Travel tips – Page 2

London Pubs

March 24, 2017 by Notourguideneeded 1 Comment

While in London, we visited quite a number of London pubs (for research of course). I talked to several people about the difference of a London pub to a bar anywhere else in the world. Here were some of the responses that are worth noting:

It started with the Romans

When the Romans brought public roadways to England, they also brought with them public inns that would serve wine and food. These were called tabernaes or “taverns”. However, ale was the king of England and these tabernaes were quickly replaced with Ale Houses.

A tavern and an Inn – What is a London Pub?

There are very different terms for the different drinking establishments. Some still mean things today but many date back to historical laws or culture.

A tavern is any place that is licensed to sell alcohol. There might be a meeting room or other things on the premise as well as a bar.

An ale house is someplace that is exclusive to selling ale. They now may have other things, but Ale will be served.

An Inn is an alehouse that also has a few rooms for rent. It may not be as large as a hotel (but it could be). However, quite a few places would call themselves an Inn even if that wasn’t their main (or ever) purpose because alehouses in many regions couldn’t sell beer on Sundays unless they were an Inn.

Alehouses, taverns, inns etc all make up what is called a Public House, aka Pub.

Beer in Public Houses

There are two types of Pubs: A Tied House and a Free House

A tied house is required to buy at least some of its beer from a certain brewery. A free house can serve any beer that it chooses.

Try to know a bit of beer before you go

The pub might be crowded and you will need to order quickly. If it isn’t the bar keep will help you if you tell them it is your first time in a pub.

One of the things I heard over and over in London from people was that beer tastes different depending on who serves it. It is true. No scientific basis but something like karma or attitude goes into the brew. The bar keep will keep you entertained with stories and information as long as they are not serving.

Read here on types of beer and what to expect.

Timing matters

I was told over and over that the pubs close at 11pm. At 11:30 I asked the door guy when they close and he said around 2am. He said you could not stand outside and drink after 11pm and technically the bar is closed, although they still served and let people in or out. So, no standing outside but inside was just fine.

and that is another thing to know….

You get your pint and then can stand outside if you are not wanting to have a seat. It is kind of like the smoking area but not everyone is smoking. It is just nice to stand out with your beer on the street and people watch.

What else do you know about London Pubs?

7 Steps to Packing for Travel

February 22, 2017 by Notourguideneeded 3 Comments

How to pack minimally for any travel destination

Once we landed in Spain and fortunately had only used carry-on luggage. When we left the plane there was a significant amount of commotion and we quickly learned that the baggage handlers decided to go on strike. This happens more often than not, especially in Europe, and we have learned to never check our luggage. I have put together these seven steps to packing for travel, which is what I use. My personal best is 20 days with three climates (beach, normal and snowy) with only carry-on luggage.

1. Really determine how many days you are going to pack

This seems so logical, yet people will say they are going to be gone for 10 days and need to pack for 10 days. This is not true though. Do you leave on day 1? Do you need to pack for that day? Are you in the air for day 2? Do you need to pack for the return trip home? Really sit down and determine how many days you are really packing for and stick to that number.

2. Think hard about what kind of things you really will be doing

Yeah yeah, I know you are going to Paris and are going to run by the river every morning. But you really will be nursing a hang-over of all that good wine. Or if you do get up and get going, you need to get to the museums before everyone else does. Once I packed several party dresses (or suits) to go out in NYC, only after walking all day I had zero energy to dance all night. Best realistic with yourself.

3. Remember that other cities and countries have stores too

If you find yourself packing items “just in case” and you cannot decide on #2 above, think about if this is something you can purchase while away. Obviously if you have a stomach medication that you get from your doctor, you may want to bring that if you are worried, but all that cold medicine can be left at home. As a fellow allergy sufferer, I promise that all major cities in the world have medicine (and some have better than what you may be used to getting at home).

4. Tide is sold in travel packs. Or you can just pack a few pods in a ziplock baggie.

Why do people need to pack more than 3 days of underwear I will never understand. Unless your aunt has decided to visit that month, there is no need for over packing. You are on vacation, no one gives a damn about your underwear (and if they do, that should be a red flag). Wash in the night, hang it up to dry and go to bed. I do recommend three pairs, because some places will need a full day of drying.

5. Flats. Unless there is a reason.

Women – Heels are impossible to travel with and are only used for one reason. So, if you know you are going dancing (see #2 again), and are positive that you need to wear heels for the place you are going, by all means pack those babies! But if you aren’t sure about any of those questions, flats! Get your self a pretty sparkly pair that you can also wear with pants for dinner in another night and you are good to go. I have something like these and they are great!

Men – Can you consolidate your walking and evening shoes?

6. Consolidate as much as you can

Make a high level itinerary for yourself. You know you are going to three museums, five monuments, 4 parks, 2 shows, 2 days of shopping, etc. I promise you that no one will know that you are wearing the same outfit twice unless you are wearing a prom dress down 5th avenue (and even then, maybe not). You can totally wear one outfit on both museum days. If you know you are going to two shows, bring one neutral dress and two scarves. If you stick to solids or a lot of the same type of colors, your photos will be fine too!

7. Scarves

Women – When I tell you that this will change your packing life, I promise you it will. Invest in a comfortable black or neutral dress. Something that won’t wrinkle in our suitcase. Then pack scarves to mix and match. I have a collection that I have purchased on our trips, some very cheap off the street and some nice in a specialty store. They are worth the money. Expect to pay $10 -$80 but they will make one dress look like several. You can also match them with tank tops and other outfits. Also, you will need less shirts because you can mix it up with a scarf.

Men – Dark shirts with dark pants is all you need. No one is looking at you. They are checking out your girl’s beautiful scarves!

Please leave your comments below on any tips you have for us!!

7 Reasons to Visit South America

February 9, 2017 by Notourguideneeded 15 Comments

I have caught myself talking about South America a lot this week. It is my favorite continent for a variety of reasons and I wish more people, especially more Americans would visit it. Below I have compiled a list of “7 reasons you should visit South America”.

The Reasons:

1. The Food

Eating in most countries in South America is pretty similar. The best thing for me is they eat late dinner. Depending where you are that is between 8pm and 11pm. And when you eat dinner with the family or friends, you linger. This is not an eat and run culture.

The food is also not Mexican food. You will not find tortillas in South America. Dinner is served with arepas in Venezuela and bread everywhere else (and sometimes in Venezuela too).

Street food is big for lunch, which is generally an afternoon affair. While a lot of major stores are open, many smaller ones break for lunch from 1-3 or 2-4 (or some variation of that). So, you must plan ahead and make sure what you want to eat is open.

Montevideo Sandich — Montevideo Sandwich

2. If they do it, they do it right. For example:

The Amazon River has the largest water volume of any river in the world.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is considered the driest place in the world.
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world.
The Amazon Forest is the largest natural rainforest forest in the world.
The Andes Mountains is the longest mountain range in the world.
The Anaconda of the Amazon is the largest snake in the world.
The Brazilian Amazon is home to the largest native populations in the world.

3. The Festivals

There seems to always be some sort of parade or festival anytime we are in a city in South America. Sometimes we understand them, like the night before a football match in Cuzco there was a massive parade. Sometimes it isn’t as clear. Like one time we were in Buenos Aires and a huge parade was happening. People lined up many many blocks and there were several marching bands. We asked various people what the parade was for but never got a clear answer. The best we got was one woman flat out said “who knows!”.

4. The Colors!

When putting this post together I did a little research on what others thought were their top reasons to visit South America. VenturCo in this post reminded me that colors are a big deal. If there isn’t graffitti, it is the colors of the landscape and sky.

5. Street Art

When I think of South America, I think of street art almost as much as Berlin. Yep, I said it. The world’s longest mural painted by Alfredo Segatori is in Buenos Aires measuring at more than 2000 meters.

There are also some famous street murals you may be familiar with such as Evita. Check out this collection as well. Again, the colors will amaze you.

6. The inability to answer a question

I am fascinated by this. I wish I could have the ability to just talk without really a reason and totally avoid what was asked. If you ask “where is the market?” the answer will be something like “you know, if you are looking for some good fish, you could go down to the pier, but when you get there you have to stop at a bakery and ask for Maria and she will give you the best cup of coffee you have ever had. You know she and I are cousins. Well, maybe not real cousins but her mom and my mom were best friends, probably just like sisters and she was from the islands. Have you been to the islands?”

South American Snack Plate - Those olives were delish!! — South American Snack Plate – Those olives were delish!!

7. Catholicism Everywhere

When you go to a church many places in the world, it is sometimes hard to tell if a church is Catholic or not. In South America, it is a good bet it is Catholic. HOWEVER…

Some of the churches have mixed ancient / Indian culture with Catholicism, so there are variations from what you might be used to seeing.

For example, the Cathedral in Cuzco, Peru has a “black Jesus” named Senor de los Temblores (Lord of Earthquake) and is considered the patron saint of Cuzco. I still don’t understand it. I even found the priest there to try and understand it. There is a good photo here.

I hope I have inspired you to check the continent out a bit. Don’t worry about the language as most people speak English. If you need ideas, find me on social media! Good luck!

Solo-Travel is good for the soul…

October 5, 2016 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

When I was about 20 I decided to go to Italy with a group of people that I really didn’t know well. One of my professors was hosting the trip. I met a great group of folks but it was my first taste of independent travel. They wanted to see a bunch of stuff that I couldn’t care less about. I think half of the time I did my own thing. The joys of solo-travel.

The reason I am telling you this is because that was in 1995 (ish) and I haven’t really traveled alone since. How did I let that happen??

Yeah, I have traveled alone for work jobs but does that really count? I am not counting it.

And yes, I have had the occasional trips with people where we split up for the day/night. But that isn’t the same either.

In my head, I have traveled alone many times. Funny how the mind works.

So, today I hopped on a plane alone. I am going to the Albuquerque balloon festival in the morning.

I get off the plane. I can do whatever I want. There are no co-workers anywhere. No sweet hubs to lead the way. No family or friends.

I sat in the car. What do I do. I had a plan. But now it is real. What do I really want to do.

After a series of getting lost and not being able to find things in my purse, I decided to take the gal at the Hertz counter’s advice and drive to Santa Fe. If I get there early then I can drive back via the scenic route and catch the sunset.

And so I drive.

I stop off at some shops in Santa Fe. The town is lonely but not really my cup of tea.

Then I drive back. WOW.

To be alone at sunset with the natural wonders of the middle of New Mexico is incredible.

So, this trip will be two things – being alone with myself and killing it at the festival with my photography.

Follow me on Instagram of FB if you want to see my photos. I’ll post later.