Month: May 2023

Travel Souvenir Ideas

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Shopping, souvenirs, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Who doesn’t love to bring home souvenirs both for yourself and others-but what to get??? Before every trip, I make a list of possible items to seek out to purchase while I am there. Depending on where I am going, I research what the place is known for (think Florence=leather) and who do I need to buy stuff for besides myself. If I’m going on a girls trip, I better be bringing home something good for my husband, which is usually vinyl because he collects it. Always, I need to bring home good gifts for the grandkids. I try to bring home unique Christmas gifts for the family. You get the idea!

One new tradition that I started with our last trip to the UK, Paris and Italy was to send myself the most beautiful post card I could find from every place we went. When we got home, we had a great memory of our trip waiting for us and we ended up framing them.

So, make a list of the who, what and where for your souvenir list and then do a little research. Looking for vinyl-go to Yelp in advance for the city you are going to and read the reviews/check store hours and put it on your agenda. Don’t wait till the last minute to get your list checked off as other priorities can come up during a trip and then you leave with regrets that you weren’t able to get what you wanted-it has happened to me several times and I learned. Below are some suggestions for you based on my travels.

KIDS

  • Stuffed animals local to the area: I found a wild boar that roars in Florence-so unique! We have a shelf for the grandkids with all these animals for them to play with when they visit. Oh, the fun they’ve had enacting stories with the panda bear I got at the Great Wall in China taking on the koala and kangaroo from Australia. Hint-the bear wins.
  • Ducks for the bathtub: our prize collection of ducks from around the world for our grandkids range from Vincent Van Gogh duck from Paris (look for these at museums!) to Roman Soldier duck (Bath-from the Roman Baths there but there was also a specialty store that had so many to choose from!) to Queen Duck that we got in Liverpool on the day that she died. I hope that after our grandkids grow out of creating elaborate stories playing with them in the bathtub, we will store them until their kids are ready.
  • Placemats: We started this tradition when we were in Paris and placemats were easily found in many gift shops. When I got to Florence, I looked everywhere for them and finally found one. My sister took photos from our trip and had several placemats made for me too. I let the grandkids pick one every time they come over to eat (see picture below of placemats from our girls’ trip to Bath, England). This way we can talk about the places we’ve been and encourage a love of travel in them early on. Oh, the places you’ll go!

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

  • Christmas tree ornaments: good for those who celebrate. My sister bought handblown ornaments for her entire office staff and had them shipped from the store in Bath. I love our NYC landmark building ornaments that we bought. Buy bubble wrap at a local stationary or postal store to carefully pack anything fragile.
  • Custom products: make all kinds of cool stuff with trip photos. For our girls’ trip, I took pictures from our trip and had them made into coasters and luggage tags for the ladies and myself. I use Shutterfly to create items like this but there are lots of online companies to pick from.

ITEMS ANYONE WOULD LIKE

  • Food specialty items: think coffee beans (Hawaii) or tea bags (UK); Just remember that you will have to pack these items away in your checked bag or, if you are like me and only travel with a carry-on, they will have to be small to stay within liquid restrictions. Anything that smears is considered a liquid so that would include jams, honey, etc. in Europe.
  • Booze: buy what the locals drink-Scottish whiskey; Tuscany wine. Again, with liquid restrictions, you may want to see if the place will ship the booze home for you. I tried that with wine from a vineyard we visited in Tuscany and almost all the bottles made it but we did have one bottle break and shipping took two months.
  • Scarves: whether it’s designer (Milan) or handwoven (Ireland) both men AND women like scarves for fashion and to keep warm. No worries about the fit/size and super lightweight and easy to pack. Perfect gift!
  • Leather: eyeglass case, makeup case, handbag, bookmark, etc. We have purchased lots of items from the Florence Leather School because the students make the items there at the school and they offer free engraving.
  • Magnets: easy to find at any tourist store and so many people love these to post items on the fridge.

STUFF I LIKE TO BUY

  • Pillow covers: My home is filled with pillows from everywhere in the world from China to Italy and all places in between. Many places sell the pillow cover, and you can get the pillow insert from Amazon when you return home. Easy to pack into a full carry-on, pillow covers can even be used to wrap and protect other souvenirs you buy like jewelry. We bought fabric at Liberty of London and Patti used it to make us pillow covers for Christmas presents since we couldn’t find any pillow covers to buy on our girls’ trip to London.
  • Kitchen towels: most places you can find kitchen towels. My favorites are from museums and Parliament gift stores (we have visited both the Scottish and UK Parliaments) They are light and won’t break and I use them every day in my kitchen.
  • Jewelry-I love to seek out unique jewelry pieces to bring home. They are easy to pack and every time I wear them, I have such fond memories of the trip. I have several jewelry artists that I’ve met on my travels and that I collect jewelry from now. It’s so special when you have seen the artist in action and then get to wear one of their pieces. Here are some favorites of mine:
  • Starbucks city mugs: I know, they are heavy and fragile and thus terrible items to pack, but I just love them and have collected them for years. From Moscow to Paris to Shanghai, I’ve got them and have wonderful memories of seeking them out wherever we are. On the last girls’ trip to London, we scored the original version of the London mug from a Starbucks we just happened to find when we got lost. This particular style with the raised images has been discontinued and run about $80 each on eBay so we all bought one and I drink my tea (also from the UK) in it. Next trip up is Milan in June. They have a Starbucks roaster fancy café so I’m hoping the mug selection is broad and that means I’ll be hauling it all over Italy/Switzerland for a few weeks before I return home, hopefully with it in one piece.
  • Local art: Walk the streets of Montmartre in Paris and you’ll find local artists sketching away and selling their art. We discovered a street artist in Florence who goes by the name Blub and then stumbled upon a limited edition print of Blub’s art in a local store. We were thrilled and bought a cardboard tube and had the studio roll it up for me to pack. It is now framed and hanging on our wall at home and is a fabulous reminder of our time spent hunting down Blub’s street art in the quaint streets of Florence.
  • Eyeglass frames: get the frames and bring home to get the lenses put in by your local optical place. I’ve had success with Costco. My frame collection is growing, and I now have two pairs from Florence and one from Tokyo.

I hope you can find awesome souvenirs next time you travel that will remind you of your adventures. Enjoy the journey!

Top 5 tips to book an Airbnb stay

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Airbnb, Europe, Travel, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, Uncategorized, vacation2 Comments

Gazing out the window at the lively Montmartre cafes, I truly felt a part of the Parisian culture on a recent trip. This is one of the reasons I book an Airbnb for our stays that are a week or more. While I love my Marriott hotel stays, those work best for just a few days. An Airbnb is great for longer term stays and for groups like for our girls’ trips because we need more bathrooms and beds than a hotel room can provide. In Florence, we rented out an apartment in a villa (see top left pic below) where the family lived in one section, and we enjoyed three levels of living in a separate wing of the building. When my husband and I travel, often I will be working remote for a month or longer, so having strong Wi-Fi and a washer are necessary. I just booked our stay in an apartment in Strasbourg, France for a month, where I’ll be working remote during the week and taking day trips all over France on the weekends. My girls trip this year will be a stay in Paris on the Ile Saint-Louis Island in an amazing Airbnb with a water view. So much to look forward to!

Doing research before booking your Airbnb is crucial to having a happy stay so please read my tips below before you hit that “reserve” button and enjoy your journey!

  1. Read the reviews. If there are complaints about noise and the beds being uncomfortable, look elsewhere. You need a good night’s sleep when you travel. If there are no reviews, don’t book it. The listing may be new and that’s the reason for zero reviews but let somebody else try it out first. The host should disclose any issues with the rental in the description (one posting I just read stated that “If you are 6-feet +, consider other bookings because one area of the ceiling has a clearance of 5’11”) but sometimes hosts aren’t so forthright so reviews are where you will discover the truth.
  2. Choose a Superhost if at all possible. They will care more about providing a clean, consistent experience because they want good reviews. If something is amiss, they will be more likely to make it right. We checked in to one apartment in London and the cleaners hadn’t shown up yet, so we had to drop our bags and leave once they did come. However, the host gave us a full night’s credit back to our Airbnb account which was absolutely the best outcome of a situation that can happen.
  3. Check out the neighborhood before you book. Some hosts provide the address up front, and others will only show a location in the general neighborhood “exact location provided after booking”. Either way, do your due diligence and investigate. We got a super deal on a place in Lisbon, Portugal but the neighborhood was a little rough, so we didn’t feel comfortable going out at night so now I go to Google maps and look at street view level to get a feel for the neighborhood before I book. Usually, the host will include details in “Getting around” section about what you can walk to like a market and public transportation nearby. Is accessibility an issue for you or members of your group? Is the neighborhood hilly or are there stairs to climb to the local market? All good thinks to know in advance.
  4. Consider the cancellation policy. Cancel policies vary by property so make sure you check. You will usually see for each listing either: “Free cancellation before (insert date)”, which is usually 30 days prior to start of reservation OR “Free cancellation for 48 hours”. Believe me, life can happen and with a restrictive cancel policy you will lose your entire payment. My husband had a heart attack, and we couldn’t go to NYC on a planned trip. Even after explaining the situation to the host, he refused to refund our money and he was within his rights to do so given that apartment’s published cancel policy. I was still upset, and, after that incident, I now refuse to book a place that doesn’t have a more lenient policy where I can get a 100% refund within 30 days of start of reservation.
  5. Check amenities and accessibility. I have stayed in Airbnbs all over Europe. Many places have steep stairs to not only get to the apartment but also within the unit. Elevators are as rare as air conditioning, dishwashers and dryers in many countries. If these are important to you, check to make sure the place you have picked to rent has them. Even small details like having a coffee pot for me are important. One place we rented had nothing but an electric kettle which is fine for tea. We had a lovely time shopping in the local neighborhood for a french press and coffee, leaving it all behind after our week’s stay so the next renter might enjoy it. If you will be working remote and need strong Wi-Fi, check the reviews to see if other renters have had any issues and check with the host. Where we stayed in London recently not only had 5 flights of stairs inside the unit but the Wi-Fi and cell coverage was weak and only worked in a few places inside the unit, which was just inconvenient for us. At our New Zealand cottage on the water, the host provided free use of kayaks and we had an amazing paddle around the bay. Our France rental this fall has use of bikes to get around the city which I am sure we will use on our month-long stay.

I hope these tips help you book an amazing place. Safe travels!

Top 5 Travel Packing Tips

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, packing tips, Travel, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, Uncategorized2 Comments

I recommend you pack only a carry-on for whatever length of time you are travelling. Seriously, I went all over Europe last fall for 30+ days with only a carry-on. And this was a multi-purpose trip for me-I work remote, so I had to look business-like on virtual meetings and also had personal time off to enjoy sightseeing with my husband. If I can do it, so can you! Don’t be disappointed by lost baggage or sustain injuries caused by dragging around and lifting heavy luggage. If you follow my best practices, learned from travelling all over the world with only a carry-on, you will thank me. Enjoy the journey!

Here we go: (downloadable travel checklist here Packing Checklist – Travels with Melinda)

  1. Pick a color palette and coordinate your outfits around it. I use black as the base and plan pops of color with scarves and jewelry. I envy people who can wear white shirts but mine just end up with stains so white is a no go for me.
  2. Try out the clothes in advance of the trip to see if they are comfortable and won’t wrinkle. When you wear them, are they comfortable and do they make you feel good? If so, take a picture to remember the look and put it in your packing list file. I’m a planner and start updating my basic packing list months in advance of any trip depending on where I am going and expected weather conditions.
  3. Lay out your 5 outfits (this is for any length of trip over 5 days) on the bed-tops, bottoms, underwear, socks, jewelry, scarves, etc. Then, see if you can mix and match them to create new looks. When you have your outfits picked, I recommend you roll all your items, sorting them into packing cubes by function, i.e., underwear/socks in one, tops in one, bottoms in another, etc. I use a hanging organizer for my jewelry and a hanging toiletries bag. Any clothing that is heavy or bulky won’t make the cut.
  4. Wash the chosen travel outfits in the sink and hang them to dry to test their worthiness before the trip. If they don’t dry overnight or dry but with terrible wrinkles, don’t pack them. That includes socks and underwear too. You may have the luxury of a washer at an ARBNB, but you probably won’t have a dryer at least in Europe and, if you’re at a hotel, you may be washing in the sink using handy laundry soap sheets that are easy to pack.
  5. Check the weather right before you go and adjust outfits as needed. Don’t need that umbrella and poncho? Great! Do need hat and gloves? Pack them. You don’t want to be cold, wet and miserable, so better to be prepared.

 More details on exact items I recommend for the best travel experience can be found on my website: Travel Essentials – Travels with Melinda.

New York City-Top 10 Free Things to Do

On By Travels with MelindaIn New York City, UncategorizedLeave a comment

New York City is my favorite place in the world. I had the great fortune to live there for six months on a work assignment for Microsoft and have also travelled there extensively over many years for both business and pleasure. I even married a born and bred New Yorker! And while I’ve travelled all around the world, I still have yet to find a city that rivals NYC. Just walking around the various neighborhoods, eating $1 pizza and bagels from the street carts, strolling through Central Park and visiting many famous museums keeps me busy. Most of what I love to do in NYC is FREE! So, I’m going to share with you my favorite free things to do in NYC. Enjoy the journey!

Central Park (Your Official Guide to Central Park I… | Central Park Conservancy (centralparknyc.org) is where real New Yorkers go to exercise and relax. Check out Belvedere castle, the turtle pond, and the great lawn. Wander around and take care not to get run over by the many bikes, roller bladers, horse carriages, etc. on the roads and pathways. It’s beautiful.

NYC Public Library tour (https://www.nypl.org/events/tours/schwarzman) I love libraries in general, but the NYC main library is by far the best I’ve seen. I didn’t appreciate how special it was until I took the free tour that took us behind the scenes and throughout all the areas you wouldn’t normally see. My husband found out that the tour guide won’t tolerate talking in the library as he got “shushed” more than once. Especially now as libraries and censoring our books is a real issue, go to the NYC Public Library and celebrate this amazing institution of learning and culture.

Little Island Park Home – Little Island is fairly new and located in Hudson River Park. It’s a great place to take a walk, enjoy the view of the Hudson and perhaps catch a concert if you’re lucky. Great pit stop when exploring the High Line and Chelsea neighborhoods-clean and plentiful public bathrooms!

High Line Walk Home | The High Line Enjoy a stroll on this former NYC railroad line. Great for people watching AND exercise. Open daily from 7 am to 10 pm. Maybe you might even stumble upon some cool street music like the picture above in one of the local parks in the neighborhood. We even saw a grand piano one time being played in a park. Awesome random experiences like that happen all the time in NYC and is one of the many reasons I love this city so much.

Grand Central terminal Grand Central Terminal – Be Transported Open since 1913, this terminal is not only a transportation hub but an iconic NYC landmark. One of Grand Central’s main attractions is the four-faced opal clock that sits in the center of the Main Concourse above the Information Booth. Grab a cocktail at The Campbell Bar, restored to its original grandeur on the balcony level or try the Oyster Bar, the oldest restaurant in the terminal. Cheers!

Times SquareTimes Square NYC When in NYC, you have to at least walk through Times Square to gawk at the bright lights in the big city. Word of caution-don’t touch the many characters walking around-who knows the last time that costume was washed! If you take pictures with them, they expect to be paid. You’ve been warned. Look but don’t touch!

Visit the TKTS booth here if you want to see a Broadway play that night and spend 30-50% less than the ticket price. Our jam was going to Broadway when we lived there and once a week we would line up and see whatever was available that night.

Museums-below are the “free” details but always check on the museum website just before you go to make sure there haven’t been any changes! More details here: Free Museum Days or Pay What You Wish | NYC-ARTS Here are some of my NYC favorites:

Metropolitan Museum of Art aka The Met The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org) It is always “pay as you wish” so make a donation or walk in for free-up to you! When we lived in NYC, we got a membership and went at least once a week. My favorite rooms are the Temple of Dendur and the rooms that are exclusively Monets everywhere you look-heaven! Check out the Cloisters (part of the Met) north of the city. Worth the subway ride to get to.

Morgan Library The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, founded by Pierpont Morgan free every Friday from 5-7 pm! Libraries are my happy place and this mansion filled with books is a shrine to the written word from the Gutenberg Bible to Mozart’s scores to fabulous art.

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) MoMA For NYC residents, the first Friday of every month from 4-8 pm is free but you still need to book tickets online-it gets busy! Children 16 and under are always free. MoMA offers one free admission to active members of the US military with valid ID as well as free admission for military families with dependent cards. Tickets are available at the Ticketing Desk.

Governors Island Park is a 172-acre park in New York Harbor. A des­ti­na­tion for trans­for­ma­tive pub­lic art, unfor­get­table events, cul­tur­al and edu­ca­tion­al pro­gram­ming and recre­ation­al activ­i­ties for all ages-check the website Governors Island (en-US) (govisland.com) for more details on event programming. Wear comfortable shoes and go on a nice day to enjoy the island and the beautiful view of Manhattan.  We had the place to ourselves when we went as it is not a well-advertised tourist site. Hidden gem!

Open 7 am to 6 pm daily. Free ferry ride to get there on Saturday/Sunday before noon. Nominal fee at other times-buy tickets online: PURCHASE TICKETS (govisland.com)

Free, guided walking tours (not in the winter), departing from the Soissons Landing Welcome Center every Saturday and Sunday at 10:45am, 12:45pm, 2:45pm.

Concerts in the park in the summer – it’s a party! If you are travelling in the summer to NYC, enjoy the free musical and theater concerts in the parks. Check the event calendar here: Free Summer Concerts : NYC Parks (nycgovparks.org) We’ve enjoyed so many shows-some were planned to attend and others we just stumbled upon when we were walking around the city. Plan ahead and pack a travel blanket so you have a place to sit.

Neighborhood Walking Tours-Flatiron district When I lived in NYC, this was my neighborhood. From Madison Square Park where we would take our dog to the dog park to run wild with his pooch friends to gazing at the Flatiron Building to shopping at Fish Eddys, it was spectacular. Take a walking tour and find out the history of this magical place. Especially for architecture buffs, this 90-minute tour also include these landmarks: the New York Life Building, the MetLife Clock Tower, and the Appellate Courthouse. Tour is free but tip the guide! Every Sunday at 11 am, rain or shine. No RSVP or registration required.