Vacations & Travel - Pictures Included

new blog

2007-03-27T11:15:00.002-04:00

I've moved!!

You can now find me here: http://jenconsalvo.com

And subscribe to the feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/Calmwater

Also check out my newest project, http://thankfulfor.com and let the world know what you are thankful for.

room travel

2007-02-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

"the sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room" - Pascal

i'm in-between trips right now. and actually, aside from several work trips to the valley, i don't have anything huge planned for 2007... well, aside from a family thingy in alaska, a trip to san diego (conference) and a quick jaunt to lake tahoe this summer (wedding). and i'm sure i'll be back up to maine a couple times.. anyway, since i'm home for a few weeks, i got to thinking about the last chapter of 'the art of travel'... called 'on habit'. de botton focuses on this frenchman, xavier de maistre (all of 27 yrs old) who undertook a massive journey - around his bedroom - and appropriately titled the account "journey around my bedroom". and here's what i love even more... a few years later, he was so bold as to take another adventure, titled "nocturnal expedition around my bedroom". he pioneered room travel, which he believed might be more practical for those neither as brave nor wealthy as real world explorers - and for those afraid of storms, robbers and high cliffs.

de botton's insight: the mind-set we travel with is infinitely more important than any particular destination we might travel to - and if we could apply a traveling mind-set to our own locales, we might find our local neighborhoods just as exciting as the jungles of south america or the bright lights of tokyo. it's about taking note of the details, rediscovering the little things we take for granted and appreciating what's around us.

so i did a mini-journey around my cottage. i'm certainly not going to write a book about it, but it helped me appreciate the downtime. here are a few pics of things i took note of:

the towering trees behind the house... with the heavy snow flurries in the late afternoon it made for a dramatic scene. a bit creepy, eh?

the contrast of the vibrant-pink geranium in the warm kitchen against the cold, white snow flurries seen through the window.

the pretty lavender that bloomed early, against the icy, snow-covered yard.

the stone wall peaking out of the snowy, sloped front yard - and the relentless ivy crawling down it.

on clouds

2007-02-19T17:41:00.000-05:00

in the early 1800's, william wordsworth was writing tributes to nature and the familiar scenes he frequented. he went for daily walks around the lake district of cockersmith, which inspired works such as 'to a butterfly', 'to the daisy', 'to the skylark' and so on. wordsworth proposed that nature was an "indispensable corrective to the psychological damage inflicted by life in the city." (de botton)

let's just say that his genius wasn't immediately accepted by the literary community and parodies such as 'elegiac stanzas to a suckling-pig' ensued. i, however, actually like the simplicity of this particular parody:

when i see a cloud,
i think out loud,
how lovely it is,
to see the sky like this

here's my tribute - taken at ~30k feet above the midwest US...

Tags: clouds

adams morgan

2007-02-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

inspired by the sunshine and balmy high temp of 33 degrees, b and i tooled around adams morgan on my day off... it was a perfect afternoon - rockstar parking spot, lunch at the amsterdam falafelshop, coffee at tryst, window shopping and people watching.

Tags: adams morgan

a foodie adventure

2007-01-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

i don't think i've ever had such a delicious week in my life. from cityzen in dc to michael mina in san francisco - all within 3 days.

cityzen
tuesday night b, m & l treated me to a night out at cityzen - we spent almost 5 hours there...everything was most excellent.

highlights:
    -a treat from the chef - an evoo custard w/spicy-sweet pepper dusted over top (description doesn't do it justice)
    -the creative lobster sausagy-thing that was curiously light yet extremely rich
    -we all loved my minty-sweet mango dessert
    -if we could have gotten away with it, i think the four of us would have rolled the cheese cart right out of the restaurant and into the car (although i don't think it would have fit in the mini cooper...) - and taken our sommelier with us. each and every glass was spectacular.

michael mina
on thursday night after a full day of meetings and work, frank and i found ourselves downtown san francisco for the paidcontent event - and just when we were both ready to collapse from exhaustion and hunger, our friend tony invited us to dinner at michael mina. i recognized the name from the bellagio last week and was pretty excited that this time i'd get to experience it.

highlights:
    -tony's lobster pot pie was one of the most beautiful presentations i've seen
    -i stuck with the trio theme: trio of greens, trio of snapper, and the financier (3 sorbets w/tarts) - loved them all, but mostly the presentations
    -the riesling tony picked out was an excellent accompaniment

i shouldn't pass over wednesday nights dinner at Quattro (4seasons restaurant). the roasted artichoke salad was exceptional - loved the generous sprinkling of pomegranite seeds. mostly i loved that afterwards i just rolled on upstairs, enjoyed a bath and slept slept slept in my pillow-top bed. hey - travel is tough.

4seasons i luv u

2007-01-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

i really do. 2 weeks ago i was at the excalibur in vegas.
last weekend i was at a hampton inn.
this week the four seasons in silicon valley.
oh how far i've been, and finally... i'm home.

don't worry 4S... i know it's a short trip, but i'll be back soon.
xoxo

unhappiest day of the year

2007-01-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

it's blue monday. and i turned 30, again... really, it's my favorite age so i think it's my prerogative if i just want to keep it around for a while.

and to remind me of maine, virginia snowed for me.

a few presents awaited me this morning...i opened them while b warmed up the car and scraped off the ice :D he's also made us reservations at cityzen, eric ziebold's restaurant at the mandarin. west coasters may know him from the french laundry in napa. can't wait!! AND tonight he cooked thai (my fav) had flowers and gave me some vibes.. will get to test them out on my flight to CA this week. thank you b!! next weekend we buy me a bike..

love the book my sis sent me - A Photographers Life

and more goodness from the family...

at work there was cake.

so, no blue monday for me. it's all good - 30 years and all.

Tags: birthday, blue monday

to PA and back

2007-01-21T19:19:00.000-05:00

m&l had a post wedding/honeymoon dinner/drinking-thingy in PA this weekend. hey, when you're on a roll, why stop? so b and i packed up the car and drove up on saturday, back today.

- drive up to glenmoore was sunny, clear - smooth sailing.

- stayed at the hampton inn - stumbling distance from the event. all went fine.

- event at ludwigs was nice. good oysters.

- festivities at the bar down the street went late. guiness. jack & ginger - all good.

- made it back to the hotel safely - what more could we ask for?

well... a short drive home would have been nice. but noooo..first snow of the year had to hit while we were on the road. b and i lost track of the accidents.

home now. yay. yawn. later.

Tags: roadtrip

groovy party pix

2007-01-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

i'm having too much fun with the woohoo photo features... just one last post to showcase some of the crazy party pictures from m&l's all-night wedding reception in costa rica - using the ken burns effect.

fire dancers and hulahoop girl included, of course.

Tags: woohoo

sfo airport

2007-01-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

4am wake-up call friday... at the airport way early. mesmerized by this tornado simulator.

united planes arrive...

Tags: sfo airport, tornado

VEGAS

2007-01-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

had an early morning flight to vegas last monday for a couple days at ces. two days total which equaled:

1 hour waiting for a cab at the airport

10 hours working in the company booth/tent

2-3 hours wandering around the show -no way to describe it all so check out engadget's coverage, and cnet's awards.

as few hours as possible in the hotel room - for various reasons (1) we're in vegas (2) it was a lame hotel (3) craps (4) parties like the Vonage event at Studio 54 (5) did i mention how lame the hotel was? i won't name names, but...

anyway... great, whirlwind trip. here are some additional pics.

vegas strip, bellagio fountains, etc..

ces show pics, aol booth, joan jett concert, studio 54 (vonage party)...

Tags: CES, Vegas

xmas in maine

2006-12-24T16:36:00.000-05:00

more pics... http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/jcsalvo/tags/xmas+in+maine

pura vida wedding

2006-12-24T16:25:00.000-05:00

the wedding was unique, heartwarming and most memorable. b and i have been to several weddings with m&l, so we were well aware of matt’s propensity to cry at any and every wedding… but i’ve never seen tears like the ones he cried throughout their ceremony. lisa too – and almost everyone in attendance, tied to each other via the multi-colored ribbons stemming from a central pole stuck in the sand. they promised to travel the world together, always be each others big and little blinds (had to have at least one poker reference)… they had friends sing, parents speak, even sliced the top off a bottle of champagne. the sun set as we snapped pictures on the beach and wondered down the beach to the party.

the reception was full of surprises. danny and the team at luz de vida did a wonderful job – it was the perfect setting for the lineup only m&l could plan:
    - gordon kent from the banana cafe & piana lounge in dc performed – his version of tupelo honey was breathtaking, and his “shake it” rocked.
    - l&m choreographed their own first dance to brett dennon’s “she’s mine” - so charming it was ridiculous.
     - after dark, we circled around some interesting looking guys playing bongos and drums – and then watched a woman maneuver up, down and around a long swath of fabric that hung down from the trees above – and then 2 women dancing while swinging chains with balls of fire – sparks flying and creating fiery trails of light, illuminating their faces as they jumped and wove their way around the crowd. It’s hard to do them justice with words. the pounding rythms and ecstatic shouts were purely tribal and exhilarating. under a sky of stars – amazing. pics are still on matt’s camera… i’ll post them when they’re back.
     - fireworks exploded in the sky above the palm trees. it’s not a party until someone brings the fireworks.
     - dj kramer had us all tribal dancing with his tunes. high energy late into the night – dancing barefoot in the sand – others in the pool. shorts, bathing suits – the crowd thinning a bit.
     - hoopgirl, christabel, showed us all how a hula hoop should really be used. again – hard to do her justice with words. will post the pics when I get them.
     - b and i crashed around 3:30am or so.. a couple hours short of the sunset goal

in costa rica, you hear a lot of “pura vida” and “mucho gusto” – it all comes down to celebrating and enjoying life. our friends m&l absolutely know how to do that, and invited us all to costa rica to do the same. we all long to have more of what we experienced there in our lives – all week we would chit chat about buying property there, starting a local restaurant or hotel – packing up and selling out…but realistically, we can’t give up our houses, suv’s, high salaries and modern lives for the dream. what would happen if we did? six months into it, would we start to lose sight of the perfect palm trees and crystal clear stars? would we no longer see the hummingbirds or the hermit crabs on the beach? if we lost power for 2 weeks because of a small storm, would we be able to deal? could we realistically be comfortable without local hospitals, shopping malls, movie theaters and reliable utilities? i commend all the mal pais transplants who took a chance to challenge themselves and find out. i doubt we go that far but i’m still happy to take a few weeks each year to discover places like mal pais.

a few final thoughts on costa rica…

nothing but goodness. connecting with friends I haven’t seen since college. alone time with B. the ocean so warm and clear, strong tide. full moon. bright stars. hungry black flies. pretty hummingbirds. playful iguanas. yummy plantains, beans, rice, Israeli treats. pilsen. pooltime & cannonballs. geckos. wicked beautiful sunsets ;)

Tags: costa rica, mal pais, pura vida

Adventures

2006-12-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

Adventure 1: ATV trek to Montezuma w/hike to waterfall
I may not have mentioned that there were about 100 people in Mal Pais for M&L’s wedding. And since Matt recommended we use ATV’s to get around (because it’s a small area, the roads are awful, the mountains steep, and well – they’re really really fun), you can imagine how quickly the local rental guy ran out of options. But no worries – our local connection, Edgar, helped us out. Not sure what the total count was, but here are some pics of our crew getting ready for a little daytripping to Montezuma.

Bandanas: notice that the majority of us are wearing bandanas around our faces. that would be due to the mounds of dust that end up in your mouth, nose, eyes and any other part of you that is left exposed while riding.

Warning Sticker: notice the 3rd item in says "never carry passengers". We noticed that on the last day when we were riding 3 of us on our ATV. Funny.

Montezuma: cute, tiny town. Couple of restaurants, couple of souvenir shops, place to sign up for other day trips (zip lining, scuba, snorkeling, etc…). Our posse rode the roughly 20 miles from Mal Pais to Montezuma one some fun, crazy roads. Through streams, giant potholes, steep inclines and dust dust dust… we rode on. Only one ATV flipped (no injuries!) but there were definitely some close calls. Once we got there we ate at Lucy’s (see Las Comidas below) – enjoyed some cervezas, rinsed off in the sea and enjoyed getting to know some of our new friends. After lunch we hiked up a stream to a waterfall for more swimming – diving was forbidden by Matt (good idea – no hospital in those parts). The ride back was even dustier with us taking up the rear instead of the lead… but the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the orchards and the heavy dust in the air was poetic… just gorgeous. I’d have taken pix but a) I was holding on with both hands, and b) doubtful my camera would have taken the dust so well.

Adventure 2: Zip-Line through Jungle
Shortly after M&L’s second trip to Costa Rica they showed me a video of them flying through the jungle at a pretty intense clip – I could see, hear and feel the excitement (and a little fear I might add) just from the 15-20 sec shaky digicam video recording. At that time, I’m pretty certain I had determined that I would always like to say I’d done a zip line (after all, I am fairly sporty and adventurous…), but I really, REALLY didn’t want to do it. ever.

When B and I got to Costa Rica, the subject of zip lining didn’t come up right away. When it did, it kind of passed and that felt ok. Then… it just happened. Not sure how, but M&L said they were heading over and did some of us want to join…so we hopped on the ATV and within 20 minutes, we were signing a waiver that included terms like injury, dismemberment and death. I won’t describe all the feelings I had going into it. Let’s just say that I recognized my fear, embraced it and let it propel me up a mountain, onto very high platforms among the tree-tops, and put all my trust into some 1 inch round cable, my harness and a cute guide named RRRRolando (that’s not how you spell it, but it’s more fun saying it that way).

There were 6 lines. One was a straight vertical repel down, during which I sang “In the Jungle” rather loudly – because – well, I was in the jungle, saw some monkeys and by that time was having a blast and completely high on flying across zip lines!

I saw the zip line, I jumped from the platform, I cruised over tree tops and through vines. I was fearless (well…), I conquered all 6 and for few moments, I was queen of the jungle. Hee hee. Did I mention I saw monkeys?

Adventure 3: Surfing Mal Pais
Sand, sun, surf. Mal Pais has it all – and the waves are most excellent. It’s not possible to kick some sand and not hit a surfer. So, the brave guests of M&L’s wedding extravaganza rented boards, hired instructors, paddled their hearts out and attempted to SURF. Except me. Damn. Maybe next time. BUT HEY - I ZIP LINED!!!!!

AND, I took some groovy shots of boards and surfers :D See?

Adventure 4: The flight to San Jose
This doesn’t quite fall in the same category as the above activities, but if it’s been a while since you’ve flown in a VERY small plane, let me just say that it’s possible to get a similar rush of fear and excitement. How is it different from any other flight you may ask? Let me tell you, mi amigo…
   1) they ask your weight. some of our friends weighed too much and had to find alternative transportation.
   2) your bag cannot exceed 25 pounds – the scale hangs off a chain link fence on the side of the airstrip
   3) the airstrip is a field with a parking lot
   4) the airstrip starts at the side of the road and ends at the ocean’s edge
   5) we were 3 seats behind the pilot and we were in the last row
   6) there is no aisle, emergency instructions, flight attendant, etc

there are a few other distinctions, but let me just say it’s a gorgeous and exciting way to travel. Try it some time. Sorry I have no pix!

Tags: costa rica, mal pais, adventure travel

la playa

2006-12-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

an excerpt from my journal entry dated Dec 3rd...

could it only be yesterday morning that we were wisked away by cab to the airport? it feels like light-years already. But don't think it was easy to get here:

flew from dc to miami, miami to san jose, then bused a few hours to the ferry - on ferry for a couple hours - then back on the bus for a few more hours to mal pais

so, between our waking hour at 3:45am to going to sleep around 11pm central time was all travel.... we arrove in darkness - drifted to sleep quickly, awoke with the sun, stepped outside to WOW! the beauty was overwhelming. I put on my running shoes and went for a jog on the beach. But how seriously can you run when every few feet you stop to admire the beautiful shells underfoot, the surprising rock formations creeping up out of the sea, the perfectly (strategically?) placed palm trees that mark the border between jungle and beach, the huge, relentless waves and most of all, the quiet.

even now, after noon, the only real sound other than the surf is someone raking a few yards away from where i sit, some birds chirping and occasionally some faint voices from down the beach - carried over by the wind. this is heaven .... for a few seconds, i thought how cool it would be to have my laptop so i could blog real time. but no, it wouldn't be right. it would absolutely feel out of place - like it should refuse to turn itself on in such an environment. hmmm... a horse just galloped by... followed by some surfers. feeling much gratitude for mal pais.

Las Comidas

2006-12-17T21:04:00.000-05:00

delicious fish lunch at lucy's in montezuma

tasty thai fried rice at casa zen

good ceviche at luz de vida

crispy tacos at mary's

here's their chicken - it really is the sh$t :) - they serve great breakfast too

nice dinner at flor blanca on our last night

and for the bad...

tracy flipping off tapa tica for a less than great dinner... cute menu though!

the things they carried

2006-12-17T19:36:00.000-05:00

towel
sunglasses
sunblock
book
journal w/pen
floppy hat
water
walki-talki
colones (local currency)
camera
surfboard (well, some of us)
flip flops
local doctor's phone #

perros of mal pais

2006-12-17T19:07:00.000-05:00

i’m not tan. 10 full days in the sun and i’m decidedly not tan. i’m not quite as pasty-white as before – and in the right light some might even say there’s a tad bit of a healthy glow (ok…maybe that’s a stretch) and definitely no burns - so, my dermatologist will be pleased… but really, it’s no fair living with a greek who instantly bronzes at the slightest bit of sun exposure. oddly, my stomach tanned more than the rest of me… but unless i want to wear my bikini top around town, not much good it does me. oh well. fewer wrinkles right? anywho...

enough of that. rather than do the same old same old (blogging about each day’s events) i thought it would be fun to post on topics and themes i captured in my journal. inspiration for this idea came from my beach reading: “the art of travel” by alain de botton. i’m not sure i would have appreciated this book had i just read it at home. reading it on the plane and in costa rica made it more poignant. his themes of the reality of travel vs our built-up expectations and anticipation, motivation & curiousity to explore, and beauty all struck such a chord with me. but i'll leave those details for my bookgroup - lets skip to the pictures :)

from de botton…

one of wordsworth’s poetic ambitions was to induce us to see the many animals living alongside us that we typically ignore, registering them only out of the corner of our eyes and feeling no appreciation for what they are up to and want: shadowy, generic presences such as the bird up on the steeple and the rustling creature in the bush. he invited his readers to abandon their usual perspectives and to consider for a time how the world might look through other eyes, to shuttle between the human and the natural perspective. why might this be interesting, or even inspiring? perhaps because unhappiness can stem from having only one perspective to play with.

Home...

2006-12-13T22:50:00.000-05:00

Nooooo! How could it be over so soon?

Ok, temper tantrum over (for now). After a full day of traveling, and now a full day of work at the office, B and I are home. A week and a half of R&R and already I feel exhausted again. Amazing how quickly a fantastic trip can fly by and be nothing but a memory. Nothing left to do but indulge myself by sinking deliciously into my pictures and the journal I religiously kept everyday of our trip (paper and pen – imagine that!) – and blog about it all.

But, no time tonight. More to come over the next few days.

costa rica bound

2006-12-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

preparing for a 6am flight isn't easy. the excitement of the trip is the only thing that will help me survive the 4am wakeup call. sleep tonight? doubt it. i'll sleep the next few days in the hammock that i expect to be just steps from my room at tropico latino. i have few goals for the week:

- read

- sleep

- swim

- take pix

- dance all night at matt & lisa's wedding

- get some semblance of a tan

- take some notes so i can blog when i return

hasta pronto my luvs!

baltimore

2006-11-24T22:52:00.000-05:00

Our tiny cottage is filled to the brim with family this Thanksgiving weekend. Yesterday we deep-fried the turkey, drank champagne and learned a few portuguese words from our international company.

It was a good day to stay inside - nothing but grey, cold, wetness outdoors. But today was GORGEOUS. Blue skies, warm sunshine - perfect day for a family trip to Baltimore - the aquarium being the main attraction.

Also a good test-run for my new happy-snappy digicam: the HP R967. It promised great things, but I have to say that I'm checking on the return policy...not so sure I'm digging it. I'll sleep on it though. Here are a couple more pix from the day.

more pics on AOL Pictures... http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/jcsalvo/

Tragedy! Broken Camera

2006-10-06T22:51:00.000-04:00

Just got back from San Francisco/Mountain View - great trip, lots of stuff going on and not a single pic to show for it. Why?? Because for no apparent reason, my Nikon has decided to stop working. Yes, I have 6 other cameras - but they're all film which I just didn't want to deal with. I'm a digital girl in a digital camera world damn it.

so now i'm forced to pilfer pix from the web... just to show you some highlights...

Tuesday night dinner...

Wed night dinner and drinks in the city...

where i stretched by the pool after running...

my stylin' rental car...

ahh well. camera shopping this weekend...

no labor day trip this year

2006-09-10T12:31:00.000-04:00

what a bummer. we were supposed to fly to maine last weekend and spend the week eating lobster, driving up the coast (in the convertible we rented!), taking pics and staying at cute little inns along the way. but due to a combination of things, we're postponing it a few weeks. hopefully october will bring sunny days and lighter schedules (i can dream can't i?).

so, now we're re-planning that trip PLUS the big costa rica (Malpais) trip for December. i think we'll be staying in our own little bungalow here: http://www.hoteltropicolatino.com/home1.htm - can't wait.

public pix on aol

2006-08-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

still in beta, but very cool... the new AOL Pictures lets you create a public gallery to share with others - tag your pics, browse other galleries and tags, etc.

here's my first gallery - a mix of maine pix...http://pictures-beta.aol.com/galleries/jcsalvo

here are my tags - http://pictures-beta.aol.com/galleries/jcsalvo/tags

this view reminds me of flickr's photo stream view - nice: http://pictures-beta.aol.com/galleries/jcsalvo/4170G*6HAIfSGTxAGAeVTwoMUC7ynrydmUXsv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

the permalink is easy to work with as well:

simple, easy. can't wait to see what comes next :)

Kbunkport, Fortune's Rocks, Old Port

2006-07-19T21:37:00.000-04:00

Spent a long weekend in southern maine...

Friday -- drove up to maine with my sista – traffic snags didn't bother us all that much because we never ran out of things to talk about. We don’t see each other very often – we talked about life and re-bonded over dunkin’ donuts. Here's happy sis:

Saturday-- great lobster stew for lunch (thanks mom!), mall with mia to look for bathing suits. Tough time choosing – fortunately the salesman decided that I really shouldn’t spend money on more than one suite (“how much swimming are you really going to do this summer?” and “the others will be marked down in Sept anyway”) AND that I should buy the one on sale… interesting eh? Anyway, I guess I should thank him for preventing me from spending the extra $75.

Evening walk on Goose Rocks Beach. Beautiful night.

Sunday-- motivated early and went to Fortune’s Rocks for a little sun worshipping – I ended up spending around 3-4 hours there, which would have been fine but I missed a few spots with the sunblock. Have some very unfortunate burns now, located on random body sections. Backless dresses aren’t an option until I can even this out a bit -argh.

Fortune's...

Tried a new restaurant in Cape Porpoise for dinner, then decided to walk around Kennebunkport. We spent most of the time chatting with Evelyn and Bob Paine (of the W. Robert Paine Gallery) and playing with their two tiny dogs. I have a few of Bob’s paintings in my house – of Goose Rock’s Beach and the Goat Island Light House - beautiful.

Monday –as much as I REALLY wanted to head back to the beach (sigh) my random burned spots compelled me to stay away. So Mia and I went to the Clam Shack for lunch (real health food)

and then to Portland’s Old Port to hunt for used CD’s.

Spent the evening with the homegirls at Michelle’s house – late night hot tub and all. Home by 2:30am – ahhh - just like the old days.

Tuesday – woke up late, biked around the beach with Mia, lunch with friend Ron at Federal Jack’s, errands, then home.

me and cap'n ron :)

Lobster Time J We had fresh lobsters from my dad’s boat (the “Spitfire”) with my aunt, uncle and cousin who are up from South Carolina – YUM. And of course, we saved one for my return-flight lobster roll.

Fun pics from the weekend...

back in september!

Swimming in the Alps

2006-07-03T23:53:00.000-04:00

Our last day in Mondsee was amazing. Beautiful weather, just a low key, fun day. Started by driving along the lakes to a little place for lunch with a nice view. Then we found a perfect swimming spot on lake attersee - no matter that it was private- the neighbors didn't seem to mind :)

the stairway we braved to get to this perfect swimming spot without permission... but the water called us! look how perfect...

4 happy swimmers:

Post-swim we went back to lake mondsee, rented one of those funny little electric boats (it's name was Heidi - perfect, no?) complete with a crisp bottle of white wine and water (w/gas) for spritzers, and cruised around the lake. Once we found another great spot, we jumped overboard to enjoy our last local swim.

(pics to come)

Our last dinner was at a little place down the road... spectacular, really. The most amazing thing was the soundtrack while we ate - we recorded it so I'll post it here when I get it from matt.

4 happy diners:

view during dinner...

back in the square.... time for one last group-self portrait

German Smilies

2006-07-03T18:26:00.000-04:00

while in DE mode, i just discovered this site - love these smilies!!

and so many more! http://www.reitforum.de/misc.php?do=showsmilies

Abstdorf: The Wedding

2006-07-03T18:18:00.000-04:00

We discovered a new tradition - noon wedding, all night reception. The day's agenda:

--slept in, drove to the church around 11am -- 45 min ride from Mondsee to Abstdorf. Scenic drive along the lakes.

--noon wedding - roughly 2 hours. ceremony mostly in german but some english sections and translation. church was standing room only but we were up front. brief cocktail reception on lawn outside church.

--drove back to hotel around 2. lunch, nap and chill until 6pm for shuttle to reception (another 45 min ride) at Schloss Kogl in St . Georgen.

--cocktails, dinner - ALL NIGHT dancing and late night snacks until 4am shuttle home - roll in around 5am. Watch sunrise from shuttle while listening to drunken guests sing in shuttle microfone.

Beautiful event, fun fun fun dancing and singing and general merriment. Proud we were still standing at 5 am with no (major) injuries or illnesses :)

Church - check out cool double-decker bus w/giant pics of bride and groom across it.

Reception at the elegant Schloss Kogl

some details - outside courtyard and dramatic inner stairway/entry:

gardens:

elegant dining rooms:

view of couryard:

the garden after dark:

guys vs gals (have to admit, the guys were looking hot!)

happy couple:

bussi bussi ciao... (my favorite new austrian lingo)

Salzburg

2006-07-02T23:27:00.000-04:00

Since we were only about a half hour away from Salzburg, we had to devote a few hours to visiting the town. We planned a quick trip for lunch - we definitely weren't prepared for the amount of traffic and tourists encountered. Glad we went though. Good pretzels.

mozart's birthplace:

me and mozart:

funny picture of us reflected in a groovy, wavy mirrored cube thingy:

Lederhosen on Attersee

2006-07-02T23:13:00.000-04:00

Time for the comic relief :)

We promised austrian-groom-friend nick that we would all rent dirndles and lederhosen for the night-before-the-wedding cocktail cruise on lake attersee. Here's the proof. Great fun and laughter was had by all.

Vienna to Mondsee

2006-07-02T22:57:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday we drove from Vienna to Mondsee, a picturesque little village in upper Austria. Could not have been cuter if someone stapled tiny pink bows to every door.

The lakes and mountains are breathtaking - great swimming. You'd think a glacial fed lake would be colder. We have some cool video of our boating excursion that I'll post later :)

(these pics courtesy of my friend matt!)

Schonbrunn Palace

2006-07-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

We spent Wednesday at Schonbrunn Palace, doing a tour of the rooms and gardens and learning about the Habsburg dynasty. A spectacular place. Glad there's no quiz.

You can do a virtual tour here! http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/site/publicdir/0103000000_88.php

I love the Walnut Room and the Chinese Cabinet- but the gardens were my favorite part.

(note: don't bother clicking on the thumbnails, they don't go anywhere!)

Swimming in Vienna

2006-07-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

It's 4th of July weekend and of course it's storming outside. So figured it's a good time to organize my pics from the trip, order some prints and blog a little more so I can relive this amazing vacation.

So, Monday we braved the heat and explored the city, but on Tuesday our native austrian-groom-friend talked us into chillin with him at a citypool. Didn't sound so appealing to me either at first, but WOW - what a place. Up on a hill with a view of the entire city, multiple pools, beautiful, clean - what's not to love about it. I'm sure we were the only non-locals there, which made it all the better.

Afterwards we explored the adorable village and found a cafe with great greek salads and cold beer. Perfect day.

Late night at a Vienna sausage stand....

Vienna, Austria

2006-06-29T19:36:00.000-04:00

I'm back! Vacation is officially over :( But at least there are the pictures.

I said this about Prague, and now I'll say it about Vienna: it wasn't on my "must see" list (we only went for a friend's wedding) but it was amazing. Could have done without the heatwave and definitely without the George Bush visit that shut down half the city. Everything else was fantastic.

RE: Bush, check out this dude and his balloon...

I should state that we kicked it all off in a great way by watching the US/Italy game at the airport bar - which of course we tied. It was the fullest, rowdiest airport bar I've ever been a part of! Here we are..

We spent the first half of the trip in the heart of the old city at a boutique hotel called the Hollmann-Beletage. What a joy that place is. And it's ideal if other people you know are staying there too because they only have one floor and all the rooms are around the central living space and dining room. The chalkboards on the outside of the rooms make for easy notes to each other too. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Just don't lose a key like we did - 50 euros to replace! ouch.

We spent Monday tooling around the city - our hopes of expanding our cultural horizons were quickly dampened as we discovered all museums are closed on Mondays. So we enjoyed the very old, very important buildings from the outside and read descriptions about the insides. Lunch at the nachtmart was delicious. We cooled off within the Albertina, the only open gallery we could find.

Enjoy some pics of very old, very important things.

More to come soon -

Deep Creek, MD

2006-06-09T17:35:00.000-04:00

The trend of destination weddings continues. Last weekend wasn't too far - Deep Creek, MD...I suppose 3 hours doesn't constitute "destination" but since neither the bride nor groom are from there, it kind of was. Nice little area - check out the "Lake Cam".

We stayed at WISP and had a pleasant view of the mountain side (but should they really call it a mountain???). Here are more webcams so you can track the conditions all year long. It was fine, functional. Can't think of any reason to ever return to that particular hotel.

Unfortunately the weekend brought much colder weather than any of us had anticipated. Here's how it went:

--Pre-wedding: hmmm, seems breezy and overcast. Nah, it'll warm up.
--Wedding: man, that wind is really whipping across the lake. The bridesmaids are getting windburn... maybe my strappy sundress was a bad idea.
--Reception: that rain is really coming down. Think we can make it across the lawn (mud) in my heals without wiping out? More wine please!

Fortunately the rain subsided fairly quickly and we enjoyed smores around the fire and dancing on the floating dock.

And now the bride and groom are enjoying themselves in St. Lucia, so really, all's good. And look how lovely.

Only ONE MORE WEEK until Vienna, Austria. The occasion you ask? One guess...

NYC

2006-05-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

So, I'm in NYC for a conference for a few days, and as soon as I get here, walking to my hotel, who do I see?

Well, he doesn't look exactly like that anymore, but there's no mistaking Mr. Shatner. No camera in hand but really, would I have stocked him with my camera anyway? Not likely. Jeez, I'm not the paparazzi.

Look for lots of new pics from me in June - really! It's not like it's that long...well, maybe it has. But I've been busy. Next up... Vienna, Austria in June.

Eastern Shore

2005-08-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

Warning - these are from several months ago, but seeing as I haven't updated the blog in a little while, I just had to dig these out. But I DO have new pictures from some recent excursions and will post soon. These pics are from Assateague Island, MD - gorgeous place to run around and play when there are no people around!

European Vacation

2005-06-27T13:54:00.000-04:00

I had high hopes of journaling throughout my trip to Europe - but alas, it just didn't happen. Now I'm left to fend for my memories the hardway. At least I have about a thousand pictures to help me with this task!

Trip details: Prague, Athens, Santorini - in 10 days. Fast, but oh so fun. This was not our average vacation. Why so different from others? Wedding, Friends, Travel. I think those 3 things really changed the mood and spirit of the entire trip. While Blair and I will always need private vacations together, there's something so special about sharing a great trip with friends. Especially the amazing friends we have.

Prague: stayed at the Josef Hotel. Fun and funky. See-through bathrooms, super comfy beds, great location - excellent breakfast included. The wedding at Chateau Dobris was AMAZING. Formal gardens? yes. Russian Vodka? yes. Caviar? yes. Fireworks? yes. Late night pig-roast? yes, of course.

Athens: stayed at Fresh Hotel (same company as Josef). Smaller but even more fun and funky. Beds not quite as comfy - but awesome rooftop bar, pool and general lounging area. Nice view of the Parthenon - especially at night when everythings aglow. Easy walk to everything - especially the crazy fish market down the street.

Santorini: stayed at Ikies in Ia. This place is spectacular. I think we had the best views in town. Slightly longer walk to get to the center of Ia, but it's completely enjoyable. Perfect sunset views, private outdoor hot tubs, lovely pool, and most excellent staff. Aliki and Aleni where just so gracious and fun. This place is a MUST when we find ourselves back in Greece.

Enjoy. Next trips? No idea yet. To work so I can pay off this trip and save up for the next!

Cherry Blossoms in DC

2005-04-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

Another year, and another Cherry Blossom season has come and gone! I must say, however, that this year was spectacular. The blossoms were full and beautiful and the weather was gorgeous. Unfortunately, that means CROWDS. I've never seen so many people around the tidal basin. If I was true to my craft, I would have awaken at the crack of dawn, hiked down there and set up shop. But, nooooo. Instead, I metro'd down there with thousands of others around 11am. Someday I'll get serious ;) It was still a fun day.

Pt. Roberts

2005-03-16T13:11:00.000-05:00

Ever heard of Pt. Roberts? Neither had we. Until some DC friends up and left to live there. It's right near Vancouver, BC (although it's US owned). Large marina, one stop light, 4 gas stations. Lovely little place! There's a terrific little restaurant with a wonderful italian seafood stew. A bit lonely in Feb, but I've heard summer is quite the opposite with all the boaters in town. The one road into Vancouver was easy to navigate (although I'm sure traffic will be very different in July!).

Granville Island was a treat. Go to the upstairs, outdoor bar at the large seafood restaurant and get a bloody mary for a late afternoon treat. Glad we have friends there, cause we'll be back!

Whistler & Vancouver, BC

2005-03-16T12:37:00.000-05:00

wow -it's been a while. but the long spell between trips was worth it, because we were making great plans for 2005. Feb: Whistler and Vancouver, June: Prague & Eastern Europe, Fall: caribbean? - ah the joy. What would life be without travel. Anyway, in Feb we rented a condo at Whistler with a bunch of friends. Was fabulous! Not much snow, but I still thought the skiing was great. After a few days there, we traveled back to the Vancouver area - Pt.Roberts to be specific. Will add those pics as a separate entry.

Vegas, Baby!

2004-07-16T11:45:00.000-04:00

It was a Vegas family vacation for Blair and I - we met his family there and all stayed at the Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay. Loved that the Four Seasons was so much smaller and quieter - you can avoid the casinos completely if you want to. The pool was nice (too hot though!) and the service was good - nice spa! Best dinner at the Craft Steakhouse within the MGM Grand. Won $11 at the airport slots on the way home - woohoo!

Side trip: Death Valley

2004-07-15T16:20:00.000-04:00

Forgot to upload my Vegas pics from my camera, so here are the side trip pics - Death Valley. An excellent day trip (escape) from Vegas. Take lots of water and a car that won't break down. Go to Dante's Peak for sunset!

Summer in DC

2004-07-15T16:13:00.000-04:00

Home from traveling for a while - enjoying summer around my house. Next up - Vegas!

Cape May, NJ

2004-07-15T16:05:00.000-04:00

A few days after returning from Mexico we had to head up to Cape May for a friend's wedding. Was our first time there - adorable town. We took the ferry from Lewes with friends - it's a nice weekend trip. We stayed at the Chalfonte with all the other wedding guests - quaint and historic, but very loud (thin walls). We want to return around Christmas to stay at Congress Hall - which was so beautiful. Had drinks there before returning on Sunday afternoon.

Back to Mexico!

2004-07-15T15:56:00.000-04:00

At the end of May we rented a house with some friends on a private little bay about 2 hours south of Cancun, between Akumal and Tulum. Very private, away from the tourists which was what I had hoped. It's a great location if you like being remote - definitely glad we had our jeep to get around in. We were about an hour or so away from Playa Del Carmen, which is fantastic for a day trip or nice dinner - has some cool, Miami style hotels and beautiful beaches. From Playa it's only a 30 minute ferry ride to the island of Cozumel. It's also close to the ruins in Tulum, Coba, and the Xel Ha/ Xcaret lagoons/parks (fun for snorkeling). If you're in Tulum, have lunch or dinner at Tres Chiles - the staff are so much fun and the food is the best I've had in that country. I'm in love with Mexico again.

Not a vacation...but

2004-04-28T14:52:00.000-04:00

Ok, so these aren't vacation/travel pictures. I'm just so happy to be home in VA to enjoy all the spring flowers - my husband has been landscaping like crazy and I get to sit back and take pictures of it all. Upcoming trips: CA, ME, Mexico, Cape May...

London

2004-04-19T17:31:00.000-04:00

London was the last stop on my business trip. Here are just a few pictures. I didn't have much time to explore, but look forward to going back in the near future, camera in hand.

Hamburg

2004-04-19T17:23:00.000-04:00

Hamburg was the 2nd stop on my extended business trip. Didn't know what to expect, but loved it! Everyone was so wonderful and it's really a great little city. The port is so much fun to explore with a camera - all kinds of interesting things going on.

Paris

2004-04-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

Had to go to Paris as part of an extended business trip - I know, poor me. It was my first time there. Loved it and can't wait to go back. I took a few hundred pics, but here are just a couple.

New York City

2003-10-13T13:48:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I went to NYC for a friend's wedding. Took these snapshots while we were there. What a great weekend!

Pine Grove Furnace State Park

2003-09-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I took a trip to Pine Grove Furnace State Park near Gettysburg, PA. I stayed in a cabin with some friends. It's a beautiful place - excellent hike up the Pole Steeple trail - amazing views. The lake was very cold but crystal clear. Excellent weekend getaway in you live in the mid Atlantic region.

Mexico!

2003-08-27T19:13:00.000-04:00

Mexico is wonderful. I think I'm done with Cancun - outgrowing it. But Cozumel is still one of my favorites places, along with Isla Mujeres. Next I want to visit Playa Del Carmen.

Dominican Republic

2003-08-27T18:59:00.000-04:00

In May 2002 we went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with a bunch of friends. The place we stayed was beautiful, but we never really left the resort...so unfortunately, I missed out on exploring other parts of the country. That was my first and last time staying in an all inclusive place - the food was really bad. If I would have had an ounce of motivation, I would have rented a car and explored (and found good food), but once in a while, you just need to spend a week doing nothing but laying on the beach.

Summer 2003, Southern Maine

2003-08-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I went home to southern Maine - one of my favorite spots on earth. I was really worried about it because the forecast called for rain the entire time - but they were quite wrong. It was beautiful. I hung out with friends, rode my bike around Fortunes Rocks and Goose Rocks Beach, and went hiking on a great little nature trail. I guess my next trip home will be this Fall, when the leaves are (hopefully) in full color.

Summer 2002 at East Grand Lake

2003-07-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

Last summer my husband and I spent 1 fabulous week at my parents camp (that would be a small summer cottage to everyone outside of Maine and maybe New Hampshire). The camp is on East Grand Lake, which borders Maine and Canada. Believe me when I say there is NOTHING around it. We had no phone, tv, radio, no stores - nothing. I brought plenty of books and canoed a lot. The days start off cold, then gradually heat up to around 70 or 80 degrees, then instantly start to cool down again until you have to light a fire around dinner time. It was great - I can't wait to go back.

Bethany Beach, DE

2003-07-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

Ok - sorry I didn't take any pictures of Bethany - I took a bunch of pictures of my new bike though! I have family in Bethany so I will be back there soon to take pictures. In the meantime, enjoy pictures of my shiny new bike.