Travel Tip Tuesday – More Ridiculous Airline Fees

I while back, I had written about Rising Airline Fees.

First it was charging for blankets, pillows and water.

Next came fees for checking a second bag. Then some went a step further and charged a fee for checking any bag.

And here we all sat wondering. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. What would the next round of fees bring?!

Well, last week the wait was over.

And I am warning you. You'd better sit down for this one.

US Airways and United will being charging a $5 fee- wait for it, wait for it- for actually paying another fee.

That's right folks a fee on top of a fee!

And it is getting downright disgusting.

Apparently if you pay your checked bag fee on-line when you book- you are receiving the "online discount" !? Oh, excuse me if don't jump for joy.

If you don't pay the fee online, you are penalized and charged five bucks at the airport.

United started charging the fee on June 10th, while US Airways will implement it on July 9th.

I mean c'mon. What am I missing here? Is it me or do the airlines think we are stupid? Am I the only one that feels like someone should just look you in the eye, remind you about the poor state of our economic affairs and simply ask me to pay five damned dollars more for my ticket.

I think I'd be more than happy to do it. And the airline would benefit as well. After all, think of all the money they will save on medical bills. No more iirate, frustrated passengers slugging airline customer service personnel at the check-in counter with the very bags they are being overchanged to check.

Savings should be in the millions!

And if you think that is the most shocking fee I have to tell you about, think again my friends.

Apparently, RyanAir, the discount European airline that already charges its customers for uh, checking in (5€ for on-line check in and 10€ for checking in at the airport) is exploring charging customers for using the lavatory. A fee to pee. And for, pardon my French, barfing in a bag.

Let's think about that last one for a moment, shall we? So, you are feeling sick on the flight. You know it's coming. You press the call button, wait for the flight attendant to come, dig out your money to pay for your barf bag and wait for the flight attendant to return with it.

And by the time he/she does, instead of a barf bag- me thinks they should be charging me a clean-up fee. I'll save the coin and just use the seat pocket in front of me, thankyouverymuch.

I would never, ever, fly an airline that charged me for involuntarily carrying out bodily functions. Would you?

So, just as we did last time, we wait. Wait to see what other stupid, dehumanizing fees the airlines can cram down our throats.

What do you think? Getting tired of these silly fees? What ridiculous travel fees have you encountered or heard of lately?

Time to fly on over to My Bella Vita for Cherrye's Travel Tips. And the best part- no additional fees to get there!

Are you a Journeywoman?

Well, I sure hope you are. I know I am!

Journeywomen is an unbelieveable resource for all those traveling gals out there. It is the ultimate online site for women travelers.

Journeywomen offers advice on shopping, travel, packing, destinations, spas, restaurants, solo travel and so much more! You can sign up for the free newsletter, read the featured website of the week and browse through a veritable smorgasbord of travel related info.

The media has recognized Journeywomen over 300 times and the site receives over a million visitors a year! Must be doin’ something right.

And now, there is something else that Journeywomen has. My contributions!

That’s right, CEO and editor Evelyn Hannon, (@Journeywoman on Twitter) was kind enough to ask me to participate in a special feature on Italy travel for women.

About a dozen Italy experts (myself included) offered up some great tips on visiting Italy. Mine were centered around women traveling to Italy, alone.

So, if you haven’t heard of Journeywoman yet, now is a great time to pop over and read Experts Share Tips About Italy With Journeywoman.

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And if by chance you are arriving here for the first time from the Journeywoman site – let me give you a warm welcome! Or should I say, Ciao?

Grab some coffee, browse my travel tips, recipes and musings about Paris and Italy. If you don’t want to miss another post, you can subscribe through RSS or through email. Just scroll up to the top right hand sidebar and click on the RSS button, or enter your email addy and hit subscribe.

It’s that easy!

You can also follow me on Twitter. I am @MyMelange.

And why not end with the question we started with? Tell me why you are a Journeywoman? Why do you travel?

In Mourning

We are postponing Foodie French Friday because I am mourning the two great losses yesterday. Unfortunately, I just don't have the heart to wax poetic about French Food.

Sadly, Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer yesterday. She was a brave, dignified, talented and classy lady. Right up until the end.

I know it was the teenage boys that were swooning over that famous red bathing suit poster tacked up on walls all over the country. But, seriously, what teenage girl didn't want to be one of Charlie's Angels and strike that pose?

You shall be missed.

And then the blow of Michael Jackson.

My God, you were a talent and a gift. An über star. The King of Pop is what they called you.

Thriller was the first album I ever owned. Many memories were created with that cassette, blasting from my Panasonic Boom-box in my backyard by the pool in the summer of '83. We mimicked your moonwalk, we grabbed our crotches. We danced. We sang. We did the "kick". You were cool.

I wore that poor cassette out. I think it finally gave out, shredding from over use.

My personal favorite on the album. Beat it.

In junior-high, I roller skated on the weekends to Billy Jean, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough and PYT. In high school, I did many a cheerleading routine to your songs.

And Thriller introduced me to music video.

I smile for the adorable, talented and charismatic 5 year old on stage, with his brightly colored outfits and obvious sparkle in his eye. He had the it-factor. That smile, those eyes, that voice.

But I am sad for the impossible and violent childhood he must have had to endure. Sad for the man he never got to become as a result of being trapped in that same childhood.

All the freakish surgeries, all the allegations, all the strange behavior seems to point to a tormented man.

But, tormented no longer. Hopefully at peace.

Enjoy Neverland Michael. You earned it. You Rocked!

Rome From Sunset to Sundown

Here is a collection of my favorite shots of our most recent visit to Rome, taken from sunset to the dark of night.

Care to share your favorite?

Oh, and speaking of favorite, you might remember my last Travel Photo Friday | Caption This post. I needed a caption for my silly photo. Well, I have picked a winner.

First, I must say how amazing it is that each person that looks at the picture sees something different. I love that about art. Everyone has their interpretation. Isn't that great?!

My favorite caption was "Statue of Libutty", posted by Vicki Floyd!

Vicki, your little prize will be on its way.

Thanks to all of you who commented! You really entertained me. Such witty readers I have!

Travel Tip Tuesday | My Top Five New Travel Sites

Well, at least they are new to me.

Travel sites pop up on the Internet like spring daisies after a wet winter. I always keep my eye open for new favorites. Here's the short list of my Top Five New-To-Me Travel Sites.

1. Do-Hop. How can you not like a name that conjures up images of hopping from place to place- and having somebody routing you on? Do-hop is a lightening fast search engine for cheap airline tickets and flights. It searches about 600 airlines around the world. A search for hotels and even a travel guide section are bonuses.

2. Ruba Travel. A picture is really worth a thousand words. And if you're like me, you can often see pictures of a place and think "Man, I have to go there". Well, Ruba is your site! Ruba is a collection of photo travel guides, put together by real travelers. And some of these photos are stunners! The best part? Each photo is linked to a Google map, so you can see exactly where it is. Why not sign up and make your own Ruba guide?

3. SimonSeeks.com. They bill themselves as the "You Tube of Travel." It's a travel guide site written by travelers, celebrities and journalists. They submit quality stories and users rate them-the higher up the chain, the more the writer gets paid. Writers categorize their stories to make it easy for the reader to find what they are looking for. You could enter "Churches in Rome" rather than just Rome to read what your interested in. You can filter your results further by budget. The site partners with many big name travel sites- so you can even book right from the site!

4. Oyster Hotel Reviews. This new site strives to compete with the big boys like Frommers, Fodors and TripAdvisor. A team of full-time journalists, take scads of pictures, sleep in the beds, talk to other guests staying there and then report back. Instead of tiny snippets of info, you get more like a magazine length feature. And each hotel reviewed has a small overview with a gorgeous photo and a short pro and con list. The best part- it's all impartial. Reporters pay for their rooms! And no red carpet treatment- hotel managment doesn't even know they are coming.

5. Bing. It's a Microsoft product. But let's overlook that unfortunate fact and give them a chance. Bing is calling itself a decision search engine (huh?). It offers airfare and hotel reservation tools, but also brings in the addition of travel news and info. It looks (and feels) an awful lot like Kayak and Farecast, but some have reported that Bing has returned lower fares than the others. It's worth playing around with it- especially if it saves you some cash in the end.

Have you tried any of these new sites? Share you thoughts! Or tell us about a new travel site that I haven't mentioned.

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And Do-hop on over to My Bella Vita for Cherrye's Travel Tips!

Behind Those Italian Doorways

Call them loggias, call them porticos or call them courtyards. Call them what you will. But hiding behind doorways of giant magnitude is sometimes a world unto its own.

By now, you should know that I have a fetish for doors. I have waxed poetic about them before. And I will soon do so again with my most recent Italian door pictures.

But sometimes, it is what is behind the doors that make my heart go aflutter.

I love walking along and seeing into these private little areas.

Sometimes, an automatic garage door opens and before your very eyes, you can see a car backing out and for a hot second, you get a sneak peek into a decorated courtyard.

I am always a sucker for decorative wrought iron gates and ornate dangling light fixtures.

How 'bout a closer look ?

The more ornate the better. I just love the pretty leaves on this gate. Simply stunning.

Columns, peeling paint and arches also go along way with me.

It feels a little sneaky, getting such an up close and personal look, especially when you aren't sure who is going to come out.

Other times, the doors remain wide open – almost as a welcoming gesture.

And though some interiors seem simple and bland..

It is what is peering out of the tiny notched opening that draws the eye in closer and makes you wish you could run up and touch it!

But perhaps my favorite is one that I could see myself coming home to everyday.

I think perhaps it is because of the dark and mysterious shadow of the motorcycle rider.

Or it could be the perfect combination of all the things I adore. The arches, columns, peeling paint, rows of lights and tons of wrought iron. And both natural and artificial light.

Which one could you see yourself coming home to every day?

Foodie French Friday: Crêpes

Hope you're hungry, 'cuz it is time again for another Foodie French Friday.

This week were are talking crêpes.

Acoording to The Short Guide to Foodie French, Crêpe pronounced [krep] is " a very thin pancake, briefly fried on both sides on a very hot and large griddle. Crêpes are often sprinkled with sugar or stuffed with a variety of sweet pastes or jams."

The French do have a favorite topping : Nutella, a popluar hazelnut spread (maple syrup has not seemed to reach France in any great quantity).

A specialty of the Brittany region, the salty version of the crêpe made using buckwheat flour bears the name galette.

In France, national crêpe-day is February 2, a celebration called Chandeleur.

Seriously, you gotta love a country that not only invented the crêpe, but dedicates an entire day to celebrating them! Add to that the fact that the French love to add Nutella as a fiiiling and I dare any one of you to fault me for being a staunch Francophile. Actually, I double dare ya!

I have made both sweet and savory crêpes. My favorite sweet fillings are, Nutella and strawberry, Nutella and banana (are you begining to see a pattern here?) butter 'n sugar and even Crêpe Suzette, which are filled with two of my all time favorites-oranges and booze. Yep. Grand Marnier.

Oh. My. God.

And my savory favs? Well, those include cheese, any and every kind, but I am especially fond of Gruyère. The gooier, the better. And to the oozing cheese, I like to add ham, onions, spinach and/or mushrooms in any combination.

I have a standard go-to crêpe recipe that I use to make them at home. But while in France, and Paris specifically, I love to grab both sweet and savory from street vendors and stroll the cobbeled streets near the Seine, eating my French street-food. Sure as hell beats the view from my kitchen window!

And though I do enjoy making crêpes at home, I simply adore stumbling onto them when eating out. I have found really great crêpes in my neck of the woods in both Newburgh and Hudson, but also in Montreal. (No huge surprise, since Montreal is French-Canadian!)

But without a doubt, the most authentic and delicious crêpes are best enjoyed in the country that both invented and honors them with a national holiday.

Crêpes. France just wouldn't be France without 'em.

How 'bout you? Do you like crêpes? Where have you had them? What's your favorite filling?

Campo dei Fiori

I love me a good food market. The food markets of Europe can't really compare to anything where I live. Sure, we have farmers markets in the summer here, but not on the scale that Italy and France do. I have fond memories of the Marche d'Aligre in Paris. And who could forget the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal?

Campo dei Fiori in Rome is yet another one not to be missed.

First, there is the location. Beautiful square. Surrounded by caffés and trattorias. Right in the heart of Rome. And a lovely statue presiding over the market.

Flowers at the first booth as you round the corner are spread out like natures rainbow.

And the food. Oh the food. This is Italian foodie heaven.

Zucchini blossoms as big as wisk-brooms, perfect for frying.

Ruby-red ciliege, cherries just waiting to become a crostata.

Carciofini, little artichokes, so purple they look bruised.

Piselli, peas, from the Lazio region. I love how they tell you that on the sign.

Willow laundry baskets full of fresh salad greens. The peppery arugula, rucola in Italian, perfumed the whole area.

And speaking of perfume- the herbs were incredible! Basil so fragrant I could just taste the pesto!

Sun-dried tomatoes. From Tunisia. Everything here looks bigger, fresher.

Even the lemons looked like little footballs. I could see some serious limoncello in their future!

I even saw things I have never seen before. Check out these fagioli, beans. I have a scarf that color.

Or this agretti, which looks like an herb, but is more of a vegetable. Looks kinda like chives, though since I haven't had the pleasure of sampling it, I couldn't begin to tell you what it tastes like.

And there isn't just fruit and veggies here. No, no- there is a little bit of everything. Every spice known to man.

Porcini. Ohhhh Porcini. How I love thee.

Plenty of balsamic vinegars to sample.

And I think you'd be able to spot the fresh fish booth, from almost anywhere in the market, don't you?

What's your favorite market- Italian or otherwise? What is the strangest thing you have ever seen or bought at the market?

Travel Tip Tuesday | What’s the 3-1-1?

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you know that if you are going to travel with only a carry-on bag, you’re restricted on the amount of liquids you can take with you.

Well, since I consider myself the Queen of the Carry-On Bag, I thought I’d help show you how easy it is pack those liquids accordingly.

People tell me that I am crazy. Can’t believe that I can travel for 10 days, even 2 weeks, following these strict guidelines. But I am here to tell you that regardless of my mental state (the jury’s still out folks) with a little prior planning and some helpful tips- you can do it too!

The 3-1-1 rules basically state that ALL liquids in your carry-on bag must be in three ounce (or smaller) see-through containers in a single, clear, quart-sized ziploc bag. Sounds like no easy feat, but trust me-it can be done!

Wanna know how? Let’s get started then, shall we?

1. The first thing I’ll tell you not to do it purchase one of those silly ubiquitous kits with nothing more than four, 3oz bottles in a plastic case. There is no way I’d be able to survive with only FOUR containers. Skip this kit and build your own using a regular quart-sized ziploc bag.

2. Figure out what liquids might qualify for a medical exception. If you have any kind of liquid medication or even contact lens solution that you can get a doctor’s note or perscription to prove a medical necessity for, they can be brought in larger quanities and are not required to be in your one quart bag. However, you must declare them to the security personnel before your luggage gets scanned.

3. Replace popluar liquids with non-liquids. Be creative here. There are many products that you can eliminate. Hu-lo ladies – I am talking to you! One example is perfume. They make perfume solids now that would not need to be part of your one quart bag. Many companies know this and are jumping on the travel-friendly bandwagon. You can refer to my other post for more ideas on how to ditch liquids from your Carry-On.

4. Get the most out of the liquids that you do use by bringing products that can do double-duty. I love multi-tasking products! Hair condidtioner can also double as shaving cream. You can get more ideas in my Doing Double-Duty post.

5. Share the load. This works especially well if your travel companion happens to be of the male persuasion. Think about it. Men tend to need less liquids than women do, especially mine who happens to be folliculely-challenged, ie no shampoo, conditioner or hair gel needed! If there are a few things you can’t fit in your quart-sized bag, ask your travel partner if they can fit a few things in theirs.

6. Ask yourself if you really need it? C’mon – do you really need shower gel? Can’t you live with bar soap (a solid, and therfore isn’t subject to the 3-1-1 restriction) for just a week? Do you really need three different shades of lip gloss? Pick the most neutral color that goes with everything and just deal with it! Paring down is the only way you are gonna make this work!

7. Don’t always use the whole 3 ounces. It is doubtful that you will need 3 ounces of hair gel or eye-wrinkle cream for a week-long getaway. You may need only 1 ounce, maybe even less. Take much smaller quantities of your liquids and that way you can fit more products in your bag.

8. Save samples and travel-sized products. Not only can you use the products to take with you, but those really tiny containers come in handy for future 3-1-1 packing. These are what I use in my quart-sized bag. As long as they are clear, they fit the bill. An added bonus – it’s good for the environment to recycle those containers!

9. Just buy it there. Rather than trying to jam something into your quart-sized bag, liquids that you’ll need large quantities of are best left to be purchased at your destination. Sunscreen for a beach vacation is a perfect example. If there will be a few people sharing and it will be used often -it makes good sense to wait. And so what if you have some leftover at the end of your trip? Pay-it-forward. Leave it for the next traveler who may not have packed theirs either.

Still having trouble fitting your liquids in a quart-sized bag or overwhelmed with packing only a carry-on bag? Click here to see how I can help!

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Don’t forget to hop on over to see what tips Cherrye has today!

On Roman Ruins

One of the biggest reasons visitors flock to Rome year after year is to bare witness to all the ancient ruins. The slices of crumbling pieces left behind from life thousands of years ago.

And I am no exception. It is one of the things I love best about Rome.

I'd like to share some of my recent favorites with you.

I love how like some Roman monuments, pieces of ruins just seem to pop up in the most unexpected places.

You never know what just might pop up around a corner in Rome.

Even beautiful poppies, seem to pop up around the loose ruins in the Fori Imperiali. Offering new life among the old.

I am always just amazed at how these structures, with the most intricate details have stood the test of time. They are weathered, but yet still standing. Still beautiful. Somehow, the worn away layers and cracks that appear over time make them more interesting. Visually appealing. Worthy.

It is somehow surreal to walk down a street, pick out a old stone sign in Latin and calculate its age from the Roman numerals. And I stand in awe with my jaw slacking every time.

Even the layers of something as simple as an old wall show through, and though not a famous ruin, you realize just how many layers there are to the ancient city, full of history.