TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

I knew when I left that I was going to a part of the world that had not caught up with time. I was excited to go to a place that was still living in history

You can fly to all the historic yet modern places of the world. Two weeks ago, I had flown to Amsterdam, The Netherlands where history was all around in the old buildings and the museums full of European History.

But when I took off for Buenos Aires, Argentina, only to connect with an Aerolineas Argentinas flight to Trelew on the Valdez Peninsula in Patagonia, I knew that I was bound for a magical spot where few people had ventured and where the world had not changed that much.

South America is in my blood. I don’t know why and I don’t necessarily believe in the theory of “past lives”, but I do know that when I Iand on this continent I feel like I am home! I love this place! Maybe because I speak the language or because I understand the great family atmosphere of the friendly people here. …but I am definitely in the right place for the next week.

From home I passed through Atlanta on my Delta flight and the noisy Sky Club filled with young business travelers boring each other with sales made and blah blah at the new too crowded Skybar! Then on to the overnight flight to Buenos Aires ..the Trelew…..silence and nature!

Never heard of it? I am not surprised! Everyone has heard of the Galapagos Islands on the west coast of Ecuador, but no one (at least us Americans) have heard of this wonderful peninsula filled with Penguins, Sea Lions, Whales, sea birds of all kinds and minimal tourists! What a delight!

Our guide Philipe picked us up and we headed to a wonderful Estancia (read ranch) for overnight. Here there are no hotels. There are only the wonderful ranch homes of local citizens that have opened up their farms and homes to perfect strangers to help them come to know this wonderful place where they live.

Marcela, the owner of Los Mimbres invited us to a scrumptious dinner . It is like going to a bed and breakfast but you are now part of this small family. In Patagonia the main crop is sheep or in this case fish as they are on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic. So your dinner menu can be local fare from the field of sheep or beef that Argentina is so well known for….or for the local seafood brought fresh from the sea every day. Accompany that with Argentinean Malbec’s or Sauvignon Blancs from this area of Argentina and you can’t go wrong.

The house is equipped with modern furnishing and a roaring fireplace that in the evening takes the chill out of the strong Patagonian winds that blow the majority of the year.

I am in heaven! I love this place. There are 6 rooms, a wonderful hostess, good wine and good company! What a way to start a trip that will take me far from the everyday world of where I live in the US. Here there is no wi-fi…no TV….intermittent cell phone connectivity…but a whole new world of camaraderie and human conversation.…all in the middle of nowhere.

THE BEST LOCAL RESTAURANT IN AMSTERDAM

OMG! Being tired and jet lagged...I asked the concierge at the Putlitzer to head me to a good local restaurant in Amsterdam where I could enjoy some really local and homecooked Dutch food.
About a block away from the hotel was one of the best finds I have ever had...and some of the best food.

Those of you who know me, know that I am on the Advisory Board for Saveur Magazine in NYC.
If you have never read this magazine or gone on line to visit its pages, I reccomend that you do so. Saveur is one of the premier magazines about world food. For those of you who travel or even if you don't, Savuer is the best at bringing to its readers the specialites of the world.
When I get home....I am going to suggest that they feature the foods of this wonderful little country and restaurant so close to the Pulitzer Hotel on Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Owned by two hospitible women, Carla and Ester, Bij ons server some of the best home cooked Dutch food in the world. The ambiance is totally "neighborhood" and everyone there knows everyone. They sing, they interact and they all share a wonderful atmosphere that I am sure is hard to find anywhere.

Aside from the Spanish wines that are house wines and which are wonderful, the food is really special. My meal consisted of the best mussles that I have ever eaten in my life. They are shelled and pan fried with butter and sliced spanish onions. Then add a touch of curry powder and spray with a little white wine for a finish and you have a dish that is homey and spectauclar. Served with a small green salad and a good sized portion of home fries (served with a mayo mustard sauce) it is one of the best meals that I have had in months.

I am not sure, but I think the freshness and locally grown flavor of the products served in European restaurants, cannot be compared to what you get in the US. Would that US restaurantds could do so well in the fresh category let alone using locally grown products.

My spouse, Larry (who is traveling with me)had a equally wonderful meal. I know it sounds strange, but he enjoyed beef flank, cooked in wine for 5 hours and then served with mashed potatoes laced with sauerkraut and topped with bacon crisps, and topped with beef gravy.
Carla, one of the owners, told me that the secret is to mash the potatoes with the juice of the sauerkraut. Yum!

If this is what home cooked food is all about...why eat gourmet?

Given that the food was so great and the ambieance all about the locals, you can't help but get caught up with the friendly spirit of Amsterdam. Raise a glass and toast to this local and very special restaurant.

I most certainly will reccomend Bij ons to eveyrone who comes to this fun city!

WEEKEND IN AMSTERDAM

I'm tired and I need some time off! I havent't been to Amsterdam in a long time and the airfare to get there in February was a whole lot better than to go out west and visit family.

When I told my friends that I was on my way to Europe for the weekend at the coldest time of they year.....everyone thought I was crazy. Maybe I was....but here I am at the Hotel Putlitzer bar having a Heineken and looking out at the canals.

It is cold here, but not that cold. Friends at home in Florida asked why I would be leaving beautiful 80 degree weather to go to a place that is arouond 30 and wet in winter. I am rather liking this cold as we seldom see it at home. When it is cold in Florida, it is usually accompanied by a cold wind with gusts of more than 30 mph. Here it is colder, but there is no wind.

Locals are walking or biking and boats are cruising the canals that I had been told were frozen about two weeks ago. The canals never freeze except when Europe is having a specially cold winter. This winter was one of them, however with my "sunny" Florida disposition, I guess they knew to unfreeze while I am here. Too bad, as I would have loved to photograph the special phenomenon.

Today was walking day one. After two long flights and arriving at 6AM and a short nap, I am off and running....well sort of. I have to make stops every now and then to find my way on the map the hotel gave me as the canals and streets are somwhat confusing at first. Once oriented from the center and Dam Square, I can find my way anywhere in the city.

It is very beautiful, even without leaves on the trees and the winter chill. The pre-turn of the century homes that line the canals are all artfully decorated and look warm and cozy in the winter haze. I am finding that quite a few are rather crooked after having existed alongside these canals since built. They have survived two world wars and the modern stress of trolly cars and busses let alone the millions of bikes that pass by them each day. What a joy to have seen so many histories passing by their doors for so many years. If only these little houses could talk...what they could tell us about ourselves and history!

So tomorrow is day two in my weekend in Amsterdam. I'm off to the countryside on a typical tourist bus to see wooden shoes, windmills and find out how Edam cheese is made. Yum!

So glad I came....I am already enjoying.....and relaxing!

MEXICO DE MIS AMORES

Mexico! I love Mexico! One of my best guarded secrets is that I watch Mexican telenovelas (soap operas) nightly. They are not like our American soaps.   Mexican novelas go on for maybe 3 months and then they are over. They are also such a
wonderful representation  of the Mexican people and Mexican life!

What a shame that so many North Americans are now afraid to travel there. The other day, a client asked me for a vacation that was different. He asked about Cuba...then about Columbia.
I suggested Mexico and was greeted with the shocker that Mexico was "way too dangerous"!

What have the news mongers done with poor Mexico. It is not any more dangerous than anywhere else in the world. There are areas everywhere where it is not advisable to go. Even today, there are bombs dropping in Israel, but hotels and homes have safe rooms to hide in case.
It has not stopped tourism to this wonderful country.
Paris and London both have experienced terrorist activity but tourism is still thriving.

I would not recommend in crossing the border from the US to Mexico these days, but mainland Mexico and even the Yucatan Peninsula can yield some of the most fantastic experiences in the world.  To climb the Temple of the Sun and Moon in Tenochtitlan outside of Mexico City is totally awesome. Chichen Itza with it's observatory, temples and senotes (sacrificial sink holes) are amazing. Uxmal in the same area of the Yucatan has one of the most memorable Sound & Light Shows on earth. The Museum of Archaeology in Chapultepec Park in Mexico city is one of the finest in the world. You have to visit all the buildings to get a real feel for what Mexico is about.

A visit to Mexico would not be complete without a stay in one of the fabulous haciendas. There are so many wonderful places with organic gardens and vineyards and serving authentic Mexican organic meals at the tables of these historic homes.

There is so much more to see and do in Mexico. There is more than just Cancun and its resorts. There is the Ballet Folklorico and the symphony, and theatre and wonderful restaurants. There are the cliff divers of Acapulco, and the wonderful ceramics of Pueblo and the silver in Taxco.
Everywhere there is something to do and see.

Mexico is a wonderful country. We need to embrace this historic country and visit. It is not about drug lords and killings. You can watch the telenovelas like I do...or visit and get a taste of the real thing. You won't be in danger or ever sorry that you visited.

Mexico de mis amores!

WEIGHING IN ON THE COSTA CONCORDIA

I don't claim to be a cruise expert.  However, I have been on enough cruises to know that the entire story of the Costa Concordia to be a total lapse in human judgement.

As anyone who has cruised knows, almost before you leave port, you have the official "lifeboat drill".  This is the often boring task of going to your cabin, finding your life vests, putting them over your head and clipping yourself in snugly...and then going to your particular meeting point ...IE the dining room or the aft deck or somewhere else on the ship where you receive training as to what to do in case of emergency.  Then everyone traipses to their particular life boat muster station to hear the drill from the captain.

In the case of the Costa Concordia, three hours into the cruise and no "lifeboat drill".....but instead the real thing and no one knowing what to do.   No Captain....announcements from crew members in various languages....total confusion reigned.  So where was the Captain of this ship?   Rumor has it that even an hour after the hull breach from his off course maneuver...he was having dinner with a pretty blond crew member. 

So human blunder no 1......going 2 and 1/2  miles off course to show his ship off to the inhabitants of Giglio Island (maybe he had relatives...or a girlfriend there?).
2nd human blunder....having a hull breach and not worrying about it.
3rd human blunder .....falling into a life boat with your blond dinner companion (what?)
4th human blunder...not having the ____'s to get back on his sinking ship and taking command.

I am sure there are more human blunders that we have not heard about...but I believe that the biggest human blunder of all is the lack of a background check by Carnival Corporation on the history of this particular captain.

For those of us in the travel industry, it has long been known that ships captains and crew live a somewhat cavalier life...going from port to port with liaison's everywhere.  It's almost like airline pilots who have a similar reputation in the business. Come now guys....sorry,...but how  many years have you denigrated the reputations of flight attendants?  Even now...the TV serial PAN AM puts a shady light on both the  men and women of those historic crews.

So no surprise that our Latin lover captain had his mind (and who knows what else) on something besides his ship, the Costa Concordia.

For me....I love solid ground where I can dance the Tango, or hike high mountains in Tibet, or photograph the wonderful Big Five in Africa.  After all....the Southern Hemisphere is my playground.
So if you are a cruise fanatic.....more power to you.  There is a lot to enjoy on those big behemoths....and know that not all crews are like that on the Concordia.

ON TO 2012

Welcome to 2012. I know it will be a good one. The weather around the world is good...no terrible snow storms, no tsunamis, no cyclones ....nothing of that sort during the holidays! Calm weather prevailed. The worlds airports got  millions of passengers traveling to stay with friends and family or go on vacation on their flights without too many problems.

I, for one, am anticipating a great year ahead. January takes me to Miami for a few days, then in February, I am planning to spend a short weekend in Amsterdam. In March it is off to Argentina and the Valdez Peninsula to see penguin colonies and sea lions and maybe even get a chance to ride a wild stallion.

April brings a visit to the Big Apple and May to SeaWorld and the new Legoland in my own back yard in Orlando. The summer months I am off to Newfoundland to do some hiking and exploring to see whales at play and Canadian history come alive.

The fall will hopefully take me to visit family in Bozeman, Mt., and to see the beautiful colors of the Aspens and other treats of the northern Rockies. Then who knows what the rest of the year will bring? It is 2012 and those that believe in the destiny of the Mayan Calendar say I should stay home!

I don't think so...  I might even go to Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico to find out what is really going to happen.  Who knows what else will pop into my travel calendar this year.
I can't wait to begin!

HAVE A GREAT 2012

MY LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLIDAYS!

Bah Humbug!   I hate the holidays!  And yet ,for me, it is the most beautiful time of the year!

November starts with my birthday and then Thanksgiving. Then come the holiday parties culminating with the Christmas Eve Carol service. The next  morning  there are presents under the tree..... kids screaming and tearing wrappings...... throwing bows all over the house.....you know the drill!

But I would not have it any other way!

It is also that time of year when I get documents out to all my traveling clients (lucky them) going to Europe, South America, Africa and SE Asia.  It has taken months of planning to get these folks off on their holiday trips to places near and far.  And just when you t...hink they are happily on their way, a huge snowstorm muddies the waters with cancelled flights or traffic on the highways that impede getting to check in with the necessary 3 hour window.  What would my life be like without some kind of crisis just before the 25th of December?

Wouldn't it be nice if I could be sitting on my upstairs patio at Cavas Wine Lodge in Mendoza, Argentina, sipping a glass of Malbec....or back in Chile walking on the Balmaceda Glacier just outside of Puerto Natales, Chile.  On the other hand....wouldn't it be lovely if I could be enjoying the Christmas Markets of Germany or Austria...or even skiing down a wide open slope of one of Switzerland or France's ski towns.  Imagine coming back inside to a warm fire and a huge mug of hot Swiss chocolate.  Imagine a wonderful holiday boy choir in a cathedral in  London....or watching Kris Kringle come to visit the small children  in Eastern Europe with a big walking stick in his hand to punish those children who had been bad.  Better than that would be to attend the "Misa de Gallo" (Mass when the cock crows) in Spain or South America then come home to a fabulous feast and presents. It would be nice to be able to "beam yourself up" to all parts of the world during this season to see how others enjoy.

In the northern USA....snow means a beautiful holiday scene typical of a holiday card but too cold to go out for anything but a sleigh ride.  In Florida, it could be cold, it could be warm...so warm that if you are lucky you can play a short round of golf before the huge Christmas Dinner.

In the end, it is a time of giving.  After all the stress and strain of getting clients off on their wonderful holidays, buying and shipping presents  and holiday cards to all parts of the globe, cooking and contributing to all the wonderful parties and perhaps enjoying a little too much of the cheer....what could be better than a wonderful holiday....wherever you are....with good friends and family.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS/I HATE CHRISTMAS.......BUT MOSTLY....IT IS MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS AND MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE HAPPY AND FILLED WITH HAPPINESS AND JOY!

BIRTHDAY IN BOCA GRANDE

Never let it be said that I let grass grow under my feet.  Just back from Chile, my birthday looming ahead and I was ready to go again.
 
A while back I had an invitation to visit the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, just south of Tampa on the west coast of Florida.  As I never get to play golf back at home, and because I travel so much, knowing that the Gasparilla Inn had a nice golf course where a single fee gets you as many rounds a day as you want, I didn't have to ask twice to get in my car and drive across the state.

What a delightful surprise.  On the register of Historic Hotels of America, the Gasparilla Inn is like a page out of history.  The lovely front portico with its highly polished wooden floor (they are out their daily putting a "spit" shine on it) leads into a wonderful lobby and historic public rooms with big fluffy sofas and soft candle light everywhere. 

Everything is historic here...from the cozy bar to the wonderful world class restaurant which has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the best around.  Rooms however are completely modern with living rooms and complimentary wi-fi throughout.

The little town is within two blocks of the Inn and you can walk or drive one of the complimentary golf carts at every guests disposal.  There are two or three restaurants, a Beach Club (with a bar to help you salute the sun as it sets) a gym, a spa, and a sports outfitter complete with fishing gear, bicycles and whatever else you might like to pass a wonderful vacation on this wonderful barrier island.  There is a great croquet field for those enthusiasts and even a marina if you want to arrive in your yacht.

Boca Grande is a little hidden secret with more snow bird residents than locals.  The Gasparilla Inn doesn't get going till mid October and closes in the summer (due to the heat I am told).  Many of the employees have been brought in from Jamaica and as a result, there is a lovely island kind of feel at this laid back little island.  The only thing missing is the reggae music or steel band as Red Stripe beer can be found in most places.

Happy Birthday to me....because with as many birthdays as I have racked up, a trip to a good hotel or restaurant is a perfect gift. I know...you think I am nuts because I am always in hotels.  But when I get a chance to come to as sweet a place as Gasparilla Inn and Club and in my own country and in my own language and with great food and wine...what else can I ask for?

ESTANCIA IN THE WILD

What could supercede my visit to Torres del Paine with a nights stay in a yurt?  It is really hard to imagine.  Howev er, that said....next stop and estancia in the middle of Patagonia.

Cerro Guido is just that....one of the earliest ranches (estancias) in this area.
Founded in the late 19th century as part of “Sociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego,” the largest and most prominent sheep-farming company in Patagonian history, Estancia Cerro Guido flat out in one of the most desolate areas on earth.  Surrounded by Argentina on all sides, the Estancia is located in Chile almost at the base of the famed Torres.

Due to climatic conditions and its location, the Estancia  developed a lifestyle all on its own.  In order to survive, the crop was sheep farming and the need to be self-sufficient led settlers and workers to live with their families and work in a small village.  Here are Cerro Guido there is a school, a medical station and residences for the part time workers.

I was here to ride horses....one of my passions.  I love horses...and at Cerro Guido there are 150 in their herd.  These horses live on the grasses and flowers of the fields.  The Huaso's (Chilean cowboys) coral  them once or twice a week to pick out one to ride or to change their shoes or do what is necessary to maintain them.  These wild horses are different from those at home in that they have mustaches.  These mustaches allow them to dig through winter snows to get to their feed, the plants below.  They are so funny.....and to feel a mustache nuzzling you tickles.

But what a wonderful experience a ride up to the top of the Las Chinas,  high above the Estancia to look down and know that two countries are included in the vista below.   There are no trails, no rings, and  the saddles are Chilean....a combination of English and Western without a pummel.
You don't ride western style with legs hanging down, nor English style with your knees pressing high along the body of the horse.   Chilean style is halfway between ....a relaxed  ride.

And these wild horses know that the rider is either experienced or not.  Like all animals....they know fear.  So if you are afraid of these wonderful creatures, don't bother to go for a ride. If they want to run and you do also....you are off to the Torres, Las Chinas or down into the valley...for an exciting ride with your own private huaso.

The estancia itself is like being a guest in an old Chilean home....complete with fireplaces in every room, dining room and library.  Only one thing is different...there is satellite wi-fi in the main house.
The owners have their own garden where they grow  vegetables for the kitchen and the daily menu is sure to include lamb or salmon which is fished from the rivers nearby.

So I am in heaven here....with my horse ....no several horses following me around the pasture.  I do have treats in my pocket, but they are just happy to have me scratch their heads or tickle their mustaches.  This may be wild...but I am right at home.

IN LOVE WITH YURTS

Its a new day and I am off again.  This time to stay and hike at a new hotel called Patagonia Camp.  Built entirely of yurts (kind of semi-permanent tented houses used in Siberia by nomads), Patagonia Camp is nestled on the shores of Lake Toro at the foot of the Massif of Torres del Paine National Park.
It is just a stunning location with each little yurt complete with king sized beds, heated bathrooms and fabulous views of the Torres.
However, there is no time to enjoy at this moment because I am off with a guide from the camp to visit the Park.  When I was here years ago, there was only one hotel to stay in....today there are many, many new ones.  I was amazed to see the amount of traffic running up and down the dirt roads with flying stones and dust everywhere. Busloads of day trippers were everywhere from the beautiful Salto Grande to one of my favorite hikes to Lago Saramiento.  We travel on to Lago Grey where each calving of the Grey Glacier brings mini icebergs to the shores along the lake.  When I see the crowds, I decide not to get out of the van.

Please, find me a hike where there are no people I ask the guide.  He tells me that I am approaching the heavy tourist season and today is a holiday in Chile....thus the crowds.  Well let me come back in off season so
Torres del Paine will revert to how I first knew it.  Wild open spaces with hikes across valleys and streams with only the herds of Guanucos for company.

So back to my yurt we go so that I can stare out the window or sit on my deck and bask in the beauty of this fabulous place. Sitting on the deck on my Adirondak style chair, I read, blog and just enjoy a cup of tea in between snapping pictures of the Torres.

Later after a wonderful dinner of fresh salmon from the lake and wonderful Chilean wines, I retire to my cozy little yurt.  At the top, there is a clear plastic bubble so that lying in bed, I can watch the  moon and the stars.  The sound of the winds blowing around its circular shape and through the trees makes wonderful music which in the morning turns to a tremendous rain storm.  The rain pounds down on my cozy little yurt as I nestle under the woolen blankets in the midst of millions of pillows.  I don't want to get up.

Then the sun comes out and the bird symphony starts.  How totally delightful.  But tomorrow is a new day and I am off again to the next hotel.  Rio Serrano Hotel has a lovely location with great views, but it is a monster with 95 rooms and too many bus people.  Please take me back to my little yurt.  I love you little yurt.  You made me really happy for a night.