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“What is aperitivo?†ask the uninitiated. The answer is, take Happy Hour, remove the Bacchanalian excess, add fresh Italian ingredients and spread the concept through all of Northern Italy, with friends and coworkers enjoying a cocktail after work and before dinner. The price of one cocktail allows you full access to a buffet that can vary from chips, olives and bruschetta to a miniature meal. The concept is actually something fairly recently developed in Italian terms and experienced a surge in popularity when the number of women entering the workforce began its steady upward rise.
It offers Italians a time to relax and have a little nibble while waiting for the traditional dinner time of 9:00. For the tourist, it offers a great way to tide over hunger while waiting for local restaurants to open, which normally is not until at least 7:00. Aperitivo also gives someone who is inexperienced in Italian food a great opportunity to try a large array of different appetizer and side dish type foods without actually committing to ordering a whole dish.
KITSCH (1 and 2)
Kitsch is an outstanding destination for aperitivo, so popular they opened a second location on the other side of Florence. Now, as long as you are in the northern part of the city center, you are within 15 minutes walking distance from Kitsch. The décor is exactly as you would imagine with having such a name. These are places made for relaxed fun and good food. The list of specialty cocktails is astounding and the juices are squeezed fresh in season, with a strawberry frappe that makes any margarita or daiquiri an instant dessert.
›Continue reading Five Best Aperitivo Bars in Florence
- The Basics of Florence
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It’s my favorite place in the Drakensberg. There are beautiful waterfalls, vistas of rolling hills and majestic peaks, and well cut paths to follow. Most hikes start from the Monks Cowl forestry station where you can obtain route info and hiking permits. Be sure to sign the hiking register as a safety precaution.
 Cathedral Peak in Central Drakensberg - Photo by Fihliwe A moderate and gentle undulating hike takes you from the Forestry station to the Sterkspruit Falls. This small mountain stream drops 30 metres into a rock pool below. The path takes you to the top of the falls where you can peer over the edge. Be cautious though as there are no railings. If you continue to the right there is a narrow and somewhat overgrown path that will take you to the base of the falls. It’s a steep descent but the swim at the bottom makes it worthwhile. The route is out and back which means that you return on the same path. As a round trip including stops it should not take you longer than two hours walking at a slow to moderate pace.
›Continue reading Favourite Day Hikes in the Central Drakensberg
New York’s status as a melting pot – cosmopolitan, cutting-edge, and diverse – has never been more true than today. And few fields reflect the unique nature of New York’s international outlook than its dining scene, which ranges from Australian to Zimbabwean and everything in between. Here are a few recommendations for lesser-known or less-common cuisines.
INDIAN
Banjara – 6th St, 1st Ave.
This sumptuously decorated restaurant in the East Village’s Curry Row might well have its reputation tarnished by its neighbors – the area’s known for cheap, mediocre Indian cuisine. But despite its low prices, Banjara’s romantic setting and phenomenal food make it one of the best Indian restaurants in the city, and one of the best bargains overall.
Tamarind, 92nd St, 3rd Ave
Located bizarrely in Yorkville, a random destination for an Indian restaurant, this kitschy-classy restaurant, decorated in vibrant turquoises and oranges, offers Upper East Siders an oasis of exoticism in the middle of an otherwise unexciting neighborhood. The food is great, the prices reasonable, and the fig ice cream worth a trip in and of itself.
›Continue reading New York’s Best Ethnic Eateries
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Traditional French food - creamy bearnaise sauces, melting cheeses, fat slabs of ham and chunks of beef - is always a tantalizing option, but after days or weeks of croque monsieurs and tarte tatins, ... - New York City’s West Village and Tips
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Hawaii, a state known for its lush tropical settings, is also a well known tourist destination. There are many things located in Hawaii that are off the beaten track. Most people stick to surfing, swimming, and visiting volcanoes when they visit the ‘Aloha State.’ If you wish to see more of Hawaii then the volcanoes and the beaches, then you should try some of the more unique or odd Hawaiian vacation options.
The Polynesian Cultural Center, found on the North Shore of Oahu, is well known for recreated island villages of Polynesia, including Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga, and Tahiti. Villagers at this creative destination will show you skills such as coconut husking, climbing palm trees, and more. A luau will end the day and you will feel immersed in the Polynesian lifestyle. Get in touch with the true culture of Hawaii by visiting this educational and entertaining attraction. ›Continue reading Hawaiian Odd Travel Destinations
The National Parks are going to free admission for three weekends this summer. On the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, all 147 parks that charge an entrance fee will eliminate them. This includes even the big ones like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite. You’ll save anywhere from $3 to $25 on the entrance fees which gives you more money to spend in local shops.
It’s important to note that regular fees will still apply for camping, tours, concessions or other fees.
Will they all be packed on those weekends? Probably but who knows for sure. I would count on the most popular parks being pretty crowded so it’s up to you to save money and get close to others or just pay and enjoy it more on another weekend. ›Continue reading Free National Parks
America’s small towns have been a staple of poetry, novels, songs, and patriotism for centuries, but towns like Great Barrington, Massachussetts, prove a unique spin on the trope of idyllic village setting. This bohemian Berkshires village is both a summer and a winter resort – it offers easy access to both the Tanglewood festival in nearby Lennox and Stockbridge and the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, also in the Berkshires, as well as to the Butternut Ski resort across the border in Vermont.
Once a Gilded Age resort for the privileged of Boston and New York, Great Barrington and its surrounding area now has a remarkable artsy feel – its community is largely made up of aging hippies – this is, after all, the area memorialized by folk singer Arlo Guthrie in “Alice’s Restaurant,” which is located a few miles down in Lee – as well as seasonal city-slicker imports coming for the city’s cultural and artistic life. With stores like “Crystal Essences,” a new-age store on Railroad Street, and a variety of arts and crafts stores based on the log-cabin-and-deer-antlers ideals of decorating, Great Barrington is an ideal getaway from the rough and tumble of city life.
›Continue reading Great Barrington – Idyllic Village
- New York City’s West Village and Tips
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If visiting the beautiful Amish country of Lancaster, Pennsylvania sounds appealing, there is a way to find many of the important elements of such a vacation in one place.
No visit to Lancaster would be complete without a ride in an authentic Amish buggy, a visit to a working Amish farm, educational information about this group and fabulous home cooked food created from traditional Amish recipes. A stay at the Amish View Inn puts all of these elements in one location.
The AAA three diamond, boutique hotel is set right next to a working Amish farm. During the day, the clean lines of the fields can be seen from the window of the hotel room. Just across the road, buggies go back and forth up and down a dirt road. On Monday, Amish garments can be seen swaying in the breeze, having been hung out to dry on the traditional wash day.
Located on the property is the Amish Experience Theater. This is a multimedia presentation that seeks to help visitors understand Amish customs, style of dress, and other aspects of Amish life. Visitors can tour a nine-room house that mimics an Amish farm house to get an even better understanding of the daily lives of this group of people. ›Continue reading A Vacation with the Lancaster Amish
Tucked away in the north of Italy, Trieste melds the traditions of Slovenia and Italy, at whose borders it lies, combining elements of Italian, German, Slavic, Balkan, and Italian culture. Once a great trading port during the prosperous eighteenth century, Trieste is home to a mix of Mediterranean and European architectural and artistic styles, making its unique and tranquil culture well worth a day or two’s visit. The nearby Duino, accessible by a thirty-minute bus ride, is also home to the fabulous Duino Castle, with sweeping panoramic views of the Adriatic. Here is a brief introductory guide to making the most of a day-trip in Trieste, with suggestions for sightseeing, eating, and taking in the panoramic scenery of the Adriatic, which laps at the edges of the city limits.
 Castle Miramare - Photo by Filip Knežić SEE: The stunning Piazza dell’Unita is a must for any traveler. The striking Renaissance facades that make up three sides of this central Trieste square are worth seeing in their own right, but look west for one of Trieste’s most beautiful sights; the fourth side of the square drops off directly into the sparkling Adriatic sea, which sprays seafoam intermittently, sweeping salt breezes across the piazza. Take a bus to Duino – the town that inspired poet Rainer Maria to compose his famous Duino Elegies – in order to visit the striking Duino castle, perched romantically atop a rocky craig. Within the Trieste city limits, checkout the Museo Revoltella, a colection of avant-garde and nineteenth-century art, the Roman theatre – echoing an era when Trieste was known as the Roman Tergeste, the spectacular San Giusto cathedral, with its hilltop panoramas of the city, and the Miramare castle, a stunning white construction overlooking the water.
EAT AND DRINK: Trieste’s cuisine combines the best of Slavic and Austrian tradition – this was once a Habsburg property, afterall – with the delicious simplicity of Northern Italian food. The restaurants, here called “buffets” have a variety of foods, including Ghocchi, stuffed with goods as diverse as hams and plums, steamy, creamy risottos, sardines, and traditional Trieste Caldaia, or boiled pork. Trieste’s pastry shops also tend to sell variations on Austria’s famed desserts, including “strucolo pomi,” which is a uniquely Italian take on strudel, and chiffeletti cookies made with flour, eggs, and potatoes. Especially recommended is the James Joyce Cafe, a charming and flower-guarded cafe with a fine choice of seafood. Located on the canal, near the statue of James Joycehimself, who once resided here, the James Joyce Cafe also boasts splendid water views. As for drink, check out local wines, including Terrano, Rosso, Malvasia, and Vitovska Garganja, or try the standard Trieste cocktail – Frambua – made with framboise, mint, and tamarind. THe best places to drink are in and around Piazza dell’Unita.
by Tara Isabella Burton
The facts
The latest cuts proposed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger could close up to 220 state parks. The proposal would close the parks to save money through June 20, 2010 and then save even more money if they keep them closed another year.
The closures would include even Humboldt Redwoods State Park, where the world’s tallest tree keeps growing, Bodie State Historic Park, Big Basin Redwoods and Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Even if they negotiate the budget cuts, some parks will most likely be closed.
California is the 6th largest economy in the world and this cut is $70 million dollars. That’s not much in the scope of the state budget but it impacts everyone who visits the state and those who like to get away from their own California city.
My take
The California State Park system brings in 80 million visitors. The State Parks Foundation says that the state gets $2.35 back on every dollar it spends on the state parks. The Republicans in the legislature support this cut but it seems like another boneheaded move to me when you consider how many other businesses and people this will impact throughout the state. I have to wonder what the bigger impact on the economy would be. Take just the 2,000 park jobs lost and the subsequent drain on public support systems. Take all the tourists that won’t be traveling in those areas and putting money into motels, gas stations, stores and all kinds of other little independent tourist shops and attractions. What about all those businesses and their employees? No one is going to drive into the boonies to buy a souvenir from a mom and pop shop about a place they couldn’t visit. Wouldn’t those losses just add to the state’s problems? If regular state resident hikers in the state lose their favorite spots, they won’t need to buy gear and shoes as often. They won’t buy as much gas or need as much maintenance on their vehicles. Everything is interconnected in so many ways and I wonder when people will wake up to that. ›Continue reading California State Parks Closure
Something that I both see and hear more and more is about the quality of RVs and the service surrounding them these days. Is it better or worse today? Is it mass production that made them go downhill or do we just have more problems because of the sheer number of them out there. The more RVs there are, the more problems we’ll hear about. The internet makes problems more visible as well. With just a few magazines and clubs in years past, you didn’t likely hear about all the problems that you can now find with a simple search or on blogs and forums.
 Rhyolite, Nevada - Image by AllStays.com RVs are very complicated with many different working parts and products coming from many different vendors and manufacturers. Things eventually go wrong or not work together as they should.
Is it a poor product to begin with? Is it poor quality control at the factory? Is it poor installation? Is it improper operation or maintenance?
Repetition, denial and the importance of the internet
How many times has the same part failed on you? I have learned that if it fails once, it’ll probably fail again. This is a big issue with RVs. The same part is replaced over and over again and the owner is usually charged for it. Even if it is covered under a warranty, it costs you time and transportation. Thanks to the internet, we can find many cases where owners of a particular model will have that same failed part. We can determine that it’s not the owner’s fault and it should be a recalled part or replaced under warranty. But the manufacturer denies the problem. The chassis maker blames the RV company and vice versa. I’ve seen this happen for years and sometimes it is a very dangerous failure that could cause an accident. Admitting fault can cost a company more than replacing thousands of parts, so they don’t do it. They deny it because in the old days, no one would figure it out. We know better today.
Sometimes you can even find a third party that decided to manufacture the part in a better way. You may wind up buying a replacement part from a small machine shop that does it right because the RV manufacturer won’t admit fault or make a reliable part. I have.
Good dealers who can provide reliable service
This is my biggest problem. Finding dealers that I can trust. I have found the lists of authorized service centers to be inaccurate. You call and they won’t work on your RV even though they are supposed to under a contract. Some dealers won’t work on your RV unless you bought it form them. Duh. People travel in RVs. You are not always at home when a problem occurs. That is one of the dumbest business practices I have ever heard.
Even if you have a good dealer in your home town, chances are good that someday somewhere you’ll need to find one on the road. Where do you go? The closest one. And they may be incompetent, careless or just in the practice of price gouging travelers. Try to make a comment in their presence that subtly lets them know you use the internet and are savvy with recommendations and word of mouth. Mention a name club, bureaus, forums, or something like Angie’s List. ›Continue reading Quality issues with your RV?
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