Travel Theming Follow Through, Belgian Beer Class

In an effort to learn more about one of my upcoming destinations, my wife and I have signed up for a Belgian Beer Class with Total Wine, a local wine and beer store that aficionados in my area love. Total Wine offers wine and beer tastings and courses throughout the year to introduce their consumers to products and aspects of consumption they might not otherwise be familiar with. For me this is a great way to learn more about the beers of Belgium, while also experiencing an important cultural aspect of the country before we leave.

Having just tried a Lambic beer for the first time a month ago, I'm really excited to learn about the other types. My only other experience with Belgian beers has been Stella Artois's lager and Hoegaarden's Wit (or Wheat) beers, two major brands available here in the US. One of the major sites we plan on visiting in Brussels will be the Cantillon Brewery, where they still produce Lambic. Hopefully after this course, I will have a better understanding of what to look for. If not, at least the locals will be able to set me straight.

As an FYI, I also recently watched a very interesting documentary on Netflix titled Beer Wars. If you love beer, I highly suggest watching this movie. I enjoyed it and has ratcheted up my preference for regional craft beers over mass produced Pilsner.

Foreign Language, barrier or challenge

When I first succumbed to the travel bug I selected a destination where language would not be a major issue, the UK. But while on work assignment in England, I was provided with an opportunity to spend a weekend in Paris. Having been a last minute trip, I wasn't able to do my usual level of research. Luckily, since so many English speakers visit, it is possible to get by with just the tradition greetings and salutations.

However, for my next trip we will be spending a longer time there and I would like to learn more than just the tourist basics. For this I have turned to several resources. The first is free language podcasts on iTunes, which are available at various experience levels. The second is my local library, which has an assortment of CDs, DVDs, and books on introductory French. The third resource is free interpreter applications for Apple and Android devices, which can be used to translate phrases and hear rudimentary pronunciation. The final resource is the internet, which contains an abundance of blogs and trip reports from those that have experienced European cultural expectations first hand. Using all of these resources together will reduce my chances of committing a major faux pas, while teaching me respectful verbal interaction with the locals.

Training for Europe - Part Deux

Following my own advice, I've begun a cycling training regiment. The good news, after riding 10 miles yesterday, I was able to set out for a short two mile ride this morning. The bad news, my rear is hurting like hell, which means I need to stick with this if I am going to ride all the planned tours for my trip in August. Luckily, I started this regiment early enough to get myself in sufficient shape. After all, the pace I set for myself is much higher than the leisurely pace we will have on a cycle tour.

The one thing that does worry me slightly is the 22km (16 mile) ride in Amsterdam. However, the company we will be using does not take reservations. This means I will be able to determine the morning of the long tour whether or not we want to go. If we do not go, we will be able to spend the day site seeing in local museums (i.e., Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, etc...). We are definitely committed to the cycle tours in Brussels and Paris, but those will not be nearly as grueling as the Amsterdam Countryside Tour.

If you are considering any type of activities that require being in shape or any level of physical prowess, allow yourself sufficient time to build up your capability. After all the last thing you want to do is spend your vacation in pain and misery. Another tip I can pass on is when planning your itinerary, use Google Maps to determine major distances. Use these values to determine equivalent distances or benchmarks in your neighborhood and walk them .

I did this for a trip to the UK and it worked great for getting an idea for distance. We made sure to walk a specific route and found we were able to get around without tiring out. The only issue we ran across were hills (i.e., Royal Mile in Edinburgh). Living in Orlando, we do not have many elevation changes. To combat that you could train using an elliptical machine, treadmill, or bicycle on higher resistance levels or gears to build up your legs.

Plan for tomorrow, back on the bike for another two(+) mile ride (longer if my butt feels better) around the neighborhood. Wednesday, 30(+) minute ride to see if I am fully recovered. Next five months, try to ride at least three days a week, with one day of walking...

Physicality, Training for Europe

Do you work a desk job? I do, and on top of that I'm physically lazy. I live in Florida, but hate to go outside 8 months of the year because of the heat. But I know it is a necessity if I want to survive (and actually enjoy) my upcoming trip to Europe.

In a previous posting I discussed themed travel, one of my themes is cycle tours. I will be taking 5 cycle tours in 9 days. The scheduled tours mean I will have quite a bit of riding in a very condensed amount of time:

Day 1-Amsterdam city tour (urban, ~3 hours)
Day 2-Amsterdam countryside tour (urban/county, ~4 hours, 22km)
Day 3-Rest (no cycling, walking only)
Day 4-Brussels city tour (urban, ~3 hours)
Day 5-Rest (no cycling, walking only)
Day 6-Paris city tour (urban, ~3 hrs)
Day 7-Paris/Versailles tour (urban/country, ~8hrs)
Day 8-Rest (no cycling, walking only)
Day 9-Return home

In addition to the cycling, my wife and I will have quite a bit of walking to do. To ensure our legs are not turned to big sacks of jelly will require some work ahead of time. That is where the training comes in. Today my wife and I rode our bikes for 10 miles, with one 5 minute rest stop, in 1 hour and 15 minutes. This was meant as a test to determine our level of endurance and see how quickly we will recover in the next couple days. I can say that already my rear is hurting, due to the previously mentioned laziness, but everything else is recovering just fine. In fact, it has now been an hour since our ride and I feel I could go for some more (which is good since our longest ride will be 22km/16 miles in a 4 hour period).

In order to maximize our recovery time when we are in country, we will continue to ride and walk here at home over the next 5 months. This will make the trip more enjoyable for both of us, since we will not be sweating messes recoverying in our hotel room. It will also increase our energy levels, allowing us to take in more sights. If you have an itinerary featuring a lot of walking, I recommend getting started on your own training regiment at least 3 to 6 months ahead of your travel dates. And remember, hydrate!

Virtual Exploration Before Visiting

The other day I was participating in a forum discussion, advertising my blog, and a fellow poster began talking about the use of Google Street View and how she likes to explore various locales in Europe. I immediately understood the point she was making (how GREAT this thing is) and began thinking about how I myself use it in my planning process. For a long time I have been a fan of Google Maps (before that MapQuest) and was very excited when more satellite imagery was made available. Now many cities have street view access coupled with the overhead views.

I find myself spending hours exploring the various sites I plan to visit and using Street View to plan and verify routes in unfamiliar territory so that when it is time for boots on the ground, I will not be in completely unknown territory. It is one thing to be familiar with a map, it is another altogether to have seen the complete route in advance. Now when I look for a small, hard to find shop I am able to see where the store is, what the store front looks like, and the area around the shop. The ability to explore the surrounding area is a great capability since I am now able to find visual markers to help me out when I make my way there.

In addition, Google Map (and Street View) makes a great way to explore other cities I have been thinking of making a destination for future trips. I can type what I am looking for into the Search bar and the results will be populated on the side (in list form) and on the map (with markers that correspond to the list). I can then click through other people's reviews or go to the Street View to get a better view of the area. I think this tool holds a lot of potential as a way to reconnect to places I've been and as a means to explore places on the horizon.

Staying connected (when you want to)

One of the things I like about Europe is that I can leave my phone at home. I do not have to worry about exorbitant connection fees, the phone battery, or the daily reminder of job responsibilities back home. I can focus on absorbing the sites, smells, and experiences of wherever I am at. However, sometimes I do need to make a call, such as checking in for a tour, contacting a restaurant or hotel, or to talk with family and friends. When I find myself in that situation I rely on Skype, a software application that can be installed on a PC, Phone (use WiFi), or iPod/iPad.

Skype allows for free communication with anyone else that has it installed or to phones for a fairly low per minute charge, which you can charge in predetermined blocks (i.e., $10) to your credit card. The only requirement is an internet connection (i.e., WiFi), which can usually be obtained for free from my lodgings, cafes, and sometimes fast food joints (McDonald's, Subway, etc...). You can even use it to check your voice mail on your phone back home.

Last year I found myself in Bath, UK with the need to check into a tour. Due to some prior mis-communication they booked us on the wrong day and needed our confirmation to change it. Strolling down a side street I spied a Subway sandwich shop. I popped in, bought a Coca-Cola (I felt it was the least I could do) and logged onto their free WiFi service. Within 5 minutes, down £1 (for the Coke) and $.12 less on my Skype account I had all my arrangement's reconfirmed for a tour that afternoon.

The one rule I have for all of my travel lodgings is they must have free WiFi. In addition, more and more public venues, such as airports, are offering free or limited-use (first 30 minutes free) WiFi connection. I recommend researching free WiFi for the areas you will be traveling. While I may not want to be forced to carry around a connection to the real world, I do want the option to reconnect when it is convenient for me. After all, I am on vacation.

Obsess much? (about me)

Of course, I love travel, I'm quite obsessed with it in fact (to the point that I drive my wife mad with all of my vacation ideas and plans). I seem to always have a new trip in the planning stages, even before I have taken the first. This is just my character, when I like something I tend to jump in with both feet pointed down.

My latest trip plans are pretty set, yet I still find myself reading through Rick Steve's, Fodor's, Frommer's, and TripAdvisor's European travel forums to find that new bit of information. Sometimes, a post will catch my eye, lighting a spark to find out more about an activity, site, or restaurant. When the spark blazes up, I'll end up changing my itinerary to incorporate. Other times, it will smolder and die out, if I can't fit it in or I want to retain some level of flexibility. I find I really enjoy the process of researching a destination just as much as actually going.

My travel obsessions are not limited to destinations either. I love to read about transportation (aircraft, trains, boats), travel gadgets, and travel clothing (SEV anyone?). Skymall is a must read for me, where else can I find out about packable shelves (not really something I would be into, but still cool)?

Tackling the Musee du Louvre

The Louvre, a storehouse for some of mankind's greatest creations, can be a daunting endeavor for the uninformed traveler. Between the four floors (Lower Ground, the Ground, the First, and the Second) and the multitudes of paintings, sculptures, and items from antiquity, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. That is when research really pays off.

I myself have never visited this iconic landmark, but I have been warned that it could take days, weeks, months, even years to see everything. So the first thing I have done is identified the major items of interest for my trip (in order of personal importance):
1) The Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
2) Aprodite (Venus de Milo)
3) Napoleon III Apartments
4) French Crown Jewels
5) Medieval Foundations (of the Louvre)
6) Egyptian Collection
7) Greek Collection
8) Middle Ages Collection

The next step takes some careful consideration, mapping out my path. I would recommend downloading a map of the Louvre to orient yourself to the sites important to you. Knowing full well that the Mona Lisa is one of the most sought out painting in the Louvre's collection, I will plan on seeing it early in my visit. I've also heard there can be a long line for admission to the museum at the main entry point. So I will focus on using one of the less popular entries, the Passage Richelieu (off the Rue de Rivoli). The Louvre's website, provides a description of all the entrances.

Using the previously downloaded copy of the map of the Louvre, I have ordered all the sites accordingly in order to see the items of most importance by geographic location. I understand that I may not have sufficient time or I may have an abundance of time depending on the number of fellow Louvre visitors. Therefore, I have placed the items of most importance (i.e., Mona Lisa and Aprodite) early in my plan:

1) Entry at the Passage Richelieu (Lower Ground Floor)
2) After entrance, I will proceed to the Medieval Louvre (foundations)
3) I will then make my way to a stairwell to the Ground Floor

1) Stairways up from Lower Ground Floor
2) I will then proceed to the Aprodile (Venus de Milo) statue
3) After spending time admiring the Aprodite, I will make my way to a stairway up to the First Floor.

This is the floor where the majority of the sites I want to see reside.
1) Stairway from Ground Floor
2) I will make my way to the Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
3) Then I will return the way I came, proceeding to the Greek collection.
4) I will continue on through the Egyptian Collection
5) Proceeding to the Middle ages collection.
6) Visit the Napoleon Apartments
7) See the Crown Jewels
8) Finally, locating a stairwell to the Lower Ground Floor and to the exit.

Since none of the sites on my list are on the Second Floor and I will have a limited time frame, I will not be proceeding up to that floor on this trip. However, as I previously stated, my timing will depend on how busy the museum is on the day of my visit. I may or may not have an opportunity to visit everything on my list. Yet I will have oriented myself to see the items of most importance (to me) and prepared for a return visit. Hopefully, you will find this information useful in preparing for your own visit to the Musee du Louvre.

TripAdvisor is a must for me

If you've followed my posts it will be evident that I am obsessed with TripAdvisor.com. I use this collection of reviews as a major resource while researching my personal travel planning. I know it has become the bane of some hotelier/restaurateur's existence, but I think it is great for expressing your opinion and reading about specific nuances and charms of locales that engaged other like minded travelers.

One of the major draws to me is their stratification of reviews based on geography, activities, restaurants, lodging (B&B and hotels), and now flights. For example, when I look for a hotel I use the map display feature to locate hotels in a specific section of town. I then further discriminate based on costs and popularity. I will compile a list of the top 6 or so places that look interesting to me, read the individual reviews, and most importantly look at pictures that the reviewers have posted.

To me the pictures posted by the reviewers, not the operators, offer the most revealing look into what you will be getting for your hard earned cash (click this link to see what I mean). Reviewers do not gloss over small cramped quarters, dirty bathrooms, soiled bed cloths, or room views overlooking commercial air conditioners. Instead they show both the deficiencies and the things that make the lodgings wonderful. Beautiful room decor (I like exposed wood beams and the European glass partial shower shields), comfortable furniture, unique ambiance, and those special touches that make the stay that much more enjoyable.

In addition to the reviews, I find TripAdvisor's travel forums to be constantly active, with participants immersed in mostly friendly conversation seeking information, relaying recommendations, and providing trip reports. The members of these forums are not limited to American's, but also include foreign travelers and locals as well, who provide their own unique insights regarding where you are looking at visiting. If you are looking for information about a travel destination, foreign or domestic, try out TripAdvisor yourself and see if you agree with me.