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Scottish Government

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Yay!  This year they will double the Edinburgh Open Doors Day schedule to cover two days - that is an entire weekend for you to explore some of Edinburgh’s secret buildings, hidden chambers, and other unmentionable places.

As you may know, I’m a huge fan of the Open Doors Programme because it’s an opportunity to learn so much about the city.  Check out all the sites I saw back in September for the 2008 program.

Dovecot studios, a highlight from the 2008 Open Doors Day Programme

Rumour has it this year we’ll also be able to tour places like St Andrews House (formerly a prison but now one of the main offices of the Scottish government), the Redford Infantry Barracks, and Granton Lighthouse down on the Firth of Forth.  (Guess you’ll have an excuse to check out the new waterfront pathway, eh?).  It’s all very exciting - can’t believe it’s coming up so soon.  We’ll be sure to let you know when the details have been finalised.

photo courtesy of chatirygirl

Post from: The Edinburgh Guide

Find it: Take Ponce de Leon or North Ave. east from Peachtree and turn (left) north on North Highland Ave. When you get to Virginia Ave. you are at the center, but keep going - there’s more!

In honor of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, available this month on Starz on Demand, the network is offering the chance to win a trip to Walt Disney World including a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a night in Cinderella’s Castle Suite, theme park tickets and even some spending money!

To enter, simply select High School Musical 3: Senior Year from a list of on demand movies on the Starz network from now until July 12, 2009.  At the beginning of the movie, a question will be asked and the answer will be revealed at the end of the movie.  Then simply log onto Starz for more information and fill out the entry form, including your answer, on-line.

Along with Sharpay, Troy, Gabriella and all the gang at HSM, I wish you good luck!

Photo Selection: WDW News and Hat tip to Theme Park Mom

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Buenos Aires

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Buenos Aires is a great destination!!! It allows the visitor not only to enjoy a modern city but also to live an exceptional urban adventure and make you part of it. Buenos Aires combines varied experiences and this variety may suit all tastes.

Buenos Aires is really great to all visitors and to make the experience more exciting, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires through the Tourism Bureau has created a web page with lots of interesting and important information for all those who want to know more about it.

In it you will find things like: what a person invited to have a meal at a porteño’s house should know, or the most usual expressions, or the basic phrases needed to walk around the city, or what precautions should be taken, or the maximum and minimum temperatures in each month. Also, answers to questions such as: when should I visit Buenos Aires? what is the local currency? what is the rate of exchange in relation to the US dollar? how much will a night tour cost? at what time do porteños usually have their meals? what are the hours of shops and banks? what number should I dial if I have problems? where can I obtain information on the city and tourist destinations in the interior of the country? where are the tourist information centers located? and much more… These and other useful tips for visitors, before and during their stay in the city, are provided  at www.bue.gov.ar . More so, here you will find a tourist guide in PDF format translated into 10 languages to download to your computer or print (use recycled paper). To do so, go to www.bue.gov.ar/informacion/?menu_id=121&info=guias

This page is updated periodically, so if you are planning a trip to Buenos Aires, go ahead and visit it. You will find it very helpful.

Post from: The Buenos Aires Guide

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Miami Beach Convention Center

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Photo Credit: Binder.donedat @ flickr

There was a time when we were obsessed with Miami Ink to get our fix on all the coolest tattoos around, but now Tattoolapalooza is all the craze (well, maybe just for next weekend). Make your way down to the Miami Beach Convention Center next week (July 10-12) for this tattoo, motorcycle and art convention, as they will be bringing together some of the best artists around (yes, even ice sculptors will be around) to compete and to create the perfect design for you. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Children under 5 feet tall get in free.

Whether you are looking to get a new tattoo, show off your design skills, watch a live painting experiment, attend a seminar or just people watch, you will be sure to find something here to liven up your weekend. Many contests will be held over the course of the weekend including: Traditional, small, Japanese, Back Piece, Realism, Calf Sleeve, New School, worst tattoo and more. If you aren’t into tattoos, there are still contests for you including a motorcycle contest and a $1000 body painting competition.

No one to watch the kids? Don’t worry, as this is a child-friendly zone. There will be games, rides, a petting zoo, a bounce house and temporary tattoos just for the kids.

TattooLaPalooza, Tattoo and Motorcycle Extravaganza takes place July 10-12 at the Miami Beach Convention Center located at 1901 Convention Center Dr. (305) 673-7311

Time:

July 10: 12pm - 12am

July 11: 12pm - 12am

July 12: 12pm - 9pm

Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door, weekend pass (in advance) is $35 and $40 at the door. Seminars are additional.

Cheese shops:

2800 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles 90027 (323) 665-0545 Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-7 PM; Sat, 8:30 AM-6:30 PM; Sun, 10:30 AM-5 PM

3926-28 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 90029 (323) 644-7511 Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 AM-6:30 PM; Sun, 11 AM-5 PM

419 N. Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills 90210 (310) 278-2855 Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 AM-5 PM; Sun, 12 PM-5 PM

Third & Fairfax, in the Farmers Market, Los Angeles 90036 (323) 932-6854 Hours: Open daily

12023 Ventura Blvd, Studio City 91604 (818) 505-0207 Hours: Mon-Sat, 10:30 AM-7 PM; Sun, 9 AM-5 PM

Post from: The Los Angeles Guide

Fish Taco

San Diego surfers stumbled upon this Mexican favorite when they headed across the border in the 1950s.

One of the first (and now hugely popular) restaurants to serve fish tacos in San Diego was Rubio’s. Ralph Rubio, a San Diegan who fell in love with the dish, opened his first restaurant in 1983 in Mission Beach. Rubio’s has now sold more than 50 million fish tacos at over 160 Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah!

Now fish tacos are served everywhere from beach shacks to fine dining establishments, and the recipes continues to evolve. You can dine on Fidel’s fried fish taco made with mahi mahi or visit Bay Park Fish Co. to have their fried fish tacos made with red snapper!

I’m not a fan of fish and I haven’t yet had a fish taco. So you all need to help me. Where’s the best place to go?

Image Credited to s0litude on Flickr.

Post from: The San Diego Guide

Back in the days of the Merry Monarch, Charles II, the court’s craving for entertainment was insatiable. Mistresses, theatre, fashion, silly bets, horseracing - since Lost and Big Brother hadn’t yet been invented, all kinds of other ways of using up the day were created.

One of these was the game of Paille Maille or Pell-Mell… or Pall Mall, similar to the modern game of croquet (which is one of those strange and rather useless things we English are rather good at).

Now I was reminded of this the other day by a marvellous video I was forwarded, which shows a re-enactment of the game of Pall Mall played by chaps in resplendent court costume and full bottomed wigs. Super stuff - and well worth clicking through to YouTube to see.

Visit London - Street Stories

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1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW

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I don’t often complain about bad service on The DC Traveler, but when it’s really bad, I feel it’s my duty to steer people away from a potentially bad experiences.  Granted I might encounter a bad employee or catch someone having a bad day, but still, in this economy, there’s no excuse for slow, rude and indifferent service.

There are simply too many great dining and drinking establishments around the District to waste your money at places that make you scratch your head wondering why the staff is so unfriendly (and if the place will stay open with such bad attitudes).

I recently met a buddy at a so-called “British” pub, the Elephant & Castle on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.

He wanted to check out their selection of imported draft beers.  About 20 of which are draft beers, about a half dozen are British, including Guinness, a Porter and a Special Bitter, plus additional micro and local brews, adding bottled beers to bring the total offered to over 100 beers, plus a full bar.  The beers aren’t cheap, premium priced would describe them.  Even bottles of Miller Lite are around $5.00.

The interior actually looks much more like the TGI-Fridays that it replaced, than any pub I ever visited in the UK.  The E&C chain has 20 outlets across the US and Canada.

And sadly, I experienced some of the rudest, most unfriendly and inattentive bar service in a long time.  And DC has some heavily frequented and popular establishments with notoriously slow service, but the E&C moved to the top of my list.

Their dinner menu offers British pub fare, such as fish ‘n’ chips, shepherd’s pie, and bangers ‘n’ mash ($10.00 - $15.00), but the appetizers scream American bar food, including potato skins ($6.50), nachos ($13.50), and quesadilla ($9.00).

But even had they had some interesting British appetizers on the menu to sample, I doubt we could have ordered any food, the service was that dismissive.

We were the only patrons seated at the bar for the first hour (post happy-hour) and since the restaurant was fairly empty and the bar tables were only half filled, the two bartenders were not busy.  So we should have received great service.

The first challenge was attempting to just get either of the bartenders to acknowledge us.  They both seemed to rush back and forth, not making drinks, pulling beers or making eye contact with us, just scouring back and forth, playing with paperwork, moving glasses, filling the glass washer, etc.  Trying to catch their eye was a challenge, as even standing up, leaning over the bar and waving didn’t help at first.  After about 10 minutes of calmly attempting to get some service, we had to literally yell and wave. This also happened each time we needed a refill.

When my buddy asked for help with his beer selection, the bartender mumbled so quietly my friend had to ask him to repeat his comments a couple times, then he just gave up. We think he said “that’s a porter, that’s a stout…” but after asking him to repeat what he said three times, we still couldn’t hear him.  Yea, and thanks for being so helpful, we can read the draft pulls.

The other bartender literally yelled “Hang on!!” when we asked for a refill. She moved down the bar to make another drink, chatted with a waiter and seemed to forget about us for anther 5-10 minutes.  Never once scanning down the bar to check on her customers. We waited a few minutes and after watching her just standing around again, we had to again stand and wave to get her attention. Yet we were sitting only a dozen feet from her. 

The pub offers outdoor seating on Pennsylvania Avenue, but it was tough to get a table without a wait the evening I was there.  I wonder how slow the  service would be if you couldn’t even see your waiter standing  just a few feet away. 

I’ll pass on a second visit to the Elephant and Castle, in favor of some of the other great pubs and micro-breweries in DC.

Elephant & Castle 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20004 (map it) 202-347-7707

One other location at 19th St. and I (Eye) Street, NW.

Dates & Times – Daily 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. except until 10:00 pm. on Sundays.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Federal Triangle – Blue & Orange lines, then a 1-block walk, or use the DC Circulator bus.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images – pint from Flickr, exterior from personal collection - ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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 Zigzag your way through  Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s main shopping drag.  But if you want to avoid the crowd, here are my two secret tips.

Bargain-shop in Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk, two trendy shopping streets favoured by Amsterdammers. Boutiques, fashion shops and delis line these two narrow streets. Bargains galore, from vintage clothing to costume jewellery.

Cruise the Nine Streets for that special item you always wanted but never needed. Fashion labels, cheese, chocolate and second-hand retro fashion, what more do you want?

Look out for these signs sales uitverkoop (sales) opruiming (sales) twee halen een betalen (get two, pay one) % korting (% discount)

Restricted to twice a year in the past, the sales are now on most of the year. However, the main sales explosion is early July.

Shopping hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9am – 6pm Thursday, until 9pm Sunday and Monday, 12 noon-6pm

Most shops outside the city centre are closed on Sundays.

photo credit: personal collection

Post from: The Amsterdam Guide

Glebe has long been considered Sydney’s bohemian hub thanks to the youthful spirit of the nearby Sydney Uni, its unique bookstores and cafes, and the weekly institution of the Saturday markets. This is what keeps creative types of all ages coming back for more.

First there’s the book trail, stores which delight literary buffs searching for hard-to-find books and tomes that are just a little left of centre. Gleebooks is a must see for its diverse range of new and second-hand books, and the brilliant children’s outlet. It also attracts some notable authors for its regular book signing. Then there’s Sappho Books and Café, a veritable trove of second-hand treasures. Upstairs you’ll also find Da Capo, which houses an amazing collection of sheet music and scores. Glebe is also home to the appropriately named Florilegium, which specialises in books about gardening and horticulture, and The Cornstalk, a must-see destination if you’re chasing a rare or out-of-print Aussie book.

Then there’s the art. Glebe is home to many small galleries, many of which are operated by the artists themselves. You can get discover new and established Aboriginal artists at the Honey Ant Gallery or see an eclectic mix of jewellery, ceramics, paintings, and sketches at the two-storey Gallery Adagio. Then there’s the Glass Artist Gallery, one of the city’s few galleries dedicated to the amazing art created using glass. While you’re out make sure you keep your eyes peeled for Hilik Mirankar’s sculptures on Queen Street. He has an ever-changing display of timber and reclaimed material sculptures right in the heart of the suburb.

If you see all that you’re bound to get hungry. Thankfully Glebe has plenty of cool cafes to keep you satisfied. You could grab a bite while you’re at Sappho Books, or enjoy the breads and pastries at Sonoma Café. Badde Manors is a local institution with its vegetarian fare, gelato, and tasty Hungarian cakes. If you’re looking for something else to indulge your sweet tooth, stop in at San Churro. Their long Spanish donuts dipped in ooey, gooey chocolate are to die for.

Image source: Avlxyz @ Flickr

We got the sidewalk chalk out, and I remembered drawing in similar ways on concrete surfaces to play piko those many years ago. Piko is hopscotch in English. It’s a familiar game to many little girls. The rules are basically the same, though I’ve seen many variations throughout the years. There’s even a flower-shaped piko that my classmates and I used to play.

Of course, once the discussion on childhood games started, it went on to patintero, tumbang preso, luksong-tinik, etc. I plan to start teaching these games to my kids. These are great neighborhood games that continue to keep many Filipino kids fit and tan and smelling like sun-browned earth (amoy araw, in other words). Ah, the happy memories of hours spent outside running in thin-soled flip-flops.

Did you have fun with these games when you were a kid? Which is your favorite? Mine are patintero and moro-moro.

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Ground Zero Museum Workshop

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WTC Aftermath

Now that the former World Trade Center site, aka Ground Zero is in various stages of being rebuilt, there are still many questions about not only what happened on that fateful day but how survivors are coping now. From a visitor’s perspective, September 11, 2001 is history.  Everything appears to be healed, except for that huge crater that’s now a construction site in the Financial District.  While it’s true that our city is looking forward and not ruminating on the past, 9/11 was a defining moment for NYC. You really can’t appreciate this city without confronting the gruesome reality of the attacks.  Exhibits at the Ground Zero Museum Workshop non-graphically examine death and destruction, the heroism of Ground Zero’s rescue workers, as well as the courage and resilience of everyday New Yorkers.  All of this is done in a tasteful way making it completely kid-friendly.  So do yourself a favor and pay a visit even before making a trek to the former World Trade Center site.

Admission is well worth the $25 per person for this 2-hour tour since a portion of the proceeds are donated to the FDNY and various 9/11 charities.  If you’re wondering why the word “workshop” is included in the museum’s name, it’s because the exhibits are interactive.  All tours include a historical introduction by a trained guide; a 12-minute video presentation; an interactive walk-through history of select WTC artifacts, including the opportunity to pick up and hold World Trade Center steel and window glass; and a self-guided audio tour which details the history behind 80 stunning images from the Ground Zero Recovery.

All these images packed into this 1100 sq. foot loft space museum were taken by Gary Marlon Suson, museum founder and Official Photographer at Ground Zero for the Uniformed Firefighters Association. Suson, one of only two sanctioned photographers with all-access privileges at Ground Zero, also recorded audio commentary for most of the photos revealing the stories behind them.

420 West 14th Street 2nd Floor 212 209 3370

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Paris Creperie

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Crepes are a welcome quick-bite alternative to pizza and hamburgers. Paris Creperie(278 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-1770) (Map) does only one thing- crepes- but they do them exceptionally well- the menu is extensive, the crepes are made fresh to-order, service is quick and friendly , and the prices are reasonable. 

You can go classic with the Provence style crepes- the ham and brie positively oozes cheesy goodness. There are specialty crepes like “Lilli’s Crepe” a vegetarian crepe with cheddar, asparagus, avocado, tomato, broccoli and spinach, and an Apricot Turkey crepe. You can even mix and match among the ingredients and create your own masterpiece!

And if you need a sugar-fix the Butter & Brown Sugar crepe for $2.45 and a small cup of coffee at just $1.43 – is an inexpensive and delicious way to satisfy your craving.

Paris Creperie is a tiny space with counter-service and limited seating- there aren’t more than 20 seats here and it’s often jam-packed. Tables free up fast  though – and these crepes are definitely worth waiting for.

Post from: The Boston Guide

Magic Kingdom - “Celebrate America Fireworks” will light up the sky at 9 pm followed by Disney’s SpectroMagic parade of lights with music and magic beginning at 10:30.  The theme park will be opened until 11:00 p.m.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios - The spectacular nightly entertainment, Fantasmic! will take place at 9 pm and 10:45 pm.  A special fireworks presentation will be sandwiched in between, at 10 pm.  Park hours will be until 10:00 p. m.  on the 4th.

Epcot - Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, features special effects, colored lasers, fireworks and  fiery torches all choreographed to music and is shown nightly.  On July 4th, in addition to the usual show, a special patriotic finale will be added.  The performance begins at 10 pm, with park hours running until 10:00 p.m.

Happy Fourth of July!

Photo Selection: WDW News

Southern Byways wants to wish you a very Happy Fourth of July. As you enjoy the cook-outs and fireworks, be sure to take some time out to reflect back on the true meaning of the day and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

photo credit: American Flag, flickr, creative commons by kjtittle84

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Relais Piazza San Marco

Relais Piazza San Marco offers a unique holiday in the heart of the Lagoon

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Venice has historical relics that are so large they don’t fit in museums…they are museums. The city has art that can be placed in nearly every era since the city’s birth. The people of Venice are so proud of their city that sometimes they are reluctant to accept change and progressive ideals, but as of right now Venice has become a Digital City.

The powers that be, have now made Venice obtainable to anybody with a laptop computer equipped with a wi-fi card, or phone with the same technology to access the Internet anywhere in the city. For the people who live, work, and study there this service is free of charge and can be accessed from any point in the city with a username and password. For tourists and visitors, you can also access the service with a username and password, but for a nominal fee. Information on the service as well as purchase can be made from the Venice Connected Website, as well as all of your other ticket purchases for your vacation.

According to the information that i found online, it’s a little behind. The website says that ther service is available in Piazza San Marco and Park San Giuliano, however, from the information that I understand it should now be available city wide.

Post from: The Venice Guide

The Irrepressibles and Troba Kung- Fú

The Irrepressibles are known for being one of the most unusal bands from the UK today. Unusual can be good or bad, and since tonight will be my first experience with the group, I can’t say wht exactly to expect from them - so maybe expect the unexpected.

They’ve been  compared to the Pixies, Prince and the Sex pistols, so imagine all of that mixed together and then add in their entertaining stage presence and collection of stellar reviews from music reviewers. Wow, I’m getting excited to see them just writing this!?

Following them at 12 midnight is La Troba Kung-Fú, a group led by Joan Garriga. This group serves up a sound that is a mix of rumba, cumbia, blues, rock, and of course, Kung-Fú……..

starts at 10pm

Teater Grec

part of the Montjuic de Nit program

tickets at Palau de la Virreina - La Rambla 99, Barcelona

Post from: The Barcelona Guide

A very happy Independence Day to everyone!

I am returning to Seattle today after three weeks traveling in Europe.  It was a great trip, but no matter how great it was, there is something very special about returning home.

I’m looking forward to enjoying our Seattle summer, and discovering all sorts of new places that I’ve heard about while on the road.

Photo credit:  .shyam. @flickr

Each colony had between two and seven in their Continental Congress delegation, with each state receiving one vote.  A vote for independence needed to be unanimous to pass.

On July 1st, nine colonies voted in favor of the resolution for independence. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted in favor of remaining part of the British empire. And New York abstained due to not having the proper authorization to vote for independence. While Delaware’s vote was deadlocked between its two delegates.

The following day, South Carolina and Pennsylvania reversed their vote in favor of independence was Delaware was still deadlocked with a 2 to 2 delegate vote. Caesar Rodney of the Delaware delegation traveled eighty miles the previous night through a driving thunderstorm to arrive in Philadelphia just as the vote was beginning, giving Delaware and independence the  final “yes” vote.  With the New York delegation unable to vote, the vote was unanimous with one state abstaining. 

The wording of the Declaration of Independence was approve two days later on July 4th and  copies were printed and widely distributed. Even thought July 2nd was the true day of independence, the public accepted July 4th, the date listed on the Declaration of Independence, as Independence Day.

In 1870, Congress declared July 4th as a legal holiday for federal employees but without pay. In 1938, federal employees were paid for the day off. And in 1941, DC government employees were added by Congressional  legislation. 

Long May She Wave….

Happy Independence Day!!

Images -  Yankee Doodle – public domain, flags from personal collection - ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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