We went to another couple's house for dinner yesterday and the subject of life after mortgage came up. They were a bit exasperated at themselves for not saving anything over the last year and a half or so since becoming mortgage free.
I said it is reasonable that they may have wanted to "let loose" a bit but do they have a plan?
That question morphed in an enjoyable discussion about lifestyle inflation. In their case, they didn't buy any "toys" or big stuff. Nor were they avid travellers. Like a number of people we know, they skimped and saved to get to their current status while delaying household projects until money was finally freed up.
So now they have the granite counter top and back splash they've always wanted. They bought a newer used vehicle. They hired someone to paint their house. Their rec room is going to get a make over. And they are thinking of putting in a pool etc etc. You get the picture.
But, the one thing they still would not get is digital cable despite having a new LCD TV. Had their television not been on, I wouldn't have believed it. New TVs are kinda made for higher types of cable. Analog cable on a new TV looks grainy, full of moving lines to me. Isn't that why places that sell televisions have signs saying the picture you are seeing is digital?
The puncher? They couldn't tell enough of a difference to justify getting better cable!! I'm like, are you kidding? When was the last time you were at a sports bar or at the movies? How could you not see the big difference between digital and analog?! D and I jokingly recommended they get their eyes checked. They assured us they were fine. Wow, was what I thought.
So this led to us talking about ego style purchases vs appreciative ones. For example, it would not make sense for him to buy a merino wool sweater because he didn't care that it felt softer than regular wool. I love the feel of merino and cashmere, enough that I would pay the extra. Whereas I would not bother with upgrading my kitchen with granite. I like the look of it but not enought to pay for it.
Same idea behind my buying a better pen this summer. If you were to see D try and write with my fountain pen, you'd think he couldn't write because it looks like chicken scratch. He won't be buying one ever no matter how much money he had.
Then we started on cars. Before I found my current one, I had an old Honda that had around 125 HP. Man I loved that car! Until I actually drove more powerful ones, I didn't appreciate why people would care to buy them or pay for premium gas. After all, I was able to go 160 km/hr in my old girl before the steering wheel started to shake and who drives like that anyways? (OK, Me occasionally...) Now that I have mine, I don't even bat an eye at the gas station as it's worth it to me.
Our friend (Honda driver) said he always believed people bought sports cars because of ego. There really couldn't be that big a difference. People just like to show off or say they drive a such and such (no offense to me of course). Easy way to find out. I sent the guys out for a drive in my car. And I wish I had his feedback on video.
He noticed the difference alright. I don't believe he'd ever buy a faster/performance car but at least he is able to admit he now understands why some people would and why I did. As a mechanical engineer, he was able to appreciate the physics behind the performance. That's really what you are buying. At least in my case. He knows me well enough to know being ego driven is not my mojo.
We concluded that lifestyle inflation strongly depended upon the person's "makeup". If you are like our friends who senses do not register enough of a difference to justify cable cost differences, then it makes no sense to spend the money as there isn't any perceived value. And if you are doing something just to show you can, then we would question motives.
So the question is, are they "lucky" because they don't have to pay for more expensive cable? How about frugal people who hate to travel? Are they "lucky" because they would be able to save more money than someone like me? Or are they just happen to be well suited to their chosen life?
And are those of us who have hobbies/interests/appreciations that cost a significant amount of money "unlucky" because we spend money? Or am I the "lucky" one and they are missing out?
We couldn't come up with answers to the above beyond the use of the "lucky" or "unlucky" may not be the best descriptors.
I believe there is no right or wrong. And no one has the right to try and make you feel bad if your choices are not to their liking or tastes.
You may come upon personal finance blogs which seem to preach their way is the best and if you cannot curb your appetite for food, travel, you particular "vice" here, then you must be pretty weak. And if you could just brave up and do it like them, you'd be "rich" like them too...
Personally I believe the world is large enough to handle many many different definitions of "rich" and "success".
Friday, September 28, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Food Glorious Food
I don't ever remember being able to eat fresh local strawberries and raspberries in late Sept. It's been an incredible season. Inversely I was just reading about how our apple harvest has suffered due to our unseasonably warm spring. Give and take. That's how life goes.
It has been almost a year since I had a slice of pizza.
Food is a real enjoyment for me. I embrace different cultures and their cuisine is a big reason why I want to go to different places. So imagine how hard it is after all these years of not thinking twice about what I eat to avoiding pastries in France or Pasta in Italy or yogurt in Greece. It has been a challenge to say the least and not an overly enjoyable one.
It made me start questioning why I was travelling? Is the history, architecture, language practice, visual stimulation etc. enough now that I've become 'that girl' who comes across like an ultra picky eater at a restaurant when in reality all I want to do is sample everything? Try explaining food allergies in a different language...
It's not fun and to be honest I haven't tried to explain anything. I pretty much stick to meat, seafood, fresh fruit and veggies and drool over all the desserts I used to eat. I've even taken to drinking espressos to avoid the milk in a cappuccino. Thank goodness I am not anaphylactic to anything. That level of avoidance would be many times more difficult.
Finding good airport food has become harder. Sandwiches (wheat) are out. Battered food is out too (wheat and or egg). It's amazing just how many foods have soy, dairy, wheat, egg in them. Next time you are at a supermarket, check out the ingredients in flavoured potato chips. It may surprise you.
The consequence of all the dietary restrictions is that we are cooking even more when we cook a lot to begin with. It is the only way to ensure almost complete compliance. Thank goodness for our dishwasher! Other than sauces which may contain wheat and soy, we are eating pretty clean nowadays.
We are now able to make a potato bacon leek soup that is so rich, you'd swear had dairy in it. We are eating more antipasti courtesy of my recent trip to Italy and Spain. And we've found an eggless, wheatless breakfast I enjoy very much.
If I don't grow out of these allergies, it is really going to make my travel life difficult. It already has caused me undue stress. Temptation is high when I'm in a different country, especially one known for cuisine. As I am far from perfect, I did cheat twice this last voyage -- You remember the picture of the clams in Barcelona? There was a clam and mussel antipasti in Venice too. Known weakness...
It has been almost a year since I had a slice of pizza.
Food is a real enjoyment for me. I embrace different cultures and their cuisine is a big reason why I want to go to different places. So imagine how hard it is after all these years of not thinking twice about what I eat to avoiding pastries in France or Pasta in Italy or yogurt in Greece. It has been a challenge to say the least and not an overly enjoyable one.
It made me start questioning why I was travelling? Is the history, architecture, language practice, visual stimulation etc. enough now that I've become 'that girl' who comes across like an ultra picky eater at a restaurant when in reality all I want to do is sample everything? Try explaining food allergies in a different language...
It's not fun and to be honest I haven't tried to explain anything. I pretty much stick to meat, seafood, fresh fruit and veggies and drool over all the desserts I used to eat. I've even taken to drinking espressos to avoid the milk in a cappuccino. Thank goodness I am not anaphylactic to anything. That level of avoidance would be many times more difficult.
Finding good airport food has become harder. Sandwiches (wheat) are out. Battered food is out too (wheat and or egg). It's amazing just how many foods have soy, dairy, wheat, egg in them. Next time you are at a supermarket, check out the ingredients in flavoured potato chips. It may surprise you.
The consequence of all the dietary restrictions is that we are cooking even more when we cook a lot to begin with. It is the only way to ensure almost complete compliance. Thank goodness for our dishwasher! Other than sauces which may contain wheat and soy, we are eating pretty clean nowadays.
We are now able to make a potato bacon leek soup that is so rich, you'd swear had dairy in it. We are eating more antipasti courtesy of my recent trip to Italy and Spain. And we've found an eggless, wheatless breakfast I enjoy very much.
If I don't grow out of these allergies, it is really going to make my travel life difficult. It already has caused me undue stress. Temptation is high when I'm in a different country, especially one known for cuisine. As I am far from perfect, I did cheat twice this last voyage -- You remember the picture of the clams in Barcelona? There was a clam and mussel antipasti in Venice too. Known weakness...
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Great People 2
Well I couldn't very well leave the store once he flashed his photos of Gullfoss and Strokkur.
He is one of those travellers who has to have his picture taken in front of everything he saw. As I'm the opposite and he appeared to be able to handle a friendly debate our conversation quickly turned into a banter about "people who needed to be photographed in front of famous paintings, monuments etc to prove they were really there or is it to show they are more important than what they were standing in front of??"
Despite what our personal preferences and beliefs are, it was fun to reminisce over places that have touched us. Extra fun when it is someone you just met. It was also cool to be able to recognize the various locales. It's not every day I meet someone who has been to so many of the same spots.
As neither of us have yet seen the Northern Lights despite efforts, he told me 2013 is one of those years in the cycle that is supposed to be superb for viewing. I'm working on a plan.
We agreed to disagree until we've each tried the alternate that skydiving in Oahu blows a helicopter ride in Kauai out of the water. We did agreed that Alaska's scale is unbelievable. It's his favourite place outside of Iceland so far with Norway a close 3rd.
When he said France is his least liked country, I just couldn't believe it. As you know I feel very much at home in France, especially Nice. He found the people to be rude, like they didn't care whether you were there or not.
I think it is the culture he is interpreting as cold. French people aren't loud, in your face, or are into bending over backwards to provide customers "an experience". The ultra cheery demeanor we have come to associate with "service" in North America doesn't exist there. They aren't there to entertain you.
The French value privacy and discretion. That is why you can almost be shoulder to shoulder with the person sitting at the cafe table next to you and not be disturbed. Allowing each other to experience the environment without constant interruption is one aspect of the French culture I love.
But he had made up his mind. I wasn't going to be able to convince him to give France another go. Nor will he ever "want" to live in his homeland of Romania ever again outside of seeing family.
As the train schedule would not allow me enough time to visit Nice, I opted to hang out in Cannes for the day before returning back to Barcelona for my flight home.
He is one of those travellers who has to have his picture taken in front of everything he saw. As I'm the opposite and he appeared to be able to handle a friendly debate our conversation quickly turned into a banter about "people who needed to be photographed in front of famous paintings, monuments etc to prove they were really there or is it to show they are more important than what they were standing in front of??"
Despite what our personal preferences and beliefs are, it was fun to reminisce over places that have touched us. Extra fun when it is someone you just met. It was also cool to be able to recognize the various locales. It's not every day I meet someone who has been to so many of the same spots.
As neither of us have yet seen the Northern Lights despite efforts, he told me 2013 is one of those years in the cycle that is supposed to be superb for viewing. I'm working on a plan.
We agreed to disagree until we've each tried the alternate that skydiving in Oahu blows a helicopter ride in Kauai out of the water. We did agreed that Alaska's scale is unbelievable. It's his favourite place outside of Iceland so far with Norway a close 3rd.
When he said France is his least liked country, I just couldn't believe it. As you know I feel very much at home in France, especially Nice. He found the people to be rude, like they didn't care whether you were there or not.
I think it is the culture he is interpreting as cold. French people aren't loud, in your face, or are into bending over backwards to provide customers "an experience". The ultra cheery demeanor we have come to associate with "service" in North America doesn't exist there. They aren't there to entertain you.
The French value privacy and discretion. That is why you can almost be shoulder to shoulder with the person sitting at the cafe table next to you and not be disturbed. Allowing each other to experience the environment without constant interruption is one aspect of the French culture I love.
But he had made up his mind. I wasn't going to be able to convince him to give France another go. Nor will he ever "want" to live in his homeland of Romania ever again outside of seeing family.
As the train schedule would not allow me enough time to visit Nice, I opted to hang out in Cannes for the day before returning back to Barcelona for my flight home.
The famous Red Carpet of the Cannes Film Festival
I stayed at one of their sister hotels in Deauville on my very first visit to France and it was fabulous.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Natural Beauty
Wanna see something Wondrously Beautiful?
Take a wander through this link. Click on "View all..." in each category.
Enjoy!!
Take a wander through this link. Click on "View all..." in each category.
Enjoy!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Rentals 102
Depending on the cost of the rental, you may be required to pay a security deposit either in cash upon arrival or by PayPal. We try and avoid ones where we have to meet someone on departing day as our flights are usually early and would prefer not to have to take later ones just so a property manager or owner could meet us at 9 am to tell us we took good care of the place.
We leave our rentals in as good or better condition and is a reason why owners remember us. Being quick to pay helps too. Politeness goes a long way -- Common sense stuff. Apartments that allow for us to leave the keys in it or in the unit mailbox upon our departure works best. I realize it comes down to trust. And that goes both ways.
The initial emails will either make or break the potential reservation. If it takes someone days to get back to me (without explanation), then I wonder how serious they are about doing business. If they are very "casual" with their language, then I wonder if they are also very casual with how other things are dealt with ie. meeting time, returning deposits etc.
Places with well equipped kitchens and bathrooms are the best. I would prefer not to have to replenish dish washing soap, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, salt and pepper etc. Listings that state they will provide the "little" things we tend to have in our homes go a long way in making someone's vacation easier.
One reason we invested in a world phone is so that we could get in contact with the meet and great person upon arrival at the destination airport. They like us to call when we are within 30 min - 1 hr for timing purposes.
European pay phones may not be the easiest to use. Some won't take money anymore and looking for a payphone card can be a nightmare (for example, they only sell them at Tabacs in France). Plus first time visitors don't tend to have Euro coins. And if the automatic computer operator doesn't speak English, as I found out in Reykjavik, you are pretty stuck.
The trick with using such a phone is remembering those + signs and country codes and when you'll need them (You don't need them in Iceland. I forgot. That's why I resorted to the payphone in frustration...). It also took me a while to remember how to call home (+ sign needed for Canada)!
Below are pictures of the apartment I rented in Iceland. Makes me want to return right now.
***FYI: I've gone back and increased photo sizes to make viewing easier and hopefully more enjoyable -- Hawaii, Munich, Norway, Barcelona and Italy etc to present.***
We leave our rentals in as good or better condition and is a reason why owners remember us. Being quick to pay helps too. Politeness goes a long way -- Common sense stuff. Apartments that allow for us to leave the keys in it or in the unit mailbox upon our departure works best. I realize it comes down to trust. And that goes both ways.
The initial emails will either make or break the potential reservation. If it takes someone days to get back to me (without explanation), then I wonder how serious they are about doing business. If they are very "casual" with their language, then I wonder if they are also very casual with how other things are dealt with ie. meeting time, returning deposits etc.
Places with well equipped kitchens and bathrooms are the best. I would prefer not to have to replenish dish washing soap, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, salt and pepper etc. Listings that state they will provide the "little" things we tend to have in our homes go a long way in making someone's vacation easier.
One reason we invested in a world phone is so that we could get in contact with the meet and great person upon arrival at the destination airport. They like us to call when we are within 30 min - 1 hr for timing purposes.
European pay phones may not be the easiest to use. Some won't take money anymore and looking for a payphone card can be a nightmare (for example, they only sell them at Tabacs in France). Plus first time visitors don't tend to have Euro coins. And if the automatic computer operator doesn't speak English, as I found out in Reykjavik, you are pretty stuck.
The trick with using such a phone is remembering those + signs and country codes and when you'll need them (You don't need them in Iceland. I forgot. That's why I resorted to the payphone in frustration...). It also took me a while to remember how to call home (+ sign needed for Canada)!
Below are pictures of the apartment I rented in Iceland. Makes me want to return right now.
***FYI: I've gone back and increased photo sizes to make viewing easier and hopefully more enjoyable -- Hawaii, Munich, Norway, Barcelona and Italy etc to present.***
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Books & Movies
I cannot remember whether it was another Blogger or Commenter who got me reading Robin Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles (completely different from Pern) but I want to Thank You again! I've read the first 2 books 3 times each and when D brought home the 3rd volume for me from the library I was so excited.
Stayed up into the wee hours of the morning finishing "City of Dragons". For some reason I thought this was the final volume. You know how you get the feeling part way through a book of 'how the heck are they going to wrap everything up when there is still so much new stuff...'?
So I felt a bit silly to read there will be a 4th and final volume. And Thankful. The continued story lines are even more intriguing. Looking forward to Feb 2013. Can't believe I'm so late reading this one. It's been out since Feb this year.
Now that the summer blockbuster movie season is over, I want to weigh in on what we saw.
Andrew Garfield surpassed my expectations as Spiderman. I may be a bit biased as I'm a fan of his but the story was more real and had a depth the earlier versions lacked or was unable to tease out.
Christian Bale was in fine form for the last Batman. It now ranks almost as high for me as the first one. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be perfect as Robin. Anne Hathaway was superb. She continues to surprise me. At first I wasn't sure how her role was going to fit in but it worked.
I was a bit skeptical but excited when Avengers kicked off the whole party. I didn't know how they were going to handle all those strong personalities and wondered if it was going to be a film with a bunch of superheros thrown together with no one really shining. Or it was just going to be another Ironman in disguise. Don't get me wrong -- I really enjoyed the series.
Fortunately they made a good first movie introducing everyone and for me, the surprise highlight (I already knew I'd like the others) was Mark Ruffalo as Hulk. If you've seen the Hulk played by Eric Bana, it is a continuation of that Hulk, the one with the nasty darker almost sadistic side. I felt Ruffalo nailed it. It was also great to see Chris Evans (Captain America) get assertive.
Finally the latest Bourne. Again I'm a bit biased because I like Jeremy Renner (D doesn't get it). At first I wasn't sure I was going to like the movie. Until I got Matt Damon out of my mind, I couldn't let what they were trying to do with this movie sink in. Aaron Cross is so different. It was after the movie was over that I got it. The movie was even better for me the second time.
They went too far with Jason Bourne's abusive personality manipulation causing him to snap. And with Aaron Cross, they may not have gone far enough because of his ability to think, suspect and question. And humour! Maybe leaving too much personality? The latest experiments incorporated the relentlessness of Bourne while removing the empathy, flatlining the persona. Scary. Ed Norton is so great in those intense power roles.
I wish they didn't use the same Moby song (Extreme Ways) at the end, just when they managed to make a film that was supposed to be separate from Jason Bourne.
Stayed up into the wee hours of the morning finishing "City of Dragons". For some reason I thought this was the final volume. You know how you get the feeling part way through a book of 'how the heck are they going to wrap everything up when there is still so much new stuff...'?
So I felt a bit silly to read there will be a 4th and final volume. And Thankful. The continued story lines are even more intriguing. Looking forward to Feb 2013. Can't believe I'm so late reading this one. It's been out since Feb this year.
Now that the summer blockbuster movie season is over, I want to weigh in on what we saw.
Andrew Garfield surpassed my expectations as Spiderman. I may be a bit biased as I'm a fan of his but the story was more real and had a depth the earlier versions lacked or was unable to tease out.
Christian Bale was in fine form for the last Batman. It now ranks almost as high for me as the first one. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be perfect as Robin. Anne Hathaway was superb. She continues to surprise me. At first I wasn't sure how her role was going to fit in but it worked.
I was a bit skeptical but excited when Avengers kicked off the whole party. I didn't know how they were going to handle all those strong personalities and wondered if it was going to be a film with a bunch of superheros thrown together with no one really shining. Or it was just going to be another Ironman in disguise. Don't get me wrong -- I really enjoyed the series.
Fortunately they made a good first movie introducing everyone and for me, the surprise highlight (I already knew I'd like the others) was Mark Ruffalo as Hulk. If you've seen the Hulk played by Eric Bana, it is a continuation of that Hulk, the one with the nasty darker almost sadistic side. I felt Ruffalo nailed it. It was also great to see Chris Evans (Captain America) get assertive.
Finally the latest Bourne. Again I'm a bit biased because I like Jeremy Renner (D doesn't get it). At first I wasn't sure I was going to like the movie. Until I got Matt Damon out of my mind, I couldn't let what they were trying to do with this movie sink in. Aaron Cross is so different. It was after the movie was over that I got it. The movie was even better for me the second time.
They went too far with Jason Bourne's abusive personality manipulation causing him to snap. And with Aaron Cross, they may not have gone far enough because of his ability to think, suspect and question. And humour! Maybe leaving too much personality? The latest experiments incorporated the relentlessness of Bourne while removing the empathy, flatlining the persona. Scary. Ed Norton is so great in those intense power roles.
I wish they didn't use the same Moby song (Extreme Ways) at the end, just when they managed to make a film that was supposed to be separate from Jason Bourne.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Rentals 101
You learn quite a bit about the country or city you are visiting by the number of rental apartments available. It tells us it is a highly visited area if many listings exist. High foreign ownership is often seen in the quality of finishes. Higher in our experience due to apartments being bought as income properties and managed professionally. Also reflected in better pricing due to competition.
If the owner is British, then bank transfers as payment will dominate. We have found it to be the case when rentals are aimed to their own market vs the world. Bank transfers are not popular in Canada. You have to go and speak to a Teller to get it done. And each transaction will cost around $35, half an hour (because they don't have a lot of experience with it) and 2 weeks for money to show up at the other end. So it will be an extra $70 if you are to send a deposit and final payment. I am not a fan of this method but in the early days of our rental experience, we bit the bullet.
PayPal really changed everything. Some owners will have you pay an extra 3 - 4% to cover their charges for refundable deposits. Others will build it into the price. Either way, it's worth it for the convenience. Anymore, I tend to avoid rentals that won't accept it. I like to know I have the apartment now, not 2 weeks later. But in lessor popular rental markets I realize I may still have no choice.
In large city Europe, apartments are the norm due to how people live, cost of real estate etc. Size will probably be the biggest shocker to us North Americans as most of us are used to having a lot of space. A one bedroom apartment that is 45 m2 is considered a good size in a place like Nice. The same price will get you a 25 - 35 (if you are lucky) m2 place in Paris or London.
When visiting an old city (buildings 1800 and earlier vintage), do not expect elevators in buildings nor hallways that always look beautiful or any outside space. Individual apartments can be very well decorated but the rest of the common areas may make you cringe. That's just the way it is sometimes and then you find out those places cost 450K - 600K...A paradox!
More to come. Below are photos of one of the first apartments we rented in Nice.
If the owner is British, then bank transfers as payment will dominate. We have found it to be the case when rentals are aimed to their own market vs the world. Bank transfers are not popular in Canada. You have to go and speak to a Teller to get it done. And each transaction will cost around $35, half an hour (because they don't have a lot of experience with it) and 2 weeks for money to show up at the other end. So it will be an extra $70 if you are to send a deposit and final payment. I am not a fan of this method but in the early days of our rental experience, we bit the bullet.
PayPal really changed everything. Some owners will have you pay an extra 3 - 4% to cover their charges for refundable deposits. Others will build it into the price. Either way, it's worth it for the convenience. Anymore, I tend to avoid rentals that won't accept it. I like to know I have the apartment now, not 2 weeks later. But in lessor popular rental markets I realize I may still have no choice.
In large city Europe, apartments are the norm due to how people live, cost of real estate etc. Size will probably be the biggest shocker to us North Americans as most of us are used to having a lot of space. A one bedroom apartment that is 45 m2 is considered a good size in a place like Nice. The same price will get you a 25 - 35 (if you are lucky) m2 place in Paris or London.
When visiting an old city (buildings 1800 and earlier vintage), do not expect elevators in buildings nor hallways that always look beautiful or any outside space. Individual apartments can be very well decorated but the rest of the common areas may make you cringe. That's just the way it is sometimes and then you find out those places cost 450K - 600K...A paradox!
More to come. Below are photos of one of the first apartments we rented in Nice.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Great People
On my last trip, I met 3 people from countries I had not yet visited -- Mauritius, Romania and Czech Republic.
The first fellow was a tall handsome young man who is one of those innately kind souls. I would observe him with young and old and was impressed at how relating to people came so naturally and genuinely. He would greet me with a big smile each time I arrived and left the restaurant. He's one of those sharp, stands very straight, fit, successful people whose energy just catches your eye.
For some reason, he spoke up on the last day I was going to be in Barcelona and asked me where I was from. It didn't occur to me at the time to have him guess and see what nationality to potentially add to my list of "identities". I told him Canada and asked in return. He looked Indian to me (zero accent) which could mean anywhere in the world nowadays. Never in a million years would I have guessed Mauritius.
I don't know much about the country outside of location and language. So I asked him if he spoke French. Looking surprised, he said yes. He also knew that Canada has French as one of its official languages so he asked if I spoke it too and I said yes. That was it to our conversation as I had to get going. But I've since learned more about his home country because of our encounter.
The second fellow is a Romanian sales manager at a jewellery store where I ended up buying a watch. He called himself the store's "watch guy".
Not sure if I've ever mentioned it but I have a "thing" for men's watches. Women's watches don't interest me though I do own and wear one for work where a smaller size is more prudent. I much prefer the larger face of the men's especially with the sportier ones. And I like stainless steel. So I've been looking for one for the last couple years, something that would fit my smaller wrist but not overpower it.
It is likely a good thing my wrist isn't larger because I would have been even more tempted to buy this one. Instead I went with a more appropriated sized mainstream one at a much lower cost but still good quality. After the purchase was wrapped up, while we were in the removing links to fit my wrist phase, he asked how large a group I was travelling with.
I think I surprised him when I said I was travelling solo because my husband doesn't get enough holidays plus I have a stronger desire to travel than he does. Turns out he is known amongst his friends as "the solo one" because he primarily travels solo too. His goal is to see 100 countries.
As I am not a travel country counter, I just commented that was great and I hope he reaches his goal and got ready to leave. The spark that catalysed our subsequent conversation was when he took out his iPhone to show me pictures of him in Iceland.
To be continued...
The first fellow was a tall handsome young man who is one of those innately kind souls. I would observe him with young and old and was impressed at how relating to people came so naturally and genuinely. He would greet me with a big smile each time I arrived and left the restaurant. He's one of those sharp, stands very straight, fit, successful people whose energy just catches your eye.
For some reason, he spoke up on the last day I was going to be in Barcelona and asked me where I was from. It didn't occur to me at the time to have him guess and see what nationality to potentially add to my list of "identities". I told him Canada and asked in return. He looked Indian to me (zero accent) which could mean anywhere in the world nowadays. Never in a million years would I have guessed Mauritius.
I don't know much about the country outside of location and language. So I asked him if he spoke French. Looking surprised, he said yes. He also knew that Canada has French as one of its official languages so he asked if I spoke it too and I said yes. That was it to our conversation as I had to get going. But I've since learned more about his home country because of our encounter.
The second fellow is a Romanian sales manager at a jewellery store where I ended up buying a watch. He called himself the store's "watch guy".
Not sure if I've ever mentioned it but I have a "thing" for men's watches. Women's watches don't interest me though I do own and wear one for work where a smaller size is more prudent. I much prefer the larger face of the men's especially with the sportier ones. And I like stainless steel. So I've been looking for one for the last couple years, something that would fit my smaller wrist but not overpower it.
It is likely a good thing my wrist isn't larger because I would have been even more tempted to buy this one. Instead I went with a more appropriated sized mainstream one at a much lower cost but still good quality. After the purchase was wrapped up, while we were in the removing links to fit my wrist phase, he asked how large a group I was travelling with.
I think I surprised him when I said I was travelling solo because my husband doesn't get enough holidays plus I have a stronger desire to travel than he does. Turns out he is known amongst his friends as "the solo one" because he primarily travels solo too. His goal is to see 100 countries.
As I am not a travel country counter, I just commented that was great and I hope he reaches his goal and got ready to leave. The spark that catalysed our subsequent conversation was when he took out his iPhone to show me pictures of him in Iceland.
To be continued...
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Changed
D and Blogging has changed me. When D and I first met, I was still rocking the disposable camera. I do own a manual one (legacy from photography lessons once upon a time) but not an "automatic" one. Nor have I ever purchased a digital camera to this day.
Simply because I rarely took pictures when I travelled back then to the dismay of friends. Mainly because I didn't want to stand out so much and I was content to just soak things in without interruption and remember them in my mind.
Once in our relationship, I began to want D to see a snippet of what I saw while away. So I had to borrow his camera. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to grumbling about the extra weight. Nowadays I've been known to travel with iPod, tablet, laptop, world phone, along with all the chargers and converters....and D's latest camera still without checking in luggage.
And since I started blogging, I found myself over the last couple years or so, thinking "oh, this shot would work for a post". What is happening to me?!?! Have I lost myself in this relationship.... : )
So it is a super big deal for me to admit it has been a real pleasure going through old photos of apartments we've / I've rented as a lead in to writing a post on our experiences with renting in Europe.
I had forgotten how short my hair was a couple years ago when we rented a houseboat in Amsterdam --Had just donated 12 inches of it to the Cancer Society. Or how beautiful I found my apartment in Reykjavik to be.
I spend so much of my time and energy forging ahead. It was real nice having my memory jogged. Guess I am more sentimental than I thought...
Simply because I rarely took pictures when I travelled back then to the dismay of friends. Mainly because I didn't want to stand out so much and I was content to just soak things in without interruption and remember them in my mind.
Once in our relationship, I began to want D to see a snippet of what I saw while away. So I had to borrow his camera. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to grumbling about the extra weight. Nowadays I've been known to travel with iPod, tablet, laptop, world phone, along with all the chargers and converters....and D's latest camera still without checking in luggage.
And since I started blogging, I found myself over the last couple years or so, thinking "oh, this shot would work for a post". What is happening to me?!?! Have I lost myself in this relationship.... : )
So it is a super big deal for me to admit it has been a real pleasure going through old photos of apartments we've / I've rented as a lead in to writing a post on our experiences with renting in Europe.
I had forgotten how short my hair was a couple years ago when we rented a houseboat in Amsterdam --Had just donated 12 inches of it to the Cancer Society. Or how beautiful I found my apartment in Reykjavik to be.
I spend so much of my time and energy forging ahead. It was real nice having my memory jogged. Guess I am more sentimental than I thought...
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Last Trips 2012
For better or worse, my last solo trip of the year will be out to the east coast. There is a chance I'll run into foul weather, remnants of hurricanes like what is currently hitting Newfoundland. If I do, it will give me a real idea of whether I'd enjoy living in the Atlantic maritime zone. D thinks it has the makings of a real adventure....and that's why the house is sending me...
Remember how we worked through the possibility of living and working out west last winter? Well, this will be the same research idea out east. D can keep his job and live anywhere in Canada. I just have to figure things out my end. He trusts my judgement so off I will go to get a feel for things. I have a travel voucher for the train to use up so this trip will involve trains, planes and boat.
We have decided not to return to France this fall because I stumbled upon some "free" flights using our Skymiles points taking us back to Munich in Dec just in time for the Christmas Market. We will be staying in the same apartment as last visit -- Lucky to get reservations as it is busy there. Got a loyalty discount too!
Holiday season (mid Dec til after New Years) is considered high season and if I hadn't been playing around with the search engine, I wouldn't have found them. It is usually impossible to get those flights for 60K points when the lowest points required for Jan/Feb flights (low season) were 75K+.
Don't know if it was a computer glitch but we took it. If you were to buy those flights, they would cost $1500+ each. Whereas we just paid taxes of $180 each. Thanks for the early Christmas gift Skymiles! I cannot even begin to describe D's excitement. Munich is currently his favourite place.
Remember how we worked through the possibility of living and working out west last winter? Well, this will be the same research idea out east. D can keep his job and live anywhere in Canada. I just have to figure things out my end. He trusts my judgement so off I will go to get a feel for things. I have a travel voucher for the train to use up so this trip will involve trains, planes and boat.
We have decided not to return to France this fall because I stumbled upon some "free" flights using our Skymiles points taking us back to Munich in Dec just in time for the Christmas Market. We will be staying in the same apartment as last visit -- Lucky to get reservations as it is busy there. Got a loyalty discount too!
Holiday season (mid Dec til after New Years) is considered high season and if I hadn't been playing around with the search engine, I wouldn't have found them. It is usually impossible to get those flights for 60K points when the lowest points required for Jan/Feb flights (low season) were 75K+.
Don't know if it was a computer glitch but we took it. If you were to buy those flights, they would cost $1500+ each. Whereas we just paid taxes of $180 each. Thanks for the early Christmas gift Skymiles! I cannot even begin to describe D's excitement. Munich is currently his favourite place.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Heat
You are probably sick and tired of hearing me talk about the heat on my last trip but I do want to mention it one last time. Before you label me a weather wimp, I want to say that our summers at home are usually really humid and prior to my departure, we were experiencing 35+ degrees Celsius temps alone before humidity. So I thought I wouldn't have as much trouble overseas since The Weather Network was showing similar numbers for the places I would visit.
Boy was I wrong. Heat felt different there. When we see humidity numbers in the 30 - 60%, even if the temps were 30 degrees Celsius, we would have our windows open at home. When they say humidity in Venice is 30 - 40%, I am sweating and the air is heavy. Don't understand why. Same with Barcelona. Croatia and Slovenia were just plain hot (38+ Celsius). Like what you'd find in Vegas. Sheer hot air being blown from a hair dryer. The sun is just baking you.
Surprisingly I still haven't acclimatized back like I thought. For the first time, D is finding temperatures warm and I'm finding things comfortable and cool even. Since he has gotten into long distance biking, he has found his heat tolerance dropping vs running long distances. Makes sense. The wind with riding fast makes a big difference.
Despite our record hot summer, we've used our air conditioning significantly less compared to last year at home and up north. A combination of a well insulated home as well as getting better with our internal heat modulation. Even though I complained about the heat during my last trip, I'm glad to see my temperature tolerance range expanding.
Boy was I wrong. Heat felt different there. When we see humidity numbers in the 30 - 60%, even if the temps were 30 degrees Celsius, we would have our windows open at home. When they say humidity in Venice is 30 - 40%, I am sweating and the air is heavy. Don't understand why. Same with Barcelona. Croatia and Slovenia were just plain hot (38+ Celsius). Like what you'd find in Vegas. Sheer hot air being blown from a hair dryer. The sun is just baking you.
Surprisingly I still haven't acclimatized back like I thought. For the first time, D is finding temperatures warm and I'm finding things comfortable and cool even. Since he has gotten into long distance biking, he has found his heat tolerance dropping vs running long distances. Makes sense. The wind with riding fast makes a big difference.
Despite our record hot summer, we've used our air conditioning significantly less compared to last year at home and up north. A combination of a well insulated home as well as getting better with our internal heat modulation. Even though I complained about the heat during my last trip, I'm glad to see my temperature tolerance range expanding.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Guess Who?
While out on a drive over the weekend, D and I spotted a small bright yellow float plane tied up to a public dock. The reason I wanted to be a pilot in the first place was to be able to fly a float plane someday. So I talked D into parking and heading over to take a closer look.
It was obviously built by hand and a few minutes into our inspection, the owner came over and said Hello. After exchanging hellos D started walking back but I didn't want to leave yet so I asked the gentleman some questions about his plane -- Was it loud, what type of horsepower/engine, does it have a heater, how much did it cost etc.
He thought we were pilots! I told him no, not yet. And we continued on to compare Cessna vs kit planes for visibility. He was a fan of Diamond air crafts and when I brought up that my heart was captured by helicopters he gave me a hard look, broke into a wide grin and said "helicopters are fun!". I nodded in response, grinning myself.
He was getting ready to leave so we got to help him point and steady the plane for take off. Such a gentle demeanor while explaining wind directions to us. Makes for a great teacher. We thanked him for taking the time to answer our questions. He told us to keep an eye out for him in the winter as he replaces his floats with ski and lands on the snow/ice! I'd love to see that.
And the ultra cool thing? He was one of the pilots for the movie "Fly Away Home" and was wearing the T-shirt for Operation Migration. I cannot remember if he still flies with them today or not. I saw the documentary but not the actual movie so I have it on hold at our library.
You never know who you'll meet out there!
It was obviously built by hand and a few minutes into our inspection, the owner came over and said Hello. After exchanging hellos D started walking back but I didn't want to leave yet so I asked the gentleman some questions about his plane -- Was it loud, what type of horsepower/engine, does it have a heater, how much did it cost etc.
He thought we were pilots! I told him no, not yet. And we continued on to compare Cessna vs kit planes for visibility. He was a fan of Diamond air crafts and when I brought up that my heart was captured by helicopters he gave me a hard look, broke into a wide grin and said "helicopters are fun!". I nodded in response, grinning myself.
He was getting ready to leave so we got to help him point and steady the plane for take off. Such a gentle demeanor while explaining wind directions to us. Makes for a great teacher. We thanked him for taking the time to answer our questions. He told us to keep an eye out for him in the winter as he replaces his floats with ski and lands on the snow/ice! I'd love to see that.
And the ultra cool thing? He was one of the pilots for the movie "Fly Away Home" and was wearing the T-shirt for Operation Migration. I cannot remember if he still flies with them today or not. I saw the documentary but not the actual movie so I have it on hold at our library.
You never know who you'll meet out there!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Fitness
Fitness is another one of our primary goals.
This isn't saying much but in our household, I am the Wii champ for skiing, hula hoop, step, baseball, golf, bowling and the penguin balance. D kicks my butt in the tightrope, soccer, tennis, ski jump and most of the balance games. And in real life, D pretty much beats me in anything sports related.
If I don't get my workout in first thing I lose motivation. I have to get up and change into my workout clothes. Right now I'm doing push ups, sit ups, stationary bike and treadmill. Pretty basic stuff but I can do it literally with my eyes closed as I'm often half asleep and too lazy to leave the house.
Whereas at the cottage or out west, we're outside. I find it tougher to stick with it at home. My mind is usually filled with things to do that eat up a lot of my energy making me feel like I don't have time. In reality I have more time than most working people. Perception can be cruel.
In the past I would just do it and then lose it all (Darn! No Nike contract for me...). I've been doing this group of exercises long enough for me not to have to think about it anymore. That's what I need to see before I add -- another set, a longer distance, a new activity. It was far easier when I had regular lessons in something. The scheduling helped me a lot. Doing it free flow is far more challenging. It's easy to come up with an excuse. And I'm very guilty of buying gear and not using it.
I missed the 1st day of the month booking for Phantom Ranch this spring. For those interested in hiking down the Grand Canyon and staying overnight, you need to make reservations 13 months in advance. So you have to call in (long distance for us Canadians) like mad the first of May for example to book for May 1 - 31, 2013.
They sell out within a couple of hours. Because I am not interested in hiking during the warm months (the temps down at the bottom get too extreme for me), April and May are my only real options. Now I'll have to wait for next year when 2014 spaces open up. Bummer.
Oh, and for those of you interested in learning Hula and Tahitian dance, here is a link to a school that offers online lesson downloads for purchase. Check out the Basic Hula and Tahitian Drum Dance video previews -- Fun! It is not as easy as it looks. I took 6 hr of lessons when I was in Hawaii and I was more and more humbled each day even though I have a background in Ballet and Middle Eastern dance.
This isn't saying much but in our household, I am the Wii champ for skiing, hula hoop, step, baseball, golf, bowling and the penguin balance. D kicks my butt in the tightrope, soccer, tennis, ski jump and most of the balance games. And in real life, D pretty much beats me in anything sports related.
If I don't get my workout in first thing I lose motivation. I have to get up and change into my workout clothes. Right now I'm doing push ups, sit ups, stationary bike and treadmill. Pretty basic stuff but I can do it literally with my eyes closed as I'm often half asleep and too lazy to leave the house.
Whereas at the cottage or out west, we're outside. I find it tougher to stick with it at home. My mind is usually filled with things to do that eat up a lot of my energy making me feel like I don't have time. In reality I have more time than most working people. Perception can be cruel.
In the past I would just do it and then lose it all (Darn! No Nike contract for me...). I've been doing this group of exercises long enough for me not to have to think about it anymore. That's what I need to see before I add -- another set, a longer distance, a new activity. It was far easier when I had regular lessons in something. The scheduling helped me a lot. Doing it free flow is far more challenging. It's easy to come up with an excuse. And I'm very guilty of buying gear and not using it.
I missed the 1st day of the month booking for Phantom Ranch this spring. For those interested in hiking down the Grand Canyon and staying overnight, you need to make reservations 13 months in advance. So you have to call in (long distance for us Canadians) like mad the first of May for example to book for May 1 - 31, 2013.
They sell out within a couple of hours. Because I am not interested in hiking during the warm months (the temps down at the bottom get too extreme for me), April and May are my only real options. Now I'll have to wait for next year when 2014 spaces open up. Bummer.
Oh, and for those of you interested in learning Hula and Tahitian dance, here is a link to a school that offers online lesson downloads for purchase. Check out the Basic Hula and Tahitian Drum Dance video previews -- Fun! It is not as easy as it looks. I took 6 hr of lessons when I was in Hawaii and I was more and more humbled each day even though I have a background in Ballet and Middle Eastern dance.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
First Week
Can you believe in the 9 years we've had the cottage, we've never spent a whole week up there at once? Now before you jump to the conclusion it was all a waste of money, you need to remember all the other travel we do in a year as well as the role our cottage plays in our life.
It was never a substitute for travel and it was never to be the only thing in our lives. And it was purchased at a price that reflected the amount of use it was going to get (ditto for the ski condo). More importantly it was purchased with a plan in mind and we have reached a time where the results of that plan have finally come into fruition.
The cottage is a place where we can get clean air, access to beautiful waters, great trails, dark night time skies (Stars!), and a place where we can come down from the stresses of the week. Being around nature is a great way to do that. Our home is beautiful but it cannot replicate what we get up north.
We are now able to head up on a Wed night and stay there til Tues every time there is a Mon holiday day. All D has to do is work remote or take 3 days off. And now he can do so without any special permission. This is a life changer. Piece by piece we are fine tuning our lifestyle.
As we wrap up our first week up north, I cannot help but feel immensely grateful for how my life has turned out. I can speak for D too as he feels the same. It wasn't always this "easy".
It was never a substitute for travel and it was never to be the only thing in our lives. And it was purchased at a price that reflected the amount of use it was going to get (ditto for the ski condo). More importantly it was purchased with a plan in mind and we have reached a time where the results of that plan have finally come into fruition.
The cottage is a place where we can get clean air, access to beautiful waters, great trails, dark night time skies (Stars!), and a place where we can come down from the stresses of the week. Being around nature is a great way to do that. Our home is beautiful but it cannot replicate what we get up north.
We are now able to head up on a Wed night and stay there til Tues every time there is a Mon holiday day. All D has to do is work remote or take 3 days off. And now he can do so without any special permission. This is a life changer. Piece by piece we are fine tuning our lifestyle.
As we wrap up our first week up north, I cannot help but feel immensely grateful for how my life has turned out. I can speak for D too as he feels the same. It wasn't always this "easy".
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
New People
One of our goals this year is to meet more interesting people.
Meeting super people when I travel or when D is on a ski lift is great but it would be even better if we could expand our circle of friends with ones we can actually see again and again. The way we are approaching it is via joining clubs and going to various events.
A lot of our friends are in heavy family mode right now. It's hard to deny parenthood impacts adult to adult availability.
So last weekend we participated in a couple of events that took us a bit out of town. The results this time weren't what we had hoped.
We did meet a number of people but had difficulty finding the connection. People there seemed to have money and were hiding behind what they could buy. We had a hard time having sincere conversations. It felt like they were just there to model which is quite opposite of who we are. Definitely not our scene. We cut both events short and were so relieved to arrive home again.
I guess we were expecting to meet intelligent, successful people who are good communicators and somewhat worldly. Instead we ended up with a group of adults who couldn't seem to bring anything real to the table but just wanted to be a part of something. It felt empty and unsatisfying. On the flip side, it made us realize how great our existing friendships were.
This particular group has a whole year's worth of activities we could get involved with and last weekend's results were to determine if we'd continue participating. Obviously it was a resounding no. I told D I'd rather pay $800 to sit in an helicopter with one other person than to go back there, be surrounded by dozens of bodies for the cost of lunch.
Oh well. Onwards and upwards.
Meeting super people when I travel or when D is on a ski lift is great but it would be even better if we could expand our circle of friends with ones we can actually see again and again. The way we are approaching it is via joining clubs and going to various events.
A lot of our friends are in heavy family mode right now. It's hard to deny parenthood impacts adult to adult availability.
So last weekend we participated in a couple of events that took us a bit out of town. The results this time weren't what we had hoped.
We did meet a number of people but had difficulty finding the connection. People there seemed to have money and were hiding behind what they could buy. We had a hard time having sincere conversations. It felt like they were just there to model which is quite opposite of who we are. Definitely not our scene. We cut both events short and were so relieved to arrive home again.
I guess we were expecting to meet intelligent, successful people who are good communicators and somewhat worldly. Instead we ended up with a group of adults who couldn't seem to bring anything real to the table but just wanted to be a part of something. It felt empty and unsatisfying. On the flip side, it made us realize how great our existing friendships were.
This particular group has a whole year's worth of activities we could get involved with and last weekend's results were to determine if we'd continue participating. Obviously it was a resounding no. I told D I'd rather pay $800 to sit in an helicopter with one other person than to go back there, be surrounded by dozens of bodies for the cost of lunch.
Oh well. Onwards and upwards.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Travel & Marriage Questions
I've been asked if I have a "bucket list" of places I want to see or things I want to do? How does my solo travel impact my marriage? I've decided to turn the answers into a post.
No, I do not have a bucket list. I'm pretty much open to seeing most of the world. Areas where there is known danger, I'll pass until things settle down. Otherwise I'm up for seeing and trying most things.
Travel for me isn't for the sake of saying I've been there. If I cared about that, I'd come home with pictures of myself standing in front of every well know monument and bar so I could show everyone. In reality I do not come home with any pictures of me when I'm travelling solo. When D and I travel, he likes to take a self mug shot of us in the car just when we are about to drive off to the airport. Sometimes he'll sneak in a shot of me when I least suspect it. That's about it.
There is something inside that compels me to travel. I have a deep longing for it and ache when it has been a while since I've seen a new place. That's the only way I can explain why I continue to do so without fail. There must have been some explorer blood passed on to me as it feels natural. Anyone who is aiming to tick stuff off a list wouldn't continue once the list has been completed. Nor would they willingly tolerate airline strikes, cramped airplane quarters, bad food etc.
I keep myself open to possibilities and when they come, take advantage of it. I don't really know for sure which places I end up seeing beyond our yearly return to France and our skiing out west and our cottaging up north.
Travelling costs adds up quickly year after year, even if you do it frugally. I would argue it is not sustainable unless you have a real zest for it. I've been to Europe 8 times in the last 14 months for an average of 1 1/2 wk each stay. Some days my bank account probably wishes I would develop a deep passion for making spaghetti instead.
I'll continue to work to fund this interest. And no, I have not been able to find a cheaper substitute. It is not replaceable. It would be like asking someone who is an avid tennis fan to start watching some other sport instead. Not the same.
As for how my solo travel impacts my marriage...I would say it enhances ours.
I believe marriage is a path taken by 2 individual people who have chosen to walk together for a period of time. As each person grows, the marriage grows. One + One = Something larger than 2. Ways I grow include travel, creating art, playing music, learning. Ways D grows includes participating in endurance sports, learning how to fix things and lucky for me, travel. Our individuality and growth keeps us interesting to each other. We influence each other by being uniquely different.
It is harder to understand something like travel and place it mentally in the same league as someone who is an avid hockey and baseball fan. If you calculate the time those 2 sports can take up on a yearly basis, all the games, play offs etc. vs the amount of time I take travelling, the sports would win.
I think there is a mental bias when it comes to travel because most people see long distance travel as a luxury, something to save for a 25th Wedding Anniversary as well as something that costs an inordinate amount of money. It doesn't have to be.
When I tell people, which isn't often, of my travel habits, I often get silence. Not too many people can relate to the volume of travelling I do as I am not the stereotypical backpacker off on my year of gallivanting around the world before I start my real world job. Nor am I in a profession where I have to travel.
Sometimes I get the impression people feel I'm behaving irresponsibly. To that I simply chalk it up to people trying to make rules for other people. And as a married woman who chooses to travel solo because the 6 weeks a year I travel with D isn't enough, it confuses people. If they bother to stick around long enough, they would find out the story is much more interesting.
No, I do not have a bucket list. I'm pretty much open to seeing most of the world. Areas where there is known danger, I'll pass until things settle down. Otherwise I'm up for seeing and trying most things.
Travel for me isn't for the sake of saying I've been there. If I cared about that, I'd come home with pictures of myself standing in front of every well know monument and bar so I could show everyone. In reality I do not come home with any pictures of me when I'm travelling solo. When D and I travel, he likes to take a self mug shot of us in the car just when we are about to drive off to the airport. Sometimes he'll sneak in a shot of me when I least suspect it. That's about it.
There is something inside that compels me to travel. I have a deep longing for it and ache when it has been a while since I've seen a new place. That's the only way I can explain why I continue to do so without fail. There must have been some explorer blood passed on to me as it feels natural. Anyone who is aiming to tick stuff off a list wouldn't continue once the list has been completed. Nor would they willingly tolerate airline strikes, cramped airplane quarters, bad food etc.
I keep myself open to possibilities and when they come, take advantage of it. I don't really know for sure which places I end up seeing beyond our yearly return to France and our skiing out west and our cottaging up north.
Travelling costs adds up quickly year after year, even if you do it frugally. I would argue it is not sustainable unless you have a real zest for it. I've been to Europe 8 times in the last 14 months for an average of 1 1/2 wk each stay. Some days my bank account probably wishes I would develop a deep passion for making spaghetti instead.
I'll continue to work to fund this interest. And no, I have not been able to find a cheaper substitute. It is not replaceable. It would be like asking someone who is an avid tennis fan to start watching some other sport instead. Not the same.
As for how my solo travel impacts my marriage...I would say it enhances ours.
I believe marriage is a path taken by 2 individual people who have chosen to walk together for a period of time. As each person grows, the marriage grows. One + One = Something larger than 2. Ways I grow include travel, creating art, playing music, learning. Ways D grows includes participating in endurance sports, learning how to fix things and lucky for me, travel. Our individuality and growth keeps us interesting to each other. We influence each other by being uniquely different.
It is harder to understand something like travel and place it mentally in the same league as someone who is an avid hockey and baseball fan. If you calculate the time those 2 sports can take up on a yearly basis, all the games, play offs etc. vs the amount of time I take travelling, the sports would win.
I think there is a mental bias when it comes to travel because most people see long distance travel as a luxury, something to save for a 25th Wedding Anniversary as well as something that costs an inordinate amount of money. It doesn't have to be.
When I tell people, which isn't often, of my travel habits, I often get silence. Not too many people can relate to the volume of travelling I do as I am not the stereotypical backpacker off on my year of gallivanting around the world before I start my real world job. Nor am I in a profession where I have to travel.
Sometimes I get the impression people feel I'm behaving irresponsibly. To that I simply chalk it up to people trying to make rules for other people. And as a married woman who chooses to travel solo because the 6 weeks a year I travel with D isn't enough, it confuses people. If they bother to stick around long enough, they would find out the story is much more interesting.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Turkish Rug & Calligraphy Buying
You probably guessed by now I wasn't serious when I said I'll write about "...my legendary negotiation skills..." a while back in a post picturing the rug and calligraphy I brought home from Turkey.
If you were hoping for some expert tips on purchase negotiation, you will be disappointed to read I am not a great bargainer. It's not in my nature to ask for discounts, especially for art as I like to support Artists. I buy only what I can afford.
So what to do in a country like Turkey where negotiation is a national sport and past time as well as a way to size you up as a person? And when there is often no advertised price to start from, how to proceed then? Right or wrong, I decided to be honest.
Let me start by saying how surprised I was at the quality of the major stores in Istanbul and Kusadasi. They sell some serious jewellery (gemstones in multiple carats) as well as many private rooms full of carpets. There was a large amount of custom jewellery designs, art, many very creative and beautiful. These stores would be considered stand outs when compared to the ones I've seen in NYC and Chicago.
After my 2nd carpet presentation, I decided I would love to own a silk on silk rug. A small one, in a price range I was willing to spend.
I am so used to seeing price tags, it is unnerving to browse without any idea of how much things cost. I know the sales people there are experts at sizing you up and pricing things accordingly. So I thought they would think I was a single girl who didn't own expensive things. I do not travel with my regular watch, purse, pen or clothing. Nor do I wear any jewellery.
The first salesman tactics reflected that. I asked how much the last rug (most expensive) they showed (always the silk on silk ones) during the presentation was, ball park. He dismissed my question with a "It's silk on silk. Come, I'll show you some cotton and wool or half wool half silk ones. What colours do you like?"
Mistake. Never underestimate you customers. If someone is asking about a specific product after seeing the rest, it is because they are interested enough to learn more. There is a potential opportunity there so don't down sell right away.
That was the tough part because to name a price was a start of the negotiation signaling intent of the buyer to negotiate until both parties were satisfied. So for him to name a price was not usual practice although they have started to warm up to using some price tags in order to attract more foreign buyers who are not versed in the art of negotiation and have no idea what things are worth.
If you were hoping for some expert tips on purchase negotiation, you will be disappointed to read I am not a great bargainer. It's not in my nature to ask for discounts, especially for art as I like to support Artists. I buy only what I can afford.
So what to do in a country like Turkey where negotiation is a national sport and past time as well as a way to size you up as a person? And when there is often no advertised price to start from, how to proceed then? Right or wrong, I decided to be honest.
Let me start by saying how surprised I was at the quality of the major stores in Istanbul and Kusadasi. They sell some serious jewellery (gemstones in multiple carats) as well as many private rooms full of carpets. There was a large amount of custom jewellery designs, art, many very creative and beautiful. These stores would be considered stand outs when compared to the ones I've seen in NYC and Chicago.
After my 2nd carpet presentation, I decided I would love to own a silk on silk rug. A small one, in a price range I was willing to spend.
I am so used to seeing price tags, it is unnerving to browse without any idea of how much things cost. I know the sales people there are experts at sizing you up and pricing things accordingly. So I thought they would think I was a single girl who didn't own expensive things. I do not travel with my regular watch, purse, pen or clothing. Nor do I wear any jewellery.
The first salesman tactics reflected that. I asked how much the last rug (most expensive) they showed (always the silk on silk ones) during the presentation was, ball park. He dismissed my question with a "It's silk on silk. Come, I'll show you some cotton and wool or half wool half silk ones. What colours do you like?"
Mistake. Never underestimate you customers. If someone is asking about a specific product after seeing the rest, it is because they are interested enough to learn more. There is a potential opportunity there so don't down sell right away.
The gentleman I did connect with who I ended up buying from was from Majestic Carpets in Kusadasi. Apparently their claim to fame is that Queen Elizabeth, who is an avid collector of Turkish Rugs, purchased from them recently. I had just come back from Ephesus and decided to go in and look around.
Maybe it was an age thing (younger) but I found him to be quite humble and not as aggressive compared to the other gentlemen I encountered. Remember in Turkey, you will most likely to be negotiating with men.
So after drinking some apple tea (It’s like hot apple cider but less sweet...my favourite is pomegranate tea.) , he asked me if this was my first visit to Turkey – No, second time. Did you buy a Turkish rug last time – No. Why not—Because my reason for visiting Turkey wasn’t to buy a rug. He looked shocked. I explain it is why you will see many people from North America just wanting to browse but are put off by the assumption they are there to buy.
So after drinking some apple tea (It’s like hot apple cider but less sweet...my favourite is pomegranate tea.) , he asked me if this was my first visit to Turkey – No, second time. Did you buy a Turkish rug last time – No. Why not—Because my reason for visiting Turkey wasn’t to buy a rug. He looked shocked. I explain it is why you will see many people from North America just wanting to browse but are put off by the assumption they are there to buy.
And thus the exchange began about the way North Americans shop vs Turkish people. Not buying a rug right away doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate their culture. We come from a place where we can see prices and for most of us, it helps us decide if we can afford something. A lot of people just window shop all the time as a hobby.
He thought we were all rich when in reality all those big houses he thinks we live in and the multi numbers of vehicles we drive are not all paid for and that people are extending themselves with credit in order to come on trips like this. He was a bit appalled to hear that. I told him there are serious finance issues in North America and in parts of Europe.
I suggested a better way to get more customers from North America is to just do what he did best which was show the various types of carpets, educate, but try to be more upfront about pricing so there is no potential embarrassment as to affordability because no matter how beautiful the carpet or jewellery may be, it is going to be difficult to talk someone into paying tens of thousands of dollars for something they had not intended to buy in the first place just because they agree the item is beautiful and worth it. For a lot of travellers, the trip was the big purchase.
Anyways, he asked me if he could show me some carpets. I said yes, I’m interested in the little ones on the wall. Turns out my knack for picking out expensive things did not disappear in Turkey.
The ones I really liked were collector pieces, taking about 4 yr for one weaver to make, the size of a rectangular hand cloth, up to 10000 knots per square inch, starting in the 15K+ range. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. I got to see some beautiful ones though, so so detailed! It was really a process of education as well as desire to sell something.
By this time, we were on first name basis. He has a Son age 5 and he and his wife live in a small apartment not far away. He was one of the newer salesmen in the store.
His helper, an older gentleman, did not speak English and his job was to bring carpets in and take them away. It was end of season and early on the day. We talked about how his culture believed if you can start each day with a sale, it will shed luck to the rest of the day. We were into numbers at this point.
His helper, an older gentleman, did not speak English and his job was to bring carpets in and take them away. It was end of season and early on the day. We talked about how his culture believed if you can start each day with a sale, it will shed luck to the rest of the day. We were into numbers at this point.
His opening offer after I asked how much the one I liked, was $2400, but because he thought I was such a 'nice person' for explaining the cultural differences, he would give it to me for $1250. I said it was too expensive a souvenir. If my husband found out, he would kill me… (not true but in this male dominated culture, he believed me, not literally of course).
So he asked me what can I pay? I think this was a bad move, because I said I was willing to pay $700 when I probably should have said $500. He looked down for a minute or so and asked if I could go up a bit. I said what do you mean? Here’s where I made another mistake. I should have waited until he named a number. But instead I said I could do $800. By this time we were both sitting crossed legged on the floor and about 45 min had passed. It was strange to see a grown man in a suit sitting on the floor but that's how they do it.
We settled at $850 US and the rest of my Turkish Lira (about $90) to be given to his helper. Normally the salesman pays his helper out of the proceeds but because I supposedly got such a great deal, if I could do this, he can make the sale. Yes, I am a Suck. All I could think about was I hoped the Woman who weaved it (her name is on the certificate of authenticity) got a fair price. He told me the store took 50% of the sale price.
Oh yeah, I spent $150 US on my original Arabic Calligraphy at Khaftan Art and Antique, a treasure of a store in old Istanbul. No idea if it was a good deal. Had a lovely discussion with the proprietor about the various types of script found around the world.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
It's Time
September has always signified school to me. Even now. It's hard to lose the conditioning of so many years' worth of Septembers.
This year I'm going to do something about it.
D has a much more developed sense of "putting myself first" than I do. He finds the energy to go out there and do it. He doesn't seem to let work worries and stress and mental anguish get in the way of his everyday sports and leisure activities.
Whereas I do.
For some reason, I need to wait until it feels right, or I have time, or when I'm going to be away to have time to sort things out before taking daily actions. This 'holding out until...' thing isn't a real healthy way to go about day to day life and I'm finally seeing that. There will always be something, some reason to not do something. It has turned into my chronic excuse inertia.
For my mental and physical well being, I need to elevate life daily in order to bridge the gap that exists between the everyday and my travel life.
So I've put it out there.
I've signed up for a studio art class at a community college and I've put the word out I'm looking for a private dance instructor -- Ballet. The art class currently does not have enough people to run but hopefully it will fill up by the time the classes start and I'm awaiting word from the dance studio. Fingers and toes crossed.
It feels good to take action. It's time.
This year I'm going to do something about it.
D has a much more developed sense of "putting myself first" than I do. He finds the energy to go out there and do it. He doesn't seem to let work worries and stress and mental anguish get in the way of his everyday sports and leisure activities.
Whereas I do.
For some reason, I need to wait until it feels right, or I have time, or when I'm going to be away to have time to sort things out before taking daily actions. This 'holding out until...' thing isn't a real healthy way to go about day to day life and I'm finally seeing that. There will always be something, some reason to not do something. It has turned into my chronic excuse inertia.
For my mental and physical well being, I need to elevate life daily in order to bridge the gap that exists between the everyday and my travel life.
So I've put it out there.
I've signed up for a studio art class at a community college and I've put the word out I'm looking for a private dance instructor -- Ballet. The art class currently does not have enough people to run but hopefully it will fill up by the time the classes start and I'm awaiting word from the dance studio. Fingers and toes crossed.
It feels good to take action. It's time.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Cinque Terre & Porto Venere
Cinque Terre or "5 Terre" as found on many signs. I prefer Cinque. Porto Venere isn't part of the 5 but was a bonus stop for me before heading back.
My gateway was La Spezia. From there I travelled by bus to the top of Manarola whereby I walked down into town to catch the beginning of the trail to Riomaggiore. There's a cute cafe in town right by the tunnel leading to the train station run by a young couple. I had a freshly squeezed orange juice there. Only 2 Euros!
Manarola is a small sleepy laid back town. I think the locals are so used to people coming to and from the trail they don't pay you much attention. As you'll notice in some of the pictures, the main town roads often leads to the water and I mean right into the water. These villages really do live up to being as stunning in real life as you see in photos.
If you aren't into hiking (I use the word loosely because the trail from Manarola to Riomaggiore is paved and flat with railings, making it too sterile for my liking. Trails to the other villages are more rugged.) you can always take the train. I understand there is a day pass you can buy which allows you to go to all the Terres in 6 hr. No train for me this time. It was either walk or ferry. Apparently trains go mostly through the rock so views are limited.
Ferry tickets are frequently sold literally on card tables by the ferry "dock" and schedules are printed on small coloured pieces of paper. It is first come first serve so consider yourself warned. If you are going to walk between the villages, you have to buy a ticket. It isn't free. And be prepared for numerous tour groups going both ways.
People with physical limitations will find it difficult in the Terres. Wheelchair accessibility is not a priority. I saw one gentleman with crutches try to get off a ferry and it was a struggle. Ferries have a narrow walking ramp (one person width) that they roll off the bow of the ship and as the boat bobs up and down, so does the ramp.
The most picturesque of the villages for me is Riomaggiore. It has all the visual elements, the right size to make life there convenient. The village I felt most at home was Vernazza. As the ferry approached, I could already feel its warmth. It wasn't the most picturesque Terre I saw but I did not know it before the disaster last Oct. They are still rebuilding. Along the coast you can see where the landslides are still blocking part of the trail and train passages. I didn't make it to to Corniglia this visit.
There is a photo gallery exhibit hidden away off a clothing store/cellar, just to the right once you get off the ferry in Vernazza that shows pictures of the aftermath of the storm and mud slide. They really need to do a better job with advertising as it is well worth the time to view and they would likely get more donations if more people knew. The lady who was manning the gallery told me people had to move away for at least 3 months before they could come back home. She was there when it all happened. It was really touching speaking with her.
People don't have insurance (she didn't know what that was) and are paying for the rebuilding themselves. There is a published book of those photographs that won an award last year you could buy. All proceeds goes back to the town. On the website link above, you can see before and after pictures of the town. I am happy to report the gelato and art store have reopened and looks like the before pictures again. People in this town have a very gentle demeanor. If you feel moved, please consider making a donation.
My gateway was La Spezia. From there I travelled by bus to the top of Manarola whereby I walked down into town to catch the beginning of the trail to Riomaggiore. There's a cute cafe in town right by the tunnel leading to the train station run by a young couple. I had a freshly squeezed orange juice there. Only 2 Euros!
Manarola is a small sleepy laid back town. I think the locals are so used to people coming to and from the trail they don't pay you much attention. As you'll notice in some of the pictures, the main town roads often leads to the water and I mean right into the water. These villages really do live up to being as stunning in real life as you see in photos.
If you aren't into hiking (I use the word loosely because the trail from Manarola to Riomaggiore is paved and flat with railings, making it too sterile for my liking. Trails to the other villages are more rugged.) you can always take the train. I understand there is a day pass you can buy which allows you to go to all the Terres in 6 hr. No train for me this time. It was either walk or ferry. Apparently trains go mostly through the rock so views are limited.
Ferry tickets are frequently sold literally on card tables by the ferry "dock" and schedules are printed on small coloured pieces of paper. It is first come first serve so consider yourself warned. If you are going to walk between the villages, you have to buy a ticket. It isn't free. And be prepared for numerous tour groups going both ways.
People with physical limitations will find it difficult in the Terres. Wheelchair accessibility is not a priority. I saw one gentleman with crutches try to get off a ferry and it was a struggle. Ferries have a narrow walking ramp (one person width) that they roll off the bow of the ship and as the boat bobs up and down, so does the ramp.
The most picturesque of the villages for me is Riomaggiore. It has all the visual elements, the right size to make life there convenient. The village I felt most at home was Vernazza. As the ferry approached, I could already feel its warmth. It wasn't the most picturesque Terre I saw but I did not know it before the disaster last Oct. They are still rebuilding. Along the coast you can see where the landslides are still blocking part of the trail and train passages. I didn't make it to to Corniglia this visit.
There is a photo gallery exhibit hidden away off a clothing store/cellar, just to the right once you get off the ferry in Vernazza that shows pictures of the aftermath of the storm and mud slide. They really need to do a better job with advertising as it is well worth the time to view and they would likely get more donations if more people knew. The lady who was manning the gallery told me people had to move away for at least 3 months before they could come back home. She was there when it all happened. It was really touching speaking with her.
People don't have insurance (she didn't know what that was) and are paying for the rebuilding themselves. There is a published book of those photographs that won an award last year you could buy. All proceeds goes back to the town. On the website link above, you can see before and after pictures of the town. I am happy to report the gelato and art store have reopened and looks like the before pictures again. People in this town have a very gentle demeanor. If you feel moved, please consider making a donation.
La Spezia on my way to Manarola
Top of Manarola
Super spot to have a coffee
You can see the trail behind leading to Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore
Notice the slope
The Ferry
First come first serve
The water wasn't calm
Just took the shot as waves retreated
Poster boards found around town in Vernazza
Corniglia
Porto Venere
You felt out of place here if you weren't
sporting a bikini or bathing suit
People just put towels on the rocks and sunbathe
Monterosso al Mare
They say the water by the beaches are still
"dirty" from the mud slides
but overall, the town was in way better shape than Vernazza
Vernazza
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