Portugal: Our Trip Begins

As usual in my world of travel, nothing ever goes smoothly. We were flying to Lisbon from Hartford, Conn. via Philadelphia. While I hadn’t allowed a long layover in Philly, it wasn’t too tight either.  It wasn’t until our flight into Hartford was delayed. It had mechanical problems in Minneapolis and was at least a half hour behind schedule. 

Not to worry the desk crew assured everyone, the earliest connection was a 8:20 p.m.and we still had time. Our connection was 8:25 p.m. We sat there listening for updates which arrived regularly. We became friends with the other stranded passengers.

The fight ended up 35 minutes delayed, we made it to Philadelphia but of course, our gate was on another concourse three concourses away. It was a very long walk to get there. We did get onto the plane in plenty of time. Flying these days is such an adventure. Do you want to watch the movie? 

If you didn’t bring your own headphones it will be $5 to buy them. Want a beer or wine on an International flight, $7. Was there enough room in the overhead bins, barely and almost everyone was carrying on everything. The good news is that we didn’t have to pay to check our bags for an International flight.

Another piece of good news. The meal was actually quite good. Choice of pasta with white sauce and spinach or BBQ chicken with potatoes. Very good actually, this is the first time I can remember actually eating my meal in years. The salad came with a cream pepper dressing again very tasty, a rye roll, real butter and a little piece of carrot cake, how yummy is that?

We arrive at Lisbon at just about 8 a.m. in the morning. The lines were immense and we spent about 45 minutes getting through customs before we could go to baggage claim. Of course by that time our flight was no longer listed so we had to find someone who spoke English to help us find out what had become of our luggage. Good news again, it was all lines up next to one of the carousels. We headed out to find a taxi to our hotel.

Just a note, in Lisbon most people we met especially our cab drivers don’t speak more than a word or two of English, hotel employees on the other hand do speak impeccable English.

 Lisbon airport is only 4 miles outside the city, Depending on where your hotel is, this is going to be an inexpensive trip in. For 4 of us and all our luggage to Graca where our hotel is located was with tip 20 euros. It was fast, easy and safe.

View of Lisbon

We booked our hotel months in advance. They were waiting for us when we arrived. There had been a bit of a computer glitch. They were renovating and the person in charge of putting in the number of rooms available to let had not taken into account the ones being renovated. There was no room for us tonight.

The good news, they had gotten us a room at a 5-star hotel across town and they were going to pay the taxi to take us there. They were going to give us the room at this hotel for the same rate were paying at the Mundial and then they would pay for us to come back tomorrow.

Since we had no alternative plan we said okay Well I wish we could have spent our whole vacation at the Corinthia Hotel. It is gorgeous. The rooms are sleek and modern, the bed was very comfortable, we were allowed in our room by 11 am so we got to rest before beginning to make the rounds. 

Wonderful staff and I have to say a gorgeous hotel. Only one day into our adventures in Lisbon and already the excitement has started.

Virginia: Butterflies in Roanoke

As part of our visit to Roanoke, Va. we visited the Science Museum of Western Virginia and within the museum, The Butterfly Garden. Here are some of the photos that I took. 

Flashback Thursday: Local Shopping in Thann France

What drew me into this shop was a wonderful window display featuring a lovely table cover embroidered all over with blue and silver flowers and candles. It was Christmasy but in my color palette.

It is a small shop, and no one spoke much English. By this time, I felt I was getting quite good at communicating in French, and I asked the price of the piece I liked. It was way too expensive. The disappointment must have shown in my face, and I did manage to say "il est trop cher pour moi". Well, that got me a 20% discount, and I am now the proud owner of a beautiful table cover from Germany.

I was so excited, I couldn't wait to show Joe and Bob, and soon they too were milling around the small shop looking for one-of-a-kind gifts. Joe finally settled on a tray made of cloth that is a toast holder, and it came with a jelly jar cover and a jar of jelly. It had a strawberry design and was very pretty. It was a gift for his friend Jackie, who traveled with us to England last fall.

Bob had them cut some lace doilies for him from bolts of lace they had. He has never been able to find ones for his end tables, and these were cut to exactly the size he wanted.

We had a great time here, and actually, considering how small the shop is, we spent quite a while looking through all the pretty and unusual things they had. They also do alterations and custom sewing here. We had a good laugh about that. Just the night before I had hemmed a new pair of pants for Joe (who still hadn't received his lost suitcase) by hand with a little traveling sewing kit I had picked up on one of my trips. We never thought we would be able to find someone to sew them, so being a trooper and the only woman on the trip, I volunteered to do the job. If only I'd known, I could have saved my fingers. Actually, I got quite a bit of mileage out of that little sewing job; when it's three-to-one, I need all the advantages I can get.

 

I didn't take any pictures in the shop but this one of the streets in Thann and it may or may not be the one on which the shop is located but it is filled with charm.

Enjoy the Summer In Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley

Summer in Lehigh Valley is jam-packed with Family Fun

Discover Lehigh Valley » Travel Tips » Summer in Lehigh Valley is jam-packed with Family Fun

Let’s get this summer started! Lehigh Valley this time of year is jam-packed with places for you and your family to celebrate and have fun together.

So plan to get wet, go wild, play ball, hit the parks (baseball, amusement, water—Lehigh Valley has it all), or take in great music festivals, and more! Let’s get this summer started!

10 ways to enjoy family fun this summer in Lehigh Valley, Pa.

Putt U is a miniature golf experience like you’ve never played before! It features two world class 18 hole miniature golf courses, with long and winding holes that will challenge both kids and adults alike. Find out why Putt U has been voted Lehigh Valley’s #1 min-golf course 39 times!

Lehigh Valley Zoo has been voted Best Family Day Trip in The Morning Call’s Readers’ Choice Awards for five years straight, and you’ll see why when you go on your own safari. It’s home to approximately 300 animal ambassadors from African penguins to zebras. Bring a camera to capture your wild day and be sure to slither through the brand new RAD (Reptile & Amphibian Discovery) Center. The Zoo is located in the heart of the majestic 1,100-acre Trexler Nature Preserve, where you can expand your family adventures to include hiking, bike or horse riding, picnicking, fishing, or archery hunting. Both attractions are easily accessible from all major highways

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: From roller coasters and thrill rides, to Dinosaurs Alive! and Planet Snoopy, there’s something for kids of all ages (and heights) at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom. Enjoy two great parks in one convenient location.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, present the rising MLB Stars of the future at beautiful Coca-Cola Park all summer long. Coca-Cola Park has been named one of the best stadiums in baseball, and the IronPigs have attracted the biggest crowds in the minor leagues for the last six seasons. Catch a game or two and you’ll see why. Don’t forget to bring your appetite for bacon, too!

Crayola Experience is the only place in the world where the magic of Crayola comes to life! More than 60,000 square feet of wonderful, whimsical adventures await your family at this one-of-a-kind attraction in Easton, the birthplace of Crayola crayons. The Crayola Experience was completely re-imagined in 2013 and features 21 attractions that allow kids to explore art and technology, express their creativity, and experience color in a whole new way. You and your kids can do everything from building a custom marker to animating your creations on a huge digital projection.

ArtsQuest celebrates arts and culture , movies, music, educational programs, festivals, and so much more all year long.

Dutch Springs is the place for families to dive into for summer fun. Learn to snorkel or scuba dive, climb on inflatables in the middle of the pristine lake, scale the rock climbing wall and ropes course, or spend the night under the stars on the campground. The wonderful world of water is waiting for you!

C.F. Martin & Co.

Martin Guitar Factory gives you the chance to see the history of music being made. Martin has been hand-crafting the finest acoustic guitars in the world for over 175 years. Take a tour and see the guitar and the music come to life. Be sure to stop by the museum and pick up some apparel and souvenirs at the 1833 Shop.

Da Vinci Science Center is the place where science comes brilliantly to life! Experience a two-story exhibit floor, nearly three dozen programs for visitors of all ages, and engaging regional workforce initiatives. Exhibits include: Hurricane Simulator, Built Like A Mack Truck, KEVA Build It Up!, What On Earth?, and more!

Lehigh Valley Kidsventure is a partnership of many attractions, nonprofit organizations, and hospitality venues throughout Lehigh Valley promoting activities and experiences that can be enjoyed by you and your family throughout the summer. Led by Da Vinci Science Center’s National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers, Kidsventure wants everyone to “Explore the World Around You!” (You can get discounts at lots of great Lehigh Valley venues too.)

 

Exclusive Lehigh Valley Special Events

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, June -August. This leading Shakespeare festival shakes the rafters with its national reputation for excellence. A professional theatre company housed on the campus of DeSales University, the festival highlights a special “Shakespeare for Kids” production. This high-energy, one-hour production is designed for children 4 to 10 to actively experience Shakespeare’s vibrant language and characters. With exciting new content every year, S4K activates imaginations and generates laughs for the whole family.

Kutztown Folk Festival, June 27-July 5. The Kutztown Folk Festival is the oldest continuously operated folklife festival in America. This nine-day event continues to draw visitors from all over the world, entertaining families while providing a wonderful look into the Pennsylvania Dutch traditions and way of life. See why it’s been featured twice in National Geographic and called “one of the most unique festivals on the East coast” by the Washington Post.

Musikfest, August 1-10. Musikfest is 10 days of fantastic live music on 14 different stages throughout Bethlehem’s historic district and the new SteelStacks arts campus. From the opening note to the closing act, more than 500 free performances take place in the city’s streets, parks, plazas, and historic areas. Tune in to over 60 food vendors, some of the nation’s finest artisans, children’s activities, fireworks, and more. Headliners so far include ZZ Top, Reba, Jerry Seinfeld, Daruis Rucker, Culture Club, and Alice in Chains.

Provided courtesy of Discover Lehigh Valley

The Great American Road Trip

Anyone who grew up in the 1950s understands very well what a 'Road Trip" was. It meant that our parents loaded us all into the car with luggage, a cooler with food and not a reservation in site. Every family had a different route and maybe even several.

It may have been a trip to grandmother's house in another state or off to one of the amazing parks that dotted the county. You could visit the  North Pole in New Hampshire or Santa's Land in Putney, Vermont. Can you tell I grew up in New England? Maybe your family came to Connecticut to Lake Compounce in Bristol which was and still is a great family attraction.

My family got into our car with all the above-mentioned things and headed to Canada. In the days before the Interstate Highway System, we would travel about 250 miles a day on Route 5. We would stop in southern Vermont and eat our picnic lunch. Sandwiches, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh fruit, homemade cookies and a thermos full of lemonade and Koolaide mixed.

We would pull into a motel in northern Vermont as darkness was falling often staying in little individual cabins. For kids, this was especially exciting since we never stayed anywhere except maybe our aunt's house. We actually got to eat in a restaurant on the second day, also something that rarely happened.

We were not a very cultured family, I never remember as a child stopping at any historic sites or anything of that nature. I am sure that many families did but for us, the road trip had a destination and was not a vacation on its own.

These days, I love a road trip. We use the trips north and south to Florida to visit lots of places along the way. Two years ago we did pretty much the same thing as we traveled west to Rockford, Ill.

Do you have memories of summer road trips? I would love to feature some guest articles from other bloggers about your road trip experiences.

Belgium: Musee BELvue Brussels

Located on the no. 93 tram line, the Musee BELvue is a museum dedicated to the history of the Belgian Royal Family.

For a combined ticket price of €10, you can visit the dynasty collection and the archaeological dig. I will always remember this museum fondly because of their dedicated staff. Not only were we warmly welcomed when we bought our tickets, but one of the docents spent a great deal of time with us recounting his personal encounters with the Belgian royals.

As you walk the beautiful halls of the palace,  you travel on a chronological trip through the brief history of the Belgian Royal House, beginning with Leopold I, who was the Duke of Saxe and Prince of Coburg Saalfed. He was the uncle of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria and husband of Princess Charlotte of England until her untimely death. He married the daughter of the French king two years after he ascended to the throne of Belgium, and so we see that the royal family is not really Belgian at all. You would never guess this by the love that is shown in the Baudouin Memorial.

The museum consists of three parts. The dynasty section has rooms dedicated to each monarch and their spouse. Each of the rooms contains pictures, mementos, and furniture. In the hall is a large genealogical chart where you can place each monarch in his or her correct sequence. On the first floor, there is a very moving video about the funeral of former King Baudouin, as well as a large exhibit covering his reign -- this is the second section. Fascinating as all this is, it pales in comparison to the archeological dig.

Have you ever wanted to walk through the streets of a medieval city? Well, here you can; there are streets and the foundations of buildings located under the museum and under Place Royale. This former palace of the Dukes of Brabant called the Coudenberg, had its beginnings in the 11th century and was destroyed by a fire in 1731. 

Subsequent building in the area caused it to all but disappear. This is probably the luckiest thing that could have happened because it has been spared total destruction and now can be enjoyed for generations to come. It really is like a city beneath a city and is amazingly large. The streets are cobbled, and some of the streets even have names. It is a fascinating walk through history.

I have to say, the Musee BELvue was one of my favorite  places to visit in Brussels and not to be missed by anyone who enjoys history. 

Portugal: A photo visit to Cabo da Roca

On our visit to Portugal, one of the places our guide Victor Emmanuel took us to was Cabo da Roca. It is a beautiful spot and is the farthest western point on the continent of Europe. Here are a few photos from that visit.