected more seashells than we could possibly haul home.

In the evening, you can't beat just sitting on your porch or balcony sipping a tropical libation and synchronizing your breathing with the rhythm of the ocean before you.

Posted By Michel Henry Epps on April 30, 2007, 3:10 PM

Well... when I traveled to Hawaii for the second time last year, I didn't email anyone to tell of my travels. It's much more fun sharing my adventures with everyone... it really takes me back to the ship on Semester at Sea getting to write for everyone so I hope you enjoy :) (especially Lillian :) )

I didn't really have any expectations for Italy. Going with my friend Mara and her family, my plan was to just tag along and be submersed in Italian culture. And that is exactly what I did - along with getting to be submersed in the Idoni family I was traveling with :) When I arrived, I was greeted by Mara, her Papa, Papa's brother-in-law Ernesto, and Ernesto's son-in-law Enzo. From that moment on I was introduced as Megan, amica de Mada (friend of Mara), treat her like family. Italians are very lovey dovey with kisses and hugs for family, not strangers, so once I was introduced and told to treat like family, I got the same hugs and kisses as everyone. If I wasn't introduced in this way I just got a nice handshake. The first place I went was to Enzo's house in Lamezia (the local town I flew into in the southern region of Calabria). I was asked over and over again if I wanted to shower, if I was hungry, if I was thirsty... anything to accommodate me. One thing Italians are good at... making sure you are ok. The first thing I had was a shot of Lemoncella liquor. It is thick, creamy, lemon flavored alcohol that you sip from a shot glass (or take down at once). Welcome to Italy!

After picking up the rest of Mara's family from America who were arriving a few hours after myself, we headed to Papa's hometown of Caulonia. We were staying in a vacant apartment below Papa's sister Teresina (little Teresa) so we had a lot of room to spread out and everyone had their own bed. That first night we just hung out for hours as we ate dinner (and we ate for hours). This was the first introduction to the wonderful meals we would be eating while in Caulonia.

Lunch and dinner consisted of many courses. First came the anti-pasta. This course was anything from cheese and pepperoni to fried zucchini. Just a small starter basically. Then came the pasta. And pasta in many different ways. We had red sauce a bunch of times with different shapes of pasta. All the pastas were homemade, but by the local pasta maker, not by Teresina. Still wonderfully delicious. We also had pasta fagiole (it is a soup here in the US but more of a regular pasta dish in Italy) made with fresh beans that Teresina peeled from their pods. So good! Ok, so I could go on and on about the delicious pasta... the next course was meat of many different varieties (veal, chicken, beef, goat) and often a vegetable like fresh green beans. And this is when the bread was placed on the table. Not with the pasta. It never failed that the plate from your pasta was always taken from you before the meat was placed on the table. Italians DO NOT let their food mix. Pasta in a pasta bowl, meat on a meat plate... they are never eaten off the same plate. And when you try to keep your plate to sneak dipping bread in your pasta sauce, they yell and take your plate. Haha. Can you tell I tried? I did get away with dipping bread a couple times because the sauce was left on the table and I put a spoonful or two beside my meat. Boy, the looks I got for that! After the meat and vegetables came the fruit and other random desserts like cookies or pastries. And of course espresso or leche con cafe which is milk with espresso in it (my favorite). Each course could be a meal in its own. Italians truly amazed me with the amount they can eat in one sitting. I was sitting there completely bloated from food and unable to move and the family was still eating! Of course, after the first day or so I was able to down almost as much :) We did go out to eat while in Caulonia, but in a restaurant you eat just as you would at home, so most Italians don't go out much unless for pizza. And we did go out for a pizza a couple times throughout the trip. Everyone orders your own personal pizza, but the pizza is the size of a medium pizza in the US! I never attempted this feat on my own. Mara and I always split because of course there were many other things to eat on the table as well such as fried rice balls (sounds nasty but it is delicious). And each person actually ate their whole pizza! Italian's stomachs are truly amazing.

And since I'm on the topic of food... I will also mention breakfast was a little kid's dream come true. The norm was crescents filled with vanilla cream (sugary goodness) or nutella (hazelnut chocolate cream). Nutella is basically equivalent to thick chocolate syrup. So much nutella was consumed every morning... we definitely started each day out with a sweet-tooth! Mara's nephew Ethan (2 years old) had a face covered in nutella every day. Kids in America would have died and gone to heaven.

So the first few days in Caulonia when we were not eating, we headed to the beach. Caulonia is located on the Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean Sea. The beach was mostly rocks but the water was a stunning blue and the rocks added specks to the water that looked like glitter. Absolutely gorgeous. The locals probably had a good laugh from us quite a few times since our baby feet were not used to walking on rocks. Each trip in and out of the water was accompanied by some squeaks and screeches of hurting feet. All extremely well worth it... but still painful. The family children ran and played happily in their bare feet not even noticing the rocks. The waves were medium sized. Papa said they never used to be so large and one day we had gotten to the beach earlier than normal and there wasn't a wave in sight (more what Papa remembered). The water was completely still and clear. So excited that the water was so still, Mara and I placed our shoes at the edge of the water and made our way in. The second our toes touched the sea, the water surged and wave after wave rolled in knocking us over. It must have been a sight to see the foreign girls being wiped out and tossed about by the waves! The waves were so strong they surged over the area where some of the family had set up camp for the day washing away their towels and everyone's shoes. I guess high tide came in at that very moment! It was one of the strangest and funniest things!

While in Caulonia after the beach and lunch, we headed to Caulonia Superiore which is the old town of Caulonia. We were staying in Caulonia Marina which is right beside the beach. Caulonia Superiore was built on top of a large rock on a large hill. Almost no one lives there anymore since they all moved down to the sea in Caulonia Marina (the two places are only about 6 miles apart) but everyone originally from there comes back in August since all Italians basically take the month of August off for vacation. I can't describe Caulonia Superiore in words. It is like nowhere I have seen before. And I've been a lot of places! The buildings are all built on top of each other with narrow streets running through the town barely wide enough for a car. Everything looked ancient and around every corner was another narrow alley with old terraces with beautiful flowers and hanging clothes. Mara's Papa toured us around the small town showing us his old home, his parent's old homes and piazza's that he would play in. It was beautiful seeing his excitement in showing us such a wonderful part of himself and his history. It is true, no matter who you are or where you are from... there is no place like home to fill your heart with happiness.

Caulonia Superiore has a local festival dedicated to of the assumption of Mary and after a day of driving through the country side we were supposed to participate in all the festivities. But, after Papa's triple bi-pass surgery in the past year, he was no longer up to the task of hanging out with his old friends from his hometown after a full day of driving without taking a nap first. Mara and I did not want to miss the action so Papa and the rest of Mara's family dropped us off in Caulonia Superiore to hang out with another family member, Pietro, who was staying in his old home on vacation (he and his wife Lela currently live in Rome). The festivities, of course, started in church so Mara and I attended mass in one of the small churches in Caulonia Superiore. I may not have known what the priest was saying but it was an amazing experience. Just a side note... one thing more churches in the US should catch on with is having the priest dip the Eucharist in wine before placing it in your mouth. That way you get both in one swoop and you skip out on all the germs when everyone drinks out of the same cup. So anyway, at the end of mass, a few of the young men hoist this massive statue of Mary up on their shoulders and lead a procession to each of the churches on Caulonia Superiore (because of course there were at least 4-5 churches in the village). The local band followed and occasionally would play some music or drums but for the most part it was a parade of the local people who just gathered and walked behind the statue. Mara and I were of course at the head of everyone and right behind the band :) The precession could take a very long time so as we passed Peitro's house we stopped in for dinner that his wife Lela had prepared for us. Dinner with all the trimmings and as delicious as ever. We also had a wonderful time sitting and talking. Since it was a small group of people with only one conversation and topic, I was able to understand almost all of it without having Mara interpret for me. It was great :) After the precession ended, the band performed in the main Piazza, Piazza Meza, and tons of people gathered for drinks and snacks. There were also some areas where people were selling anything from necklaces to nuts. Just a wonderful time to hang out.

Italians can really stay out all night too. Mara and I went out with her cousins a few nights and were out until 4-5am! Way later than I could ever imagine going out until at home. But one difference about the nightlife is that it is almost a family affair. Children, families, young adults, and older adults all go to the same places and just hang out. Alcohol isn't so hyped up there since it isn't restricted from children or young adults. Not everyone who is out is out to get drunk. It was a nice change from the scene at home. And of course everyone is wide awake at 4am when I was about to fall over because most people take a nap after lunch. What a wonderful concept. We need to adopt that in the US. Most businesses in Caulonia would close from like noon to 5 because of lunch and napping. What would happen if that was implemented in the US... complete chaos! People wouldn't understand how to be so laid back!

After our stay in Caulonia, the Idoni family had to say their goodbyes and we headed to Rome to stay with some more distant family. It was heart wrenching to see the genuine sadness in saying goodbye. The last time Mara's Papa was home was on his honeymoon 30 years before. The likelihood of him returning to see his sister is slim. It is amazing to think about how someone left everything they knew to provide a better life for themselves just like most American's grandparents or great grandparents did when they came to America. I couldn't imagine not seeing my siblings for 30 years.

It was a long and drawn out road trip to make it to Rome since Papa was the only person able to drive our stick shift vehicle. But we made it. And Papa, not being able to exert himself too much, arranged two bus tours for us... one in Rome and one to Florence. We saw Rome on the fly. We got out of the mini-bus and walked around the ancient Roman senate and the collesseum, but everything else was pretty quick stops. Rome is an amazing city. You have seen all the sights in pictures and history books, and to actually be there... it was just really awesome. It is a real, working city and when they decide to knock down a building to build something new, an excavation must be done and when something is discovered (which is always the case) there is a new ancient ruin to learn about and look at. It was so weird seeing a gas station, a bank, an office building, and an ancient ruin all on the same block. Amazing.

Florence was a very short stop as well. It took our mini-bus over 3 hours to get there because traffic was insane. And, instead of the driver riding us around, we got out and walked so we did a bunch of shopping and waiting for everyone to catch up. Florence is much smaller than Rome so it felt a bit homier. I really liked it. And of course we saw some beautiful churches and the Ponte Vecchio bridge with all it's jewelry shops lining the street. Of course I needed to spoil my mommy a little bit and she is now the proud owner of a very pretty Florentine gold ring. Florence was a nice trip. More relaxing since all the main sights to see had lines that would have taken days to wait in. It was more us just strolling around.

The last day we were in Italy was designated a "rest" day by Papa, but I was in Italy! There was no time to rest! So, Mara, her two sisters and I decided to take a train from the family's house we were staying in (that was just a little outside Rome) into Rome to tour around the Vatican and do some more shopping. Everything went smoothly and we saw St Peter's church and all the Pope tombs and we climbed all the stairs to the top of the dome in St Peter's to behold a wonderful view of the city. We also went in the Vatican museum and got to see the Sistine Chapel. It was amazing. Just like the rest of Rome... you see these things in pictures and learn about them in school, and to be there looking at these marvelous paintings was almost surreal. And then our trip was over.

I had a long wait in the airport since everyone else was catching an earlier flight together back to Washington DC. When I finally got on my plane I basically slept the entire way (at least 7 out of 9 hours!) I am an amazing sleeper. I still can't believe I slept that much! I got a little delayed in Philadelphia but I made it home. And again... there is no place like home! I really missed toilet seats and regular shower stalls. Yes, I said toilet seats and shower stalls. For some reason, no public restroom in Italy is a place you want to go. In the US, if you are going out to eat, you use the restroom. Not in Italy. Most places just have a toilet... no seat. So either no one is going to the bathroom in public in Italy or everyone is squatting. I wasn't there quite long enough to figure out which was true. And as for the shower stalls... I only had two real showers where the water washed over my entire body the entire time I was there. One was in a hotel and the other was outside (sort of like to wash off from the beach). The families we stayed with only had tubs with a detachable shower head but the shower head was located by the knobs to turn the water on and off. You had to bath by wetting yourself, putting the shower head down, then suds-ing up, then rinsing. But it wasn't as easy as it sounds because there was no shower curtain and you couldn't really stand since you would get water everywhere. Not to mention you freeze. And... not much hot water or water pressure really adds to the popsicle effect.

I had a wonderful trip! All the good things and not so good things added up to a wonderful experience. I hope you enjoyed reading my tangent. Sorry it was so long... but unlike Semester at Sea I was in the country for 10 days. There is a lot to see, do, and talk about in 10 days :)

Love,

Megan

Posted By Megan O'Har on April 30, 2007, 5:05 PM

Hell.

I took a 13 hour bus from St. Petersburg to Riga, Latvia, simply because it was cheap. Like a third of the price of a train ticket. I knew it wouldn't be perfect, but it was ridiculously miserable.

I had coffee with Zhenya and Ed in the afternoon and when it was getting hazy outside I asked the time and found out I needed to get a move on. I ran back to the hostel to grab my bags and then went as quickly as possible (definitely NOT running with two massive backpacks) to the Metro station to go to the bus stop. I got the right Metro (which is a challenge in itself because all the signs are in Cyrillic) and stupidly got off a station too early, but I didn't realize it until I was wandering the street looking for the bus station. Back on the Metro to Pushkinskaya. My heart was in my mouth and I was extremely stressed that I would miss the bus. I made it there, covered in sweat, dirt and rain, with 5 minutes to spare. Ah. 8 pm off and moving west.

Tried to nap on the bus but it wasn't really conducive to that because we were all smooshed in and the driver was a madman.

3am. The Russian border. My bus is all Russians and Latvians, so the border was no problem for anyone except me. The guard took my passport and said something in Russian to me and walked away. 10 minutes later I was in the border guard office being yelled at (more likely being talked to, but quite honestly it sounds the same) by the guard. I said, "I'm sorry but I don't speak Russian," to which she screamed, "Well I speak no English!" The drama was because of my newly added extra passport pages, which she had never seen before, so she thought they were fake. She also didn't know what Homeland Security was, so we played a little charades. I drew her a little house and said home with some cooking motions, and security was even funnier, complete with shooting motions, which I wouldn't recommend doing at a border crossing. Once she understood, she still was pretty skeptical. I took my glasses off (night bus trip, ya know) and put my hair down and she still didn't buy it. She also didn't understand all the Chinese visas and was fascinated that I lived in China. It was a very surreal experience at 3:30 in the morning. I honestly thought that I was going to be sleeping at the border office for a night because she did not want to budge and really thought that I was using a fake passport. It was a tad scary, but thank God the guard was a woman and took a little pity on me. Essentially it was me and 4 guards as they examined every document I owned trying to suss out if they should let me through.

5am. Finally leave the border office. In the meantime everyone on my bus is furious at me and staring in the windows as to why we were held up for so long. Oh well. I got my passport and am in Latvia. Arrived at 9am Russia time, 8am Riga time. Found the hostel. Am waiting til my bed opens up and enjoying the internet. It is a cute little old town with markets that look pretty to die for.

I am trying to sort out plane tickets to Sweden but it looks like all of the budget airline ones are full- which is frustrating because I really don't know how else to get there. Oh well.

Yeah. So I am safe and a great hostel. It was scary and frightening for a few hours, but I kept thinking that I could write a funny blog entry about it so I forced myself to not break down. But really... I'm fine. And I can't wait to take a shower.

Posted By Caitlin on April 30, 2007, 5:58 PM

Still warm and feeling lazy from time in the hot tub, I relaxed with a late cup of coffee under the stars on the deck outside of my B&B room at the Sweetwater Spa & Inn. The smell of the fireplace mingled with the scent of pine trees and the ocean; I could hear the gentle lull of the tide against the cliffs just across the road. This secluded northern California coastal retreat was far away from the rush and noise of my home city of Chicago.

Ever since my first visit to Mendocino (www.mendocino.com) in 2000, I have returned several times to this sleepy village - population 825 - located approximately four hours north of San Francisco. Perched on the headlands above the mouth of the Big River, the village looks like it should be located somewhere on Cape Cod: clapboard Colonial-style houses line about a dozen streets, filled with art galleries, bookstores, caf�s, B&Bs and private residences.

It's peaceful, it's quiet, and it's a fantastic place if you love the great outdoors. The scenery is nothing short of awesome: surrounded by the ocean on three sides, and heavily forested hills roll away to the fourth. Route 1, the main way in and out of town, is lined with pine and redwood. I could spend hours perched on the headlands, watching the sunset linger over the Pacific.

My favorite place to stay in town is the Sea Gull Inn (www.seagullbb.com; 44960 Albion St.), a 9-room inn that was the town's first B&B. The white house with its southern ocean views and well-groomed gardens is perfect for a romantic getaway or just to relax. On my most recent trip here, however, the Inn was booked, and I ended up staying at the affordable and (pets-OK) Sweetwater Spa & Inn (www.sweetwaterspa.com). You will not find brand-name hotels in Mendocino; instead, you'll find lots of friendly local innkeepers and a wide range of accommodations, something for every level of the budget.

I often spend a night or two in Mendocino while making a loop through California wine country (www.winecountry.com) - and when I say 'wine country', I don't mean Napa Valley. It's not to say that Napa isn't wonderful in its own way; the best thing about it is that it's so compact that you can cover a lot of wineries in only a short period of time - say, a weekend.

If you have a long weekend, or a week - or more - to spare, do yourself a favor, and do a much broader tour of northern California. Get away from the Napa crowds and find yourself at wineries where you'll get more personal attention, and therefore have a lot more fun with the experience.

A few miles south of Mendocino, Route 1 intersects with Route 128. It's the main access from Mendocino and Albion to Cloverdale and Route 101 (which will take you back to San Francisco), but it has fairly low amounts of traffic. It is also the main road through Anderson Valley, a prime wine appellation area best known for its Pinor Noirs, but which produces many other high-quality wines at very reasonable prices.

You will not find any wine giants like Mondavi or Gallo here; what you'll find instead are some two dozen family-run wineries that concentrate on high quality products, and who also focus on being on very environmentally conscious. They're quite proud to discuss their efforts with you. To me, this is one of the best areas to do a relaxed, friendly tour of wine country. The tasting rooms aren't jam-packed with crowds nor are they overloaded with wine paraphenelia; instead, they focus on what they ought to: the region's wonderful wines. Many of the region's wineries still offer free tastings, or have very modest tasting fees.

My favorite of the Anderson Valley wineries is Navarro (www.navarrowines.com), in business since 1974. They produce an interesting library of wines which are sold almost entirely via their tasting room or online. You can also find their wines in discerning restaurants across the country. They make wines with unusual names like Edelzwicker, Navarrouge, and Gew�rztraminer, as well as a full rainbow of more well-known vintages such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. I love sitting on their deck with a picnic lunch and sharing a bottle of their wine while overlooking their vineyards.

If sparkling wines are more your style, then you'll want to stop by Scharffenberger (www.scharffenbergercellars.com) just down the road in Philo - if the name sounds familiar, it's because the same gentleman who founded this winery also founded a well-known chocolate company. Unfortunately, their tasting room has rather limited hours, but it's definitely worth a stop in if you see they're open.

Another Philo winery I enjoy visiting is Greenwood Ridge (www.greenwoodridge.com). Although putting out just 5,000 cases of wine per year, the winery has been named one of America's top 30 wineries three times in recent years by Wine & Spirits Magazine. Greenwood takes extra-gentle care of their grapes during crush to guarantee that the wines you find in their distinctive dragon-adorned bottle are as delicious as possible.

Next you'll come to Boonville, best known for its "Boontling" folk language. The area was heavily settled by Scottish, Irish, Pomo Indian and Spanish in its heyday, and it developed a unique vocabulary. Although the dialect is rapidly dying out, linguists enjoy studying it as a unique American language. Boonville is also home to the Anderson Valley Brewing Company (www.avbc.com), which is known for its excellent beers. The AVBC holds a beer festival on the first weekend of May each year; they call it ""The bahlest steinber hornin', chiggrul gormin', tidrick in the heelch of the Boont Region!"

From Boonville, you have two choices - head over route 253 to Ukiah and then further east via route 20 to the up-and-coming Clear Lake wine country, or head south along 101 through prime Sonoma wine country - Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Russian River. Oh, the choices are heady!

One could easily spend a great deal of time talking about Sonoma; and its wineries are definitely worth the time and exploration, but I'm going to take a moment to introduce you to Clear Lake.

As it turns out, Clear Lake (www.lakecounty.com) is the largest and oldest natural freshwater lake in California, and is located less than three hours from San Francisco. While it is currently best known for its fishing (it's been dubbed the "Bass Fishing Capital of the West"), there was a time when local wine production was actually much greater than Napa's. Prohibition took its toll on the region, however, and farmers turned to other crops which still dominate the county, notably walnuts and Bartlett pears. Clear Lake is much like Napa was thirty or forty years ago - still heavily agricultural, and only just starting to realize its potential.

Although a number of wineries are now established in the region, they are not all open to the public. A dozen or so tasting rooms ring the lake, luring a new generation of wine fans to discover the fruits of the region.

The one that impressed me the most on my visit here was Ceago del Lago (www.ceago.com), a biodynamic-certified vineyard on the lake's northern shores. Founded by Jim Fetzer (son of the famous winemaking family), Ceago is setting an example of what responsible winemaking should look like. Fetzer also plans to expand on his winery with an attached resort, which should help make Clear Lake a new destination for those wine fans 'in the know'.

Not far from Ceago is another local winery called Tulip Hill (www.tuliphillwinery.com). The tasting room staff here is just a delight and they have some really lovely wines. I particularly enjoyed a wine they make called 'White Mirage', which is strawberry-red in color and provides a really unusual, but delicious, flavor.

All this exploring will make you ready for a good meal and a good rest! Head up to the historic Tallman Hotel (www.tallmanhotel.com) in Upper Clear Lake to experience the first boutique hotel in the area. You'll enjoy outstanding world-class level accommodations at a price that will not break your pocket. To make your stay truly unique, book one of their Japanese "Ofuro" tub suites; and then wander next door to the Blue Wing Saloon (www.bluewingsaloon.com) for some top-end comfort cuisine.

So, next time you're heading for wine country, do what I like to do - skip the crowds and the overpriced everything in Napa Valley, and instead wander your way around Mendocino and Clear Lake counties. And maybe you'll see me there!

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