Posting regularly for Be A Travel Bee is hard for me to do in between work and school and when I do have time to write, I’m not motivated or I’m not writing about the things I really want to write about.

It’s easier for me to use Tumblr to write for Traveling in Between and will enable me to post more frequently. The platform is best for shorter posts and this will give me more time to work on other projects where I can write in-depth about the effects of travel on a person, which is why I started blogging and writing in the first place.

Traveling in Between is the best representation of me now. I travel in between work whether I’m trying something new in my hometown or flying to another country and share photos and thoughts instantly. And when I’m not traveling, which is the majority of my year, I always find inspiration in other travel blogs, books, quotes, and films, which will be often shared on my new site.

Be a Travel Bee has been a positive learning experience for me and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read at least one post and I hope you visit Traveling in Between!

Buon Appetito is one of my favorite restaurants in Little Italy. You can depend on this place for a traditional Italian dinner with great wine. Grab a patio table in front of the restaurant for great people watching. The restaurant also has a sister wine bar next door, Sogno DiVino, which is perfect for appetizers and a drink before a night out and Buon Appetito also recently opened an Italian market nearby selling true Italian specialities.

I go to Cafe Italia multiple times in just one trip to San Diego. I love their coffee and espresso gelato especially. It’s also a great place to unwind with a book in the outdoor back patio, catch up with a friend, or again, people watch! I thought Cafe Italia’s gelato was the best in the neighborhood but my brother recommends Papalecco‘s gelato.

Filippi’s Pizza Grotto is the place to get your pie in Little Italy. You will have to wait in line for  a while but the pizza is worth the wait. Feel free to grab a box of pie and sit out on the chairs out front. No matter if the sun is burning hot during the day or if it’s a cool summer night, Filippi’s pies will always taste just right.

No trip to Little Italy is complete without strolling through the Little Italy Mercato, or farmer’s market, held every Saturday morning from 8am to 2pm. The neighborhood is in full swing as streets are blocked off for local vendors selling everything from fresh produce, seafood, and pastas, to baked goods, bitchin’ sauces, and made-to-order crepes, tamales, and paninis. Local musicians are always on hand for entertainment and the weather is always spectacular. It’s the best way to start the day.

Have you visited a Little Italy lately and if so, what are your recommendations?

BLUE

My travel mates, Liz and Krissy, are doing the leg work on this paddle boat in Hyde Park in London. This photo was taken on one of our last days in the iconic city after eight months of working in London and traveling around Europe. We spent every day of those eight months together and ended up not killing each other but liking each other more – a big indicator of true friendship.

GREEN

Working in London during the week meant my weekends could be spent outside the bustling city visiting Oxford, York, Brighton, and more. This photo was taken in the gardens of Hampton Court Palace. I fell in love with this photo not only because it’s beautiful but because it made me want to be more conscious of how I take my travel photos and make sure to capture everything or anyone I encountered in their best light.

YELLOW

After a three-year hiatus from traveling internationally, I had almost forgotten just how beautiful a new city can be to explore. This was taken in Stockholm on the bridge to Skeppsholmen island. Stockholm is crazy gorgeous and easily walkable and I loved exploring all the unique islands and neighborhoods.

WHITE

Ile de Frioul is one of my best-kept travel secrets. This island off the coast of Marseille does not have any tourist attractions save for a few cafes. My friends and I spent half the day just taking a walk around the quiet and desolate island. The ambiance made the place memorable and proved to me that travel doesn’t have to be about seeing the big and flashy but enjoying the simple and unexpected.

RED

Kastellet in Copenhagen was hands-down my favorite thing to see in the city. This was taken during my first solo trip so I was able to take advantage of the fact that I could walk through the park at my own pace or even lay down and sunbathe for a while if I wanted to without any pressure to see and do everything. It didn’t hurt that the weather was sunny and warm either.

I nominate:

No Onions Extra Pickles

Candice Does the World

Suzy Guese

Traveling with Sweeney

C’est Christine

Travel blogger Spencer Spellman recently wrote an article for San Francisco’s 7×7 magazine about the best food to be found in US airports, and while I’m partial to my hometown’s airport solely for the amazing refurbished international terminal, Spellman’s article just goes to show there are many great airports with much to explore so you can get the travel started early even before take-off.

Of course, the only thing standing in your way of a really good terminal is a really long security line. To remedy the situation, you can either start thinking like George:

or you can join CLEAR. With the CLEARcard you can join the CLEARlane and breeze past security. Not clear? Check out CLEAR’S website for how it all works.

To celebrate the launch of CLEAR at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), they gave me one CLEARcard to giveaway to one of my lucky readers. The card is worth $179 and valid for one year and can be used at participating airports. Currently, CLEAR is operating in San Francisco, Denver, and Orlando and the card will work at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport this summer and 20+ more airports in the near future.

Here’s what you have to do for your chance to win:

1. Retweet this post

2. Leave a comment at the end of this post about your favorite place or thing to do at any airport terminal once you pass security.

Deadline for entries is Monday, June 18th at midnight ET. One winner will be randomly selected using Random.org and I will announce the winner here on my site soon after.

Congratulations to Jeanine! You will be contacted soon about your free CLEARcard.

If that wasn’t enough, CLEAR is also offering a special code to all of my readers to receive a free CLEARcard valid for 3 months. Use code CMNB05 when registering on the CLEAR site but you only have until July to use the code so use it now!

Here’s to starting your vacation early!

————————————————————————————-

This post was sponsored by CLEAR, the card that speeds you through airport security. I received a CLEAR card for this post, and one to give away to readers. All thoughts and words are mine.

CLEAR is now open at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Check out the CLEAR website and CLEAR’s blog for more information.

Just walking out of the customs area instantly made me feel better. I felt like I could breathe properly. I hauled my two bags onto the nearly empty Heathrow Express and was relieved to have fifteen minutes to collect myself. The train slowly crawled out of the airport tunnel and was soon moving at warp speed out into the open. All I could see from my window view were identical brick houses stacked side by side but it was enough to convince me I was no longer in San Francisco.

Two elderly ladies sitting nearby  shook their heads and muttered disapproval of President Bush as a clip of his speech from that day played on the train’s televisions. I chuckled to myself because I was expecting the criticism of my country’s president by people I would meet on my travels and now, not even an hour into being in London, here were two ladies showing their distaste for Bush. Months later, I would see the London newspapers cover Obama and Hilary with such excitement and positivity like never before.

I arrived at Paddington Station and immediately developed a strategy for managing my heavy suitcases. I pushed one suitcase in front of me and pulled the other behind me – I was sure this was the graceful way to do it without looking like a complete foreigner admist the chaos at the station on a Friday afternoon. I wanted to look like I knew what I was doing, where I was going, that I do this sort of thing all the time. And by “this sort of thing”, I mean, up and move to a new city with no job and no permanent place to live. I found the taxi stand and hoisted my bags into the spacious back seat of the black cab, no thanks to my driver.

And then came the sweating. I was expecting a cold, dreary and foggy London, not humid, hot, and sauna-like London. My thick jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt were no match for the weather. Strands of my curly long brown hair were sticking to the back of my neck and my tank top underneath my t-shirt, yes another layer, was stuck like glue to my back which was also stuck to the black leather seat. It didn’t occur to me until halfway through the ride to my hostel that I could in fact roll down the windows. Maybe because I was so distracted by what was going on outside my window. St. James’s Park was brimming with people sun-bathing in striped lawn chairs or just taking strolls and then the cab rounded the circle in front of Buckingham Palace with throngs of tourists snapping pictures in front of the gates and then moved on past Big Ben and over Westminster Bridge. No matter that I would be seeing a different side of London in the next six months and not this iconic side but it was still beautiful nonetheless. I couldn’t just play cool and dismiss how really wonderful it was. With every site we passed, I couldn’t get over the fact that I was finally here. After months of planning and years of day-dreaming, I made it and no amount of sticky sweat could bother me really.

The cab dropped me off on Borough High Street in front of St. Christopher’s Inn. I knew my location by address only but standing on the sidewalk with my bags with no sense of direction or what part of town I was in was a vulnerable feeling. Any passerby could suddenly knock me over, take all the possessions I owned at the moment, and render me insignificant. Luckily, all I had to do was turn around and walk into the hostel lobby. I had friends to meet, a job to find, an apartment hunt waiting for me. Six months later I was on Borough High Street again but this time across the street at the Borough Market with a friend. Before gorging on the food at the market, I looked over to the St. Christopher’s Inn and couldn’t believe how much time had passed and how much had happened since those first few hours of nausea, heat, sweat, and confusion. I had accomplished so much and become more confident in my new temporary home. My unstable state during my first few minutes in London quickly dissipated, but the excitement, the anticipation I felt – that never went away and always stays with me.

Have you had memorable first minutes in a new city?

Midnight in Paris

My friends and I had a Frenchie night this past weekend with lots of cheese, profiteroles, fruit, and bubbly. All my friends had seen this film already but were more than happy to watch it again with me and I bet I’ll be watching it a second time too. The scene below could have played throughout the whole movie and I would have been satisfied plus I thought the music was so great that I went home and bought the soundtrack. Not only does the music make me miss Paris but the shots of the City of Love at night are pure magic. My first night in Paris, I sat under the Eiffel Tower with my friends eating an over priced crepe in the cold and rain but I still loved it because there were hardly any other people around. I’m due for a return trip to see more of this city at night!

Before Sunrise

I had always heard about how great this film was but never watched it but then I read this great post by former literary agent turned social media manager, Nathan Bransford, and I got to watchin’. I’m sure every traveler, at one point or another, has hoped of meeting a kindred soul on a train, maybe to stay together or never see each other again. Either way, it makes for an interesting journey. I love the following scene because it makes me think of my favorite memory in Vienna when my friends and I spent a lazy afternoon at Cafe Sperl. We had just got off a night train and were exhausted and even though we had spent seven months traveling together we still were able to sit in the cafe and talk and learn something new about each other.

Before Sunset

So right after I watched Before Sunrise, I had to watch Before Sunset to see what happened to these two star-crossed travelers nine years later. Often the original is far better than the sequel and this is true in this case but Before Sunset is still pretty amazing. It takes the classic question, “what if?”, and expands on it in a heart-wrenching fashion and instead of the couple wandering around Vienna, as they did years ago, they now wander around Paris or float on the Seine as in the scene below. I’ve had my missed connection and while I love just the memory, I always wonder what if we bump into each other again? Also, I never managed to take a boat ride in Paris so now I have another excuse to return to France.

(Watch this extended boat scene!)

Lost in Translation

This is another film from a while ago that I just watched for the first time and it reaffirmed my desire to visit Japan. The film has a somber tone to it but every image of Tokyo shows an energy that is so appealing to me. And of course there are some laughs too with the translation barrier as in the scene below. I’ve only traveled to Europe where the differences from the States, at least to me, are not so significant. However, Japan is something completely new and potentially disorienting, but in a good way. A cultural jolt can be a good thing and I hope I can travel to Tokyo one day.

Extended scene in beautiful Kyoto

No doubt there are other films that I have yet to see or that I’ve watched a while ago but don’t remember so please comment with your recommendations!

Rome is an amazing city, but it is also a tourist trap, especially in the central zones. What to do then? As a rule of thumb, talk to locals. Just as it is probably true in your home town, you clearly know the difference between the local favorites and tourist traps. I know in my home city of Seattle, there are countless restaurants on both sides of that spectrum.

I have put together this little guide that provides suggestions for some much-loved restaurants in Rome, which I learned in my time there, that are all frequented by locals. Some of them are in the center of the city; others are not too far away from it and all of them are worth checking out for some fresh local flavor.

Mondo Arancina      

Have you ever tried Sicilian arancine? It’s a deep fried rice ball as big as an orange, seasoned with Ragù sauce, green peas and mozzarella, or with saffron, mozzarella and ham. In this shop you will find these two traditional varieties, plus 18 more! You can also taste other Sicilian treats like cannoli, panelle, cassate.

Via Marcantonio Colonna, 38 (nearest Metro station – Lepanto).Open from 8am to 12pm, 7 days/week.

Forno Roscioli

Courtesy of Daniele Muscetta

This is a bakery where you can buy hot-from-the-oven pizza, biscuits, bread, and cakes. After visiting the nearby Campo de’ Fiori, try some warm pizza bianca – a typical Roman snack of “white pizza” seasoned with salt and olive oil only.

Via dei Chiavari 34. Open from 7 am to 7,30 pm. Closed on Sunday (and Saturday evenings in July and August).

Er Filettaro     

This small, old shop near Campo de’ Fiori sells just a few Roman specialties. Go there for a crunchy fried cod fillet (in Italian filetto di baccalà fritto), and eat it when it’s still hot, while walking on the street.

Piazza Santa Barbara – Largo dei Librari 88. Open from 6pm to 11pm. Closed on Sunday.

 Forno Campo de’ Fiori  

Courtesy of su-lin

Romans like to visit bakeries when they’re hungry. This is a very old one, famous for both its pizza bianca and its pizza rossa – “red pizza”, with tomato on top. Of course, they also produce pizza with different toppings, bread, and cakes. Take a slice (just point to the pizza you want and show how much you want of it) and go sit under the statue of Giordano Bruno, the great philosopher.

Piazza Campo de’ Fiori 22 – Opening times: 7,30 am-2,30 pm / 4,45pm-8pm. and Vicolo del Gallo 14. Opening time: 10,30 am – 4-45 pm. Closed on Saturday evening (July and August).

Pizzeria Formula 

If you want a taste of Roman University atmosphere, this is the place you are looking for. This Pizzeria is an economical, simple and stress-free place to get fried zucchini flowers and cod or pizza and beer with your friends. Roman pizza is thin and crunchy, as opposed to Neapolitan pizza which is much fluffier. As the name suggests, the service is very quick!

Via degli Equi 13 (near Termini Station). Open from 7 pm to 12pm. Closed on Saturday.

Brasserie 4.20

Courtesy of blizzard

Everybody knows that “Italians drink wine”. Well, not always! This place is for beer lovers, as its owners want to surprise you with a wide selection of rare and home-brewed beers that can be chosen from the list written on a blackboard. You cannot order anything else, save for water and whiskey. They also offer hot and cold dishes.

Via Portuense 82 (near Portaportese Market). Open 7days/week – Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 7pm-2am. Thursday, Friday, Saturday 7pm-4am.

Naturist Club Isola

Do you want to try macrobiotic food? Visit this small, hidden restaurant on the fourth floor of a building near the Spanish Steps. You will find creative vegetarian and vegan recipes, and also fish sometimes, in a very quiet and friendly environment.  Reservations are requested for the evening.

Via della Vite 14, open from Monday to Saturday, 12:30-2:30 and 7pm-11pm.

Pizza Luigi

You shouldn’t leave Rome without having eaten some pizza al taglio – pizza sold by the weight. This shop is a bit tucked away, but it is worth a try! You should try some pizza bianca with Nutella at least once in your life.

via Federico Nansen 6 (not very far from Piramide metro station) Open from Monday to Saturday, 8am-11pm.  

It might be worth it to spend a few weeks prior perusing through some language learning programs, or bring along a travel dictionary of some sort to ensure you can communicate effectively as locals will always appreciate at least the effort to attempt to speak in their native language.

Good luck, and remember first and foremost, travel is a learning experience, and spending time indulging in local flavors is one of many ways to soak up the culture.

Do you have any restaurant recommendations in Rome?

*Rob Toledo is an addicted traveler who hopes to one day get his feet on every continent. He currently works for Distilled.net and can be reached on Twitter @stentontoledo

First stop was lunch at the famous Oxbow Public Market which features specialty merchants and restaurants.

Oxbow Cheese Merchant

The Olive Press

Hog Island Oysters

Next, we hit the wineries including Trefethen.

And also Frog’s Leap Winery, which is known for their organically grown grapes.

Dinner in Downtown Napa was at the amazing Italian eatery, Oenotri.

After a night’s sleep at the Chardonnay Lodge, we visited Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery for breakfast.

Much needed relaxation was found at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. For you Bay Area residents, ask for the Good Neighbor discount to use the salt baths, saunas, and warm pools without breaking the bank.

We couldn’t drive back to the city on an empty stomach. Five minutes from the spa is The Girl & the Fig – a delicious finale to an incredible weekend.

Home.

Kastellet, Copenhagen

My favorite way to procrastinate from the grad school work I have to do is look through all of my travel photos. A few weeks ago I looked at my photos from my trip to Stockholm and Copenhagen, a trip that was a mere five months ago but felt more like five years ago. The trip was only two weeks long and I wish I could have had more time to spend in both of these beautiful cities.

Similarly, I met a friend of a friend at a bonfire recently and he had just come back from a month in India where he was doing a little bit of soul-searching and some volunteer work. He said he definitely did not regret going and got what he went there for but only wishes he had a little more time. He wants to go back for six months to really feel the effects of his travels.

Is short-term travel worth the trip or is long-term travel, lasting several months to a year, the only way to benefit from our experiences abroad?

Four years ago, I started working and living abroad in London and all of my memories during my six months there have stayed with me to this day. And in fact, not a day goes by without something or someone reminding me of my time in that beautiful city – long conversations over dinner with friends, nights in and out with housemates, weekend trips to the countryside, or Sunday afternoons spent at a museum or walking through a new neighborhood. I knew that I would be going back home to California eventually, but there was no time limit. I had no commitments or responsibilities back home. I was fully invested in London.

With the housemates in London

This past May, I was looking forward to my trip to Scandinavia. I had just finished my first year of grad school and needed a break from work. I left the smart phone and laptop at home and had some “me” time. I reunited with old friends, made some new ones, and whole-heartedly enjoyed wandering through Stockholm and Copenhagen with no schedule to adhere to. However, I knew the exact date and time that I had to leave and go back home. Thoughts about work or what friends and family were doing back at home creeped into my mind from time to time and it was a struggle to relax.

Liljeholmens island, Stockholm

Like the friend from the bonfire, I don’t regret my trip to Scandinavia one bit. I went there for  many reasons – to see an old friend, to travel solo for the first time, and to take a break and I learned some new things about myself that I’m grateful for. Short-term travel is right for my life right now and so I guess the debate between short-term and long-term travel depends on the context of your life. I was a recent college graduate with no obligations when I moved to London so that is why my experience there was so liberating and one I always hold close to my heart.

Now, I’m completely invested in work and school and my family and friends so that long-term travel just doesn’t quite fit (but I hope it does in the future). I will always look forward to two-week breaks in the years to come because I believe they are necessary when we become too wrapped up in the routines of our small worlds.  Two week bursts of travel to the new gives us some perspective to take back home with us so that we may do things a little bit differently and a little bit better. Should I forget just how wonderful the trip was, luckily I have journals and photographs to help me remember and become a champion procrastinator.

Favorite Restaurant: Vintner Grill

Vintner Grill prides itself as a “neighborhood gem that proves that there is more to the culinary scene than what is found on the Strip.” And while the food is amazing, it’s the ambiance that truly tops the experience. You walk in to find Humphrey Bogart somberly staring back at you as ‘The Maltese Falcon’ plays on a glass panel, Sinatra croons ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and it hits you that somehow this Rat Pack-inspired soundtrack fits in perfectly with the simple décor of black and white with green accents. While the outside seating emanates more of a Moroccan flair as thin, white tents surround larger tables and colorful pillows accent the seating, lanterns adorn the trees and a fire pit illuminates the patio by night. The menu features American cuisine with Mediterranean flavors thrown in and while the the list isn’t extensive, each dish is spot-on. This is Vintner Grill.

Favorite Karaoke Duo: Ichiza and Zizzy

For a night out in Vegas’ Chinatown, start out at Ichiza for a yummy Japanese meal. After, head downstairs to Zizzy, a tiny but happening karaoke bar. Once you’ve commandeered one of the karaoke rooms in the back (and hopefully still have sake-induced courage pumping through your veins) strut up to the mic and entertain your friends with your most soulful rendition of Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas.”

Favorite Pool: Mandalay Bay Beach

The name says it all, between the real sand and wave pool, Mandalay Bay Beach, located at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Hotel, is as close as you’ll get to a beach experience in the middle of the desert. Be sure to grab a raft and float along in the lazy river, or if you’re feeling decadent indulge in some R&R with a day bed, bungalow or villa. The best bit: May through September the Beach doubles as a concert venue at night. Concertgoers are serenaded by popular performers from the comfort of their beach blankets or while wading in the “surf”.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Sandquist

I have yet to see these piano-fiends encounter a song they don’t know, or fail to get the entire crowd singing along with them. Located at Town Square, the musically inclined duos at Pete’s have personality to boot, teasing and playing-up the crowd into a high-energy, fun-loving bubble. Maybe that’s just the alcohol talking, but I prefer to think it’s a bit of both.

Favorite Show: The Beatle’s LOVE

Cirque du Soleil has yet to get it wrong, but team up impressive acrobatics with classic Beatles tunes and they have got it oh-so-right. LOVE is completely inspired by the lyrics of those famous songs because that’s all you really need. To produce a series of both real and imaginary scenes, an energetic cast employs everything from extreme sports to urban and freestyle dance to illustrate the beautiful lyrics. An added bonus is that this inspired show even incorporates the legendary foursome’s master tapes at Abbey Road studios.

Favorite Bar: Chandelier Bar

Just as the name implies this bar is designed to make you feel like you are inside a three-tiered, sparkling chandelier. Located inside The Cosmopolitan, one of the newest additions to ever-evolving Las Vegas Blvd., each level features it’s own signature cocktails. Far from run-of-the-mill drinks these are artisan cocktail creations. The menu is extensive and often seasonally inspired so put to rest your fear of monotony.

Photo courtesy of BruceTurner

Favorite Brewery: Chicago Brewing Co.

Head here for something off-Strip. Located in the West part of the valley this neighborhood venue features a laid-back sports bar as well as separate restaurant area. But the real draw is their microbrews, namely – the Blueberry Vanilla Wheat. Come summer, when more often than not the thermometer reads 100°F +, try a pint of this fruit beer on-tap, now that’s refreshing. Better yet, grab a group and order a Brewzooka – a 100oz. beer tube, and your table can pull their own pints from the comfort of their seat.

Favorite Dance Club: Moon

While the prevalence of house music in clubs today signifies this techno beats’ popularity, personally I still prefer a varying beat I can dance to. So if you need a reprieve from the repetitive “unsk, unsk, unsk” and teasing remixes that change just at the exact moment you think you’ve finally recognized a song and rhythm … then head over to Moon. This penthouse nightclub occupies the top floor of the Palms’ Fantasy Tower and is only an escalator ride away from the Playboy Club.

Favorite Brunch: Brio Tuscan Grille

Check out their menu here – ‘nuff said.

Favorite Dessert: It’s a tie! – Serendipity 3 & Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man

This one is truly a toss-up. Serendipity’s frozen hot chocolate, served in one of their Goliath-sized glasses, is a sweet tooth’s haven. Alas, this Serendipity does not have the same cramped, kitschy feel and Tiffany-lamp-studded-décor of the original in NYC. So if I HAD to choose, I would opt for Max Brenner, where you can cozy up to a Hug Mug of one of their signature hot chocolate concoctions. Their gastronomical offerings are ideal for chocolate purists and connoisseurs.

Photo courtesy of tradetosuccess

Guest post by Krissy