It came today, the package I’ve been waiting for, the package which makes me v close to becoming an Italian!! It’s true! About a year ago I learned that people who are even one quarter Italian (like moi) can apply for dual citizenship with Italy! It’s a process…lots of paperwork and lots of waiting but will be So worth it in the end. I will literally be able to live and work anywhere in the EU! So for me, that means Spain!! When I decided…
The Fairmont Mayakoba is a luxurious hotel in a jungle setting. It looks amazing. Soon we will find out for ourselves. One problem is that while I’m obsessively checking for the latest reviews, I keep seeing reviews that are 5 stars which are written by people who have never taken the time to write a review before! This makes me think many of them are fake! The Fairmont chain is HUGE and certainly their employees could be writing the reviews. Hopefully I am wrong! The…
Bermuda is one of those places that is pricy to go to. Flights to get there are a lot and hotels are also. I never understood why until I realized that, duh, it’s nowhere near the Caribbean! It gets lumped into Caribbean conversations bc it is an island, but it’s pretty special and very different. Bermuda is famous for being the tip point of a famous triangle of terror: the Bermuda Triangle. Ships go missing here, a lot. In fact, divers love Bermuda because they…
Mexico, May-Hee-Co, oh Mexico. You call me in your lovely Spanish accent! How many times have I answered your call? Let me see…..I am counting 7, not including cruises. Soon to be 8, and I can’t wait! You Know I LOVE HOTELS and Mexico has some of the best. They also have some of the best for the cheapest! (If you time it right) and, I am sad to say, that they have a few of the worst too. There are a lot of scams…
We spent a week in Venice this time and so spent a lot more time sightseeing than usual. We stumbled across a music museum which was free and fantastic, we saw the Duomo, we leisurely took in every experience. Venice is just a gorgeous place, so when people say to “get lost” in Venice, they mean that you really don’t need to do the touristy things to enjoy yourself, in fact sometimes it’s better that way. The first time we went to Venice we took…
Something about writing at 5 in the morning after an all-night battle with Mosquitos makes me less diplomatic. So just be warned. The view, look at this view! And you will love to look at it, Plus, generally in Italy you will find the main setting of the AC is set to not really go cooler than 72 degrees, and if you like it cool when you sleep, as we do, you may need the breeze and cool outdoor air to keep the room at…
Oohhhh shiiitttt, we were late to the party again! By late I mean we were there 25 min till close! Boboli is a gorgeous garden in Florence, a must see! After a late start, and a leisurely lunch at what we thought was an Indian restaurant (we had nan, tikka, palak paneer-the usual suspects) (Never call a Pakistani an Indian! lesson learned!) we decided to catch the park and purchase our 3 day Firenze pass there. Holy moly, a mustached troll (straight from Harey Potter)…
Have you heard of appertivos? I haven’t, but gosh do I like them! We did our now ‘usual’ walk into town, and after passing the glorious watchtower that dominates the area day or night, decided to follow our intuition to the side street where many locals seemed headed. Once we got there we saw several small restaurants with outdoor seating areas filled w the stylish people, old and young, you’d expect to find in fashionable Florence. One place called ‘Negroni’ caught my eye bc it…
You might find service in restaurants a little more relaxed in Italy, that’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just a little less intense. The reason for this is that the servers are paid a salary. They are regular employees. In the US serving can be a lucrative job for a person with good people skills, balance, memory, attention to detail, and initiative. Since tipping isn’t mandatory and everyone knows that servers depend on tips to pay their bills, servers must go out of their…
A red room for romance 🙂 There will be a lot more written about Villa la Vedetta, a slice of paradise overlooking Florence with the most welcoming and gracious staff, especially Massisimo!! We will be here for a week. Immediate impression is that this is a place to remember. There is something magical happening here and it’s easy to see why wedding parties rent out the entire 18 rooms. This is a place to relax, unwind, and fall in love again and again. We were…
