We’re “Fall-ing” for Spain

Spring in Madrid caught us off-guard. 

We had amply prepared to explore a new city. . .but we weren’t prepared to be enchanted by it. 

Nor, at the time, did we suspect that the magic spell it cast over us would linger through the summer and prompt us to book a return trip to Spain this fall.

And while admitting that we are suffering from enchantments; we were so taken with the Celebrity cruise that took us to Spain, we've booked ourselves on one of their repositioning cruises that will depart Barcelona for Ft. Lauderdale, visiting several ports of call that will be new to us along the way.

We so liked what we saw of Spain in the springtime, we’ve booked our pre-cruise flight to allow us a few weeks to continue our explorations.  We are planning to take a very circuitous route to the port – via Andalusia.

We will fly to Seville, then after a few days of soaking up history, will hop a train or bus to Osuna (too small to show on this map) a picturesque country town about 55 miles away for a few more days as we make our way to Malaga. At this port town, we will pick up a rental car -- and our friends who are arriving from London -- and our foursome will head to Marbella for a week of modern tourism at the Marriott Vacation Club on the Costa del Sol before heading to Barcelona. 

As usual Joel’s been finding us ‘deals’ in airfare, cruise prices, and accommodations. In the coming weeks we will tell you more about those, the places we are heading and the cruise we are taking.

9.11.11: Remembering 3 World Trade Center

As we’ve read traditional and social media reports commemorating the tragic events of a decade ago, one in particular stood out because it told the story of a New York hotel located at 3 World Trade Center.

The article focuses on the little tower – the one that housed the 22-story hotel, The Marriott World Trade Center -- and the role it played as a portal for those brave first responders who raced to save victims in the adjacent Twin Towers . 

It ran in The New York Times a year after the attack and this week was linked to Bill Marriott’s blog. It’s worth a look:
 read article

Travel Photo Thursday: A New Perspective

First, a big thank you to all who commented on last week’s photo; Greece, we believe,  is one of the special places in the world.

This week’s Travel Photo Thursday photo was taken as we approached land after a six-day transatlantic crossing, during which time we had not seen another ship, bird or sign of life.  As we neared our first port of call, Madiera, some 300 miles off the coast of Africa, we spotted another ship setting sail – it was cause for us shutterbugs to race for our cameras. As I bent over for this angle a woman who'd been directing her husband's photo efforts, called out, “Look how she’s doing it, take one like that!”. . .making me laugh so hard I nearly miss the shot.

(To see other photos from this cruise, watch the slide show in the right hand column of our blog's home page, www.travelnwrite.com)

Washington Wednesday: Fall’s a “Ferry” Good Time

Seattle’s waterfront is a must-go destination any time of year but when the sun finally comes out, as it has this fall, there really is no better place to be.  And while you are there don’t miss a ride on a Washington State ferry.

We have to be honest:  they are no where near as nice as the cruise-ship like Greek ferries we’ve been on, but these little work horses – on a nice day – will have you up topside snapping photos like crazy.

One of the quickest ferry rides will take you from Seattle to nearby Bainbridge Island, where the town of Winslow is an easy walk away from the ferry dock.  Have lunch there and do some shopping, and hop the ferry back to continue explorations along the waterfront.





While simply walking along the Seattle waterfront offers some spectacular views and provides cheap entertainment in itself, (Click to enlarge the photo to the left you will see Mt. Rainier in the background.) we do recommend you visit:

1) The Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, 206-386-4300, where you’ll come face-to-face with all sorts of underwater creatures.  Check their website for hours and admission prices, by clicking the link.

2) The Olympic Sculpture Garden, 2901 Western Ave., 98121, 206-654-3100, where you are free to stroll among the pieces of art in this outdoor garden setting where – as an added benefit – you have spectacular views of Puget Sound. No admission charge.

3) Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, currently located at 1001 Alaskan Way, 98104, 206-628-5844, is an icon of the Seattle waterfront.  It opened in 1899 as a museum of natural wonders and today is a showplace for weird curios and oddities like shrunken heads. . .and of course, is a great place to get odd souvenirs.

4) Ivar’s Seafood Bar, or Ivar’s Acres of Clams restaurant at Pier 54, 206-467-8063, is the place to get a bowl of steaming clam chowder.  Another Seattle landmark , Ivar’s has been around since 1938.

5) The Edgewater Hotel, yes, Baby Boomers, it is where the Beatles and the Monkees stayed during their visits to Seattle. Recently upgraded with a Pacific Northwest lodge interior, stop by the photo exhibit off the lobby and then head to the bar where you can sip a cold one while watching boat traffic on Elliott Bay. The AAA 4-Diamond rated hotel is at 2411 Alaskan Way, 206-728-7000.  In fact, if you want to stay on the waterfront, the waterfront rooms here also have spectacular views.

A Luxury Hotel. . .that floats!

Maybe they could be called motorized hotels . . .
Universally called “cruise ships”, enthusiasts of this mode of travel, don’t give much thought to the hotel operation – you select a cabin, or it is selected for you; you like it or you don’t.  Simple as that? Not really.

We really hadn’t given much thought to the hotel side of cruising until we crossed the Atlantic Ocean and had the opportunity to meet and visit with the person who was responsible for the hotel side of the Celebrity Solstice. 

Our Hotel Director Sue Richardson, who hails from the market town of Stamford, England, after earning her Hotel Management degree, began her career at sea in 1988 as Chief Purser and Hotel Director with Royal Caribbean International.

Today her resume would make for a tropical sea novel or movie:  she lived for three years on Bermuda managing a  Boutique Hotel Resort, has worked on a 126-meter (410+ feet) private yacht, and spent three years as a hotel director for Silversea Cruises prior to heading to Celebrity.

“It’s a lifestyle – not just a job or career,” she said.

On our cruise, it seemed that she, just like the Captain, managed to be everywhere, no matter what the time of day. She’s pictured above with Paul Baya, our Cruise Director, during a welcome cocktail party for returning guests. Below she, and other senior staff members, welcomed us back to the ship after a stop in Lisbon.

Over morning coffee with me one sea day, she described her work life as 24/7 during the four to four and a half months she’s on the ship. On the flip side, she is off the ship for an equal length of time, which allows her to pursue educational and travel opportunities and spend, perhaps more, quality time with family and friends than some,who have traditional 8 – 5 jobs and weekends off.

Just like land-based hotel directors, she manages a team of people who are responsible for the operation and upkeep of  accommodations -- in this case -- the 1,235 cabins and 56 suites on the ship, and for keeping the guests happy and entertained.

“It is all about service,” she said, “Service is a feeling. What was the feeling about the experience?”

Judging by the number of returning guests on this cruise – 613 people who had logged more than 10 Celebrity cruises – Richardson and her staff (and their counterparts on the line’s other 10 ships) seem to have nailed it.

Note: The cabin photo above was our balcony room on a Holland America cruise ship.

Travel Photo Thursday: Greek Memories

While sipping wine last night with friends who are in the planning stages of a trip to Greece, we started telling stories about our travels there. . .

Today I happened upon Travel Photo Thursday which is making its way through the travel blogosphere world. That, combined with last night’s conversation, sent me off to the Greek photo file where I found this one I took on the island of Naxos.  I think it’s time we start talking Greek travel again as well. . .


If you want to see others participating in Travel Photo Thursday, check out  Budget Travelers Sandbox

Washington Wednesday: Hibulb Cultural Center

The Salmon People and their Story.

A visit to the brand-new $19 million Hibulb Cultural Center, just north of Seattle, is . . .

. . . a journey through the lives and lands of the tribes and bands who’ve become known as the  Tulalip Tribes.

. . .a step into a time when cedar trees towered over the Pacific Northwest landscape – their wood providing shelter, transportation, clothing and tools.

. . . a look at when canoes carried fishermen into Puget Sound waters in search of the salmon; a fish so revered as the main source of food, that today its image in Tribal art stands for “the cycle of life – giving life to the people.” The Tulalip people were known as “the salmon people” because of their proximity to the water.

“The salmon, they are not really fish at all; they are salmon people and they live in a village under the sea.”   --Scho-Hallem Stanley G. Jones, Sr. Tribal leader    

The Center's name, Hibulb, was the name of the largest Snohomish (tribal) village, located at Preston Point, now the site of Legion Park in Everett, the city immediately to the south of the cultural center.

Using state -of-the-art equipment, interactive exhibits in the 23,000-square-foot Hibulb Cultural Center transport you through cedar groves to the fishing camps, and into a replicated Tulalip Longhouse. (Be sure to watch the short video of song, dance and  the celebrations that took place in this special gathering place.)

A particularly moving exhibit tells -- through stories and photos -- of the early 1900’s when U.S. government-run boarding schools threatened the Tribes’ cultural history.  The stories are told both English and Lushshootseed, the language of the Tribe,which today is taught in Tribal elementary schools. One Tribal Leader’s story is printed on the wall:

“They wanted me to forget my way of life and learn to be civilized and learn to be a good white person.  I still don’t know what a good white person is.  All I know is I learned to march, march, march and not speak my language.  You got in big trouble for that. I got many whippings and confinement.”
                  –Celum Young, Tulalip Leader (1895-1987)

The Canoe Hall, between the Permanent Exhibition Hall and the Longhouse is lined with cases displaying archaeological items that have been donated to the Tribe. 

The Center sits on a yet-undeveloped 50-acre Natural History Preserve with salmon-bearing streams, cedar, fir and hemlock  trees and estuary wetlands. 

If You Go: Hibulb Cultural Center  is closed on Monday.  Tuesday – Sunday, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission prices vary, check the web site www.hibulbculturalcenter.org for prices and driving directions. It is about 35 miles from downtown Seattle; 50 miles from SeaTac Airport.

Travel Tip:  The Cultural Center is about two miles from the Tulalip Resort and Casino (see Washington Wednesday: Tulalip Treasures, last week’s post). Make it an outing, spend a night at the resort, explore its public art and then visit the Cultural Center.

Aloha Aulani: Disney's Doing Hawaii!

I bet Mickey’s wearing his Aloha shirt and Minnie's dancing the hula today. 

And, if this were a movie, it would be titled, "Disney Does Hawaii" because today is opening day at Aulani, the new Disney Resort and Spa at Ko Olina, on the island of O'ahu.

Actually Mickey, that Pint-sized Prince of Happiness, has been hanging out in Ko Olina for several months keeping watch over workers preparing for today's opening.  I snapped this photo of the little fellow last January as he sat in the resort's van.

It's been great fun the past couple of years to watch the construction progress. We only wish we could be there today to be a part of the opening celebration; it is probably one b-i-g Disney extravaganza.

Because our Marriott’s Vacation Club digs are an easy walk and just two lagoons away, we've had plenty of opportunity -- for a few weeks each winter -- to watch and speculate on the neighbor resort's progress. (And thanks to the Disney media folks we had an up-close-inside-the-construction-fence  tour during our stay last January).

Aulani's (ah-oooh-lawn-ee) two towers blend 359 traditional hotel rooms with 481 two-bedroom Disney Vacation Club suites (their timeshare program).  The photo below was taken from the walking path that links the Ko Olina lagoons.

The Disney folks put their team of “Imagineers” (could there be a better job title?)  with local historians, architects and artisans to create a resort that ‘celebrates’ Hawaiian culture.  Activities and resort design and decor reflect all things Hawaiian with just a hint of Disney.


  That means that Mickey and Pals, don't have starring roles in this Disney production but they do have a subtle presence as evidenced in the photo to the left of the guest room lamp.

There is no theme park. No rides. No long lines waiting for rides.  But that doesn't mean guests won't have plenty to keep them busy. The 21-acre site features a water playground with pools, slides, a 900-foot water course and lava rocks.  Aunty’s Beach House, their Kid's Club, offers activities, stories and movies for the younger guests, and the 18,000-square-foot spa with 15 treatment rooms and exercise facility will tempt adults.

Even those of us staying down the beach will get to enjoy its two restaurants, AMA AMA  and Makahiki, and, of course, its tropical bars.

The resort's name, Aulani, traditionally means ‘a messenger of a chief’ – one who delivers a message from a higher authority. 

"We want this resort destination to reflect the vibrant culture that surrounds it," says Joe Rohde, Sr. V.P. Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering. "The name 'Aulani' expresses a connection to tradition and deep storytelling - and its roots are in this land right here. As the history and heritage of Hawai'i are the inspiration for Aulani, we are committed to using our skills in design to put guests into these stories."

As I said above, the Imagineers and designers, seem to have gone into over-drive with the subtle blend of Disney and Hawaii.  The photo below is of one of the guest room quilts made in traditional Hawaiian design. Look close.  Do you see that Pint-sized Prince of Happiness?


If You Go:  Aulani is in Ko Olina, a development on O'ahu's Leeward Coast (the western side of the island). It's 17 miles from the Honolulu International Airport and about 30-45 minutes from Waikiki. It is about 20 minutes from some of the smaller North Shore surf towns and beaches.