Singing the Beach Vacation Blues?

For as long as I can remember vacations were spent doing things. I can't remember the last time I just relaxed on a vacation. Vacations are for FUN! For exploring. For being busy.

I have been to some lovely and peaceful spots on both coasts in the not so distant past- but always exploring. Never just relaxing.

There has been Key West and Newport. Rockport and Booth Bay Harbor. Mendocino and Monterey Bay. I partied in my youth in Virginia Beach. Even took a Club Med vacay back in the day to Martinique.

But I have certainly never hopped to an unspoiled Caribbean island, a picturesque undiscovered gem, where I'd have to drive a jeep onto a tucked away beach, and have it quite possibly, all to myself.

Honestly, that really isn't my style. My style, at least for as far back as I can remember, has been to plan to do things on a vacation. You know, take a trip and pack in enough to get your money's worth. When you come home so tired from your vacation- you need another vacation from your vacation, just to recover.

You can sleep when you're dead, right?

And for the most recent past- vacations have mainly involved going to France or Italy and working, researching, planning. Having fun, none-the-less, but fun on the run.

So, never have I had my own private slice of life, lying on the sand like a beached whale, staring into the horizon at nothing in particular until my eyes glaze over and drool starts to slowly creep out of the corner of my mouth.

But, I think it is about to happen. And perhaps, my opinion is about to change.

Yes, I know. My enthusiasm is quite overwhelming isn't it?

Most people would be jumping for joy, would die for the opportunity. Honestly, I am a bit more reserved about the whole thing.

You see, for the last four trips to Europe, the pseudo-husband has been patiently waiting and praying for his dream of a beach vacation. And who am I to deny him this- especially since he is in his forties and has not experienced the Caribbean.

Seriously, he owns and has watched the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy more times than I have seen Amélie and Under the Tuscan Sun, combined.

It is his turn.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am very excited. And will be for at least the first day.

But how many days of a laid back lifestyle can I take, is the question.

Some of the thoughts I have running through my head:

It would be nice staring at the beautiful scenery. Cool aquamarine water, as far as the eye can see. Looking down through the turquoise waters and being able to see right to the bottom. White sandy beaches, with palm trees. Trying to catch a glimpse through the tiny spaces of the green fronds that are swaying with the breeze. A drink in one hand, book in the other. Pastel colored umbrella shading you from the bright sun……

But, beach vacations generally require donning a bathing suit. Of which, I am not a fan. For oh so obvious ( I am no longer 20 years old and 120 lbs) reasons. Oh. Gawd. No.

The vacation would come at a good time, offering a break from the shitty-ass winter weather we generally have in the Northeast……

But, there will be the risks associated with winter travel. The stress and worry may overwhelm me! What if it snows? Robin doesn't fancy flying in a blizzard. Robin would not like to hear the word de-ice in regard to a plane. De-ice my mojito, sure – that means more rum, right? De-ice my plane, not so much. Well, I mean…YES. YES. DE-ICE THE PLANE. But, I don't want to have to think about it.

It will be very exciting to see a > Bioluminescent Bay. With all the glow-in-the-dark micro-organisms……

But perhaps not so fun if I tip over in the kayak (have a mentioned I am not the most co-ordinated girl) in the middle of the Caribbean sea in the middle of the night in pure darkness. With sharks. I did see Jaws you know.

And then there is the the whole 'bored' factor. I tend to bore easily. I have trouble just sitting around. How many books can one read laying on the beach? How many seashells can I collect? How many mojitos can I drink out of a Thermos? The answer to the later might be seven. Please DO NOT ask me how I might know that.

But, here I am. Starting to plan what is now likely to be our next trip. Puerto Rico and Vieques in January.

And looking forward to being very excited. At least about the first day.

The others that follow?

I'll let you know after I sit here and soak it all in.

Special thanks to Oscalito , MsDivinity, DavidSC78, drrt and Lee Cohen for the wonderful Veiques photos on Flickr. Credits are in the order the photos appear.

Travel Tip Tuesday : Current Contests and Giveaways

Nothing makes me happier than seeing lots of great travel sweepstakes and free trip offers. Scratch that. Winning a free trip would make me happier. Happier than what? Well, happier than not winning. Or happier than paying for it myself!

So, today I am sharing the love by bringing you some great travel contests and giveaways that you don't wanna miss.

Only 3 days left to enter Condé Nasts Dream Trip contest. Upload your photo and a description of why it was a great travel moment for a chance to win the opportunity to have Wendy Perrin plan YOUR $25,000 dream trip! Where would you go?

How would you like a girl's getaway for 2 to New York City? All you need to do is submit your funny story to Woman's World, and if it makes them laugh the hardest, you'l win the trip and the opportunity to see your story come to life in the studio. Contest ends August 19, 2009.

Frommer's and Alitalia are giving away a trip to Rome, Italy! Prize includes two R/T tickets from JFK, Newark, Boston or Chicago, 4 nights accommodation and daily breakfast. Hurry to enter as this one ends July 31,2009.

Want more free Italy? Gate 1 Travel is giving away a Free Escorted tour for 2, including airfare, to Italy also. By entering, you'll also receive a copy of their free newsletter. Entries accepted until December 31, 2009.

Rome not your speed? Yeah, I get that. Maybe you prefer Tuscany and cooking classes? Enter for a chance to win a weeklong Tuscan vacay for two, including lux accommodations at an Italian villa and four hands on cooking classes, from Margherita.

The Travel Channel is sponsoring the Travel Bug Sweepstakes. The Best of Chile Wine tour offers R/T travel to Santiago, a seven day stay at a four-star hotel and visits to wineries. Again, this one ends July 31, 2009.

Maybe a fun-in-the-sun vacay is more your speed. Well, The Discovery Channel is giving away a once in a lifetime Baja adventure vacation. Scuba, golf, deep-sea fishing and whale watching are all included. This trip is for four- so choose wisely. Enter through August 31, 2009.

So, go forth and enter. And good luck! And please, if you win, please don't forget who TOLD you about the trips in the first place. I am always happy to be your traveling companion.

Which one would you want to win?

Don't forget to pop on over to My Bella Vita for her Travel Tip Tuesday post.

Roman Signs

I feel like I am never going to run out of pictures of Rome. Of course, that is not true, but for the time being, I still have many to show.

We have been through Roman Door Knockers, Roman Windows, Roman Doors and even what is Behind the Italian Doorways.

Today, please enjoy my collection of Roman Signs. Street signs, numbers or just little signs that pop up anywhere, some with Latin words. They all facinate me.

On with the show:

State Grammer School and Gymnasium sign, Rome

And as always, I'd love to know YOUR favorites!

The Weekly Tweetly | 7-26-09

What? Sunday and My Melange has a post?! Yep. That's right. No worries- nothing wrong with your computer clock folks!

I can't remember the last time I posted on the weekend, but honestly, I decided I had to.

There is just so much good stuff on Twitter these days- I am informed, entranced, entertained and enlightenend on a weekly basis. And I want to apss on all that knowledge and entertainment to you!

So, I decided to share some of my best findings with you, on a weekly basis, in a new feature called…

The Weekly Tweetly!

Every Sunday I will share some of my favorite links I have of the found in the past week about Travel, France, Italy and Photos, all courtesy of Twitter.

Ah, I might even sneak in something that really impressed me in another catagory. Or something that made me laugh hysterically. You know I am always good for a laugh!

And remember to pay it forward and share the love by letting them know who brought you there. Ahem. Li'l ole me. Tell 'em Robin from My Mélange sent ya!

So hold on. Here is my first weekly tweetly:

Armed with camping gear and enough camera equipment to out-shoot any paparazzi, Kelly, Pam and Peter head out on the TBEX road-trip (Travel Blog Exchange) from the West Coast to Chicago. You can follow along on their adventures.

Soul Travelers 3, share awesome photos and give us the 7 Best Reasons to Travel the Cinque-Terre in Italy.

Evelyn Hannon shares Journeywoman's Best Travel Tips from 2008.

Lifehacker offers up some really helpful information on Travel Etiquette in Different Countries.

If you are considering a move to Italy, Arlene shows us how being broke in Italy, ain't quiet as bad as you think!

The Frugal Traveler shows us how easy and cheap it is to acquire a full stomach in Lyon, France.

The Travel Tart shares 10 Potential Benefits of standing on a RyanAir plane.

Condé Nast helps with tipping in Etiquette 101 : A Tipping Guide.

The flying nuns in Italy, prove that not even those on the way to visit the injured Pope, can escape a speeding ticket!

And finally, Ron Dubin shows us a beautiful shot of fanning a wave in this photo.

See ya next Sunday for….. The Weekly Tweetly!

On Moules Mariniére

I love most seafood. Lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops- all favorites. But I was never a big fan of clams, especially the raw ones. And mussels – not so much either.

But, my other half really loves mussels. I mean really loves them.

He orders them by the trough-full, if we go out to any French restaurant. And speaking of the French, they do mussels, like the Italians do pasta. Often, with many variations and always good!

So, for some odd reason (which for the life of me escapes me now), I decided I would try making them for dinner. (Why didn’t I stick to my usual man-pleasing staple of chocolate chip cookies?)

I have never bought, nor cleaned, prepped, cooked, de bearded or whatever else you need to do to a mollusk before eating it.

So, I consulted the BIG book of anything-you-ever-wanted-to know-about-preparing-food. A little ditty by Jacques Pepin.

And yes Chris, you were right. Quelle Surprise! You told me that even though there were things in that book -like chopping off a ducks head and plucking the pin feathers out- that I wouldn’t use, it would, in fact, come in handy one day.

So, armed with BIG BOOK and an idea of ingredients I had seen in the dish from when Chris has ordered it a thousand times before, we started.

Now, the biggest pain in the ass and time sucking activity is the cleaning.

You basically need to clean and inspect each mussel. You want only mussels that are alive. And you want to use them the same day you buy them. If they are closed, that is a good sign. If they are open, gently slide a knife in to touch the mussel. If the shell closely slowly, that is also a good sign. If not, toss it – it is dead as a doornail!

Next, you clean. Scrub the outside, cut off the beard (though sometimes this is done for you already), and soak them a few times.

The first time, throw a few handfuls of flour into the water. This will encourage them too release their sand. You don’t want gritty mollusks! Soak for about an hour.

Second soak should be plain cool water, for about half an hour.

Rinse again and you are ready to begin cooking. Here is what you will need to serve 2:

Moules Mariniére

2 pounds of mussels

about a cup of good white wine

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

few glugs of good olive oil

bunch of chopped parsley

a few springs of fresh thyme

a few threads of saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water

1 bay leaf

3-4 shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

sea salt

pepper

—————

In a large Dutch oven, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add shallot, cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients(except mussels), stir, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Then add mussels and stir them gently. Cover and steam for only about 4-5 minutes, until they open. Not any longer. It is important not to overcook them- they will turn to rubber.

It is a good idea to shake the pot a few times, so that the mussels don’t stick and burn.

And again, discard any mussels that did not open during the cooking process.

Pour the entire mixture into a large bowl, spooning the broth over the mussels. Serve in individual bowls with a glass of the white wine used in the recipe and large chunks of baguette to soak up all the delicious juices. Bibs are also a welcome idea.

You can also pour the entire mixture over linguine for a hardier dinner.

I now look forward to cooking up some variations in the sauce, like pernod and cream or Provençal with tomatoes. Oh the possibilities…..

Do you like mussels? What is your favorite way to prepare or eat them?

Travel Tip Tuesday : Best and Worst Airports For Sleeping

I can't think of a reason why I would need, or want, to sleep in an airport. I have a hard enough time sleeping on the plane! Also, trouble sitting there for the required two hours before boarding time.

But, be that as it may, many people- whether they have a huge layover, a cancelled flight, a weather delay or they are trying to save money on a hotel- sleeping in airports happens.

According to Reuters, 62,000 travelers participated in a poll taken by the travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports {yes, apparently there is enough information on this topic to publish an entire website about it. Perhaps I have been living under a rock} and rated a variety of issues at airports around the world to come up with the Ten Best and the Ten Worst Airports to Sleep in.

Here are the results:

Ten Worst Airports for Shut-eye

1. Paris Charles de Gaulle
2. Moscow Sheremetyevo
3. New York JFK
4. Los Angeles
5. Delhi
6. Chicago O'Hare
7.Mumbai
8.Manila
9. Rome Fiumicino
10. London Heathrow

———

Ten Best Airports for Shut-eye

1. Singapore Changi
2. Seoul Incheon
3. Amsterdam Schiphol
4. Oslo Gardermoen
5. Hong Kong
6. Dubai
7. Frankfurt International
8. Munich
9. Vancouver
10. Denver

For further info, including the specific votes and comments for each airport, click through on the links above. A must read is Charles de Gaulles, in Paris.

And since I have not been to most that made the best list, I will look forward to the Temperpedic mattress, foot rub, morning coffee and newspaper that accompany my snooze. At least, this is what I would need in order for me to enjoy my sleep in an airport!

How 'bout you? Would you sleep in an airport?

Have you ever slept in an airport? Tell us the good, the bad and the ugly!

Don't forget to check out Cherrye's Travel Tips today!

Roman Door Knockers

Well, we have seen Roman windows, Roman doors, and what's behind the doorways. I think the next logical collection should be the Roman door knockers. Don't you?

Here are my favorites. And as always- I'd like your vote for your favorites at the end!

So, now it is your town to weigh in. Tell me your favs.

Tune in next week for my next series which will be Roman signs.

Love Thursday | French Cheese

I have been on an Italian kick for a few weeks now. But, this week, I had a huge craving for French cheese. Aka, fromage. I remember how much I love it- and decided to dedicate a Love Thursday post to it!

Voila!

Italy certainly has some simply fab cheese- Bufala Mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Parmiggiano Reggiano.

But France. France has hundreds of delicious cheeses.

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Goat, Bucheron, Brie, Bleu, Gruyere, Camembert….just to name a few and scratch the surface. Care to see a list?

General Charles de Gaulle was quoted as saying "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?"

I don't care as much about the governing, as much as I care about the cheese. I would love to eat my way through the long list of each French cheese, before I die. Or maybe I should say, I'd like to die trying.

Nothing is better than grabbing a selection from a Parisian cheese shop, stopping for your French baguette on the way, and plopping yourself down on the banks of the Seine in Paris to have your picnic.

A pungent, hard crottin of goat cheese. A moldy, tangy bleu. An ooey-gooey melt-in-your-mouth brie or a fresh and creamy fresh goat.

Oh, I love them all. Never met a French cheese I didn't like!

How 'bout you? What kind of French cheese do you love?

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

Travel Tip Tuesday : Carry-On Measurement Restrictions by Airline

By now you better know that I am a huge proponent of traveling light. Carry-on only is what I reccommend, for reasons too many to mention today.

But contrary to many beliefs there isn't an industry standard. Each airline actually has their own requirements in terms of carry-on bag dimension and weight. And they differ greatly. Mainly by weight.

I have put together a little guide, to take the confusion out of carry-on travel. It is important to have this info before choosing an airline to fly with and before leaving the house (with a possible overweight bag).

I have listed airlines that travel from the U.S. to both France and Italy. It is in no way a complete list of all airlines, but more-so the ones with which I am most familiar.

The restrictions listed are for economy class only. Honestly, if your in first class, you probably have no worries about checking bags. In fact, you may not bring bring any baggage and just buy a new wardrobe once you get to your destination. Lucky you.

If I have left one airline out that you know of, or would like me to add a specific airline to the list, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to update the list and keep it a current, living-breathing document available for you to consult whenever you are considering carry-on only travel.

Restrictions will be different for domestic flights, usually more generous. All weights and measures are provided in Imperial. Inches and pounds.

You can use this site to convert to metric.

In the chart below, bag refers to a carry-on, while pi refers to a personal item, like a purse or laptop bag.