Tag Archives: vacation

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Florida Island Hopping for Sunny Adventures

Needing a breather from wearing layers of corduroy and wool during the harsh winter, we traveled to the Southwest tail of Florida for a long weekend of island hopping.  Admittedly, the weather along the Gulf of Mexico drops during January and February, but tourists, mainly from the Mid-West with a sprinkling of Europeans, pull out their linens and fashionable sweat-suits to absorb the fully developed resort communities nestled within lush tropical vegetation.  If your goal is to relax and decompress your brain, you will be in paradise.

Finding the wide road that leads to the toll bridge onto the first island is a bit hairy after a day of traveling.  You must pass through a crass city and desolate subdivisions.  In some areas, skip stopping to ask for directions, just in case it’s not safe.  Once you maneuver through the zigzagging highways, you suddenly happen upon a sun-washed coastline.  I rolled down my window to take in the euphoric scents and mesmeric sounds.  Houses on stilts line the waterways and boats parade merrily from sunrise until well after sunset.

Sanibel Island’s main attraction is to collect shells from the beach.  Sanibel faces the Gulf of Mexico and is blessed with high tides depositing assortments of shells twice a day.  You are permitted to arrive with a bucket and haul as many shells from their natural environment as you like, as long as you do not remove any that house a living creature.  For those who are not familiar with how to recognize a living creature within a shell, have no fear.  There is no policing; however, please consider the value of every life no matter how small.  Pets are allowed on the beaches in Sanibel, but do take a bag and scoop any contributions your favorite companion deposits on the ground.  Bathrooms are provided so you can change clothes or spend all day in the sun without taking a break.

If the beach doesn’t keep you entertained the entire weekend, you can rent bikes, canoes, boats, and kayaks.  If you are 16 years or older, you can purchase a fishing license and throw a line either from the pier or from a deep sea vessel.  Golf and tennis is popular.  The most visible attraction is the lighthouse located on the south tip of the island.  If you stay alert, you will spot osprey and eagles nesting in the area.

Sanibel Island is more for busy tourists while its neighbor, Captiva Island, allows nature to dominate the scenery.

A bridge connects Sanibel Island to Captiva Island where development has been reluctant to clear the gorgeous jungle.  Captivating is the best description.  There is more of an old town feel to Captiva compared to Sanibel, but most everything you need can be purchased prior to 8 p.m. when the businesses close.  Plan to spend double what you are accustomed to paying for bags of chips and boxes of crackers.  Expect heavy foods with menus featuring fried fish and buttered starches.

We stayed in a rental home located at the tip of the island in Captiva.  Shops and restaurants are walking distance, but don’t wear stilettos.  The island décor includes gravel driveways and dirt paths.  Tourists prefer athletic shoes and campy sandals.  Beware the constant traffic racing to the larger resorts.  It feels safe and lazy in the isolated community but its popularity attracts lots of people in a hurry to have fun.

For a flavorful view of the sunsets, families gather at the Mucky Duck restaurant.  Live music stirs the playful atmosphere where you can pass the time by swinging a ring toward a tree to catch it on a hook or fight little old ladies for their picnic tables.  At long last, the sun kisses the horizon and a chill rises through your sleeveless dress.

Have no fear.  After a long dinner, you have an early evening walk back to your resort and timeless moments entertaining yourself in private, whether in your swimming pool, hot tub, in front of the tube or with a book.

Having exhausted the thrill of sun bathing in the rain and wishing the Jacuzzi could grow even hotter, you can visit a historic church and stroll through its old cemetery.   There are upscale clothing stores and general stores with fancy crackers.  If you are like me, shopping for merchandise you can purchase back home at a lower price does not hold your attention.  Make sure you visit the state parks for hiking, biking or even driving around the lakes and exotic foliage.  The area is superior for bird watching, even if you haven’t previously noticed the flying creatures.  Flocks of roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, and tufted-tailed ducks cover the numerous lakes.  It is a precious sight.

For a more adventurous day, take a day cruise to the nearby islands.  The options are endless.  You can join a group picnic where there will be music on an undeveloped beach, or travel to an exclusive island for lunch at a café.  An excellent choice is Useppa Island.

Useppa Island can only be reached by boat and one must have permission to dock at its marina.  En route, you pass rustic houses on stilts where fishermen live during the season.  The homes cannot be rebuilt after being destroyed by the elements or hurricanes.

Useppa Island is a collection of white homes, all privately owned by members of the Useppa Island club.  In order for non-members to stay on the island, you must either be a guest of an owner, or sign up for a trial membership by paying a large deposit, possibly higher than the cost of your room at the inn or house rental fees.

If you take the plunge and choose to pay the monthly membership fees and purchase a home on the island, don’t sell your primary residential home.  Owners are not permitted to live on the island year round.

The name, Useppa, was derived from mispronouncing its main resident, “Joseffa,” during the late 1700s.  The Spanish pirate, Jose Gaspar, kidnapped the Spanish princess, Joseffa de Mayorga.  When Joseffa refused his advances, he imprisoned her on the island as punishment.

A boardwalk and bridges lead you across the island.  You are surrounded by blooms of snake cacti hanging from exotic trees.  The path winds amid Old Florida architecture in white wood with wide windows.  The artistic owners decorate their porches with clever signs and rare shells and turtles dig holes within a few feet from your toes.  An elegant inn serves a filling lunch and saves you enough time to swing on the beach as ships sail passed, little more than a swimmer’s distance away.  Amenities include a human-size chess board, a crystal clear swimming pool, and immaculate tennis courts.  A historic museum sells books and Native American jewelry and a lovely bait shop sells finer resort wear.

The islands located along Florida’s southwest coast are geared toward family vacations.  Hearty meals, languid days on the beaches, and light nature hikes leave plenty of time for congregating in your room at the end of the day.  Don’t anticipate any night life or zealous activities.  It is beautiful and a definite escape from a tense lifestyle and the setting of my fantasy novel, Lochness.

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Sultry Heat in Kusadasi, Turkey

For an exotic mix of sensuous cultures and sultry heat, I took a cruise from Istanbul, Turkey through the South Aegean Sea.   My husband and I were angry with each other when we arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey.  We spoke little as we exited the small ship and made our way past a Turkish destroyer ship and all of its guards.  We had been in Turkey for a few days and were accustomed to seeing soldiers with machine guns guarding benign looking buildings.  It was common for soldiers to force families out of their vehicles and to perform searches that our tour escort insisted was nothing to be alarmed about.  Entering a port full of military vessels was not too intimidating.

My husband walked a few feet in front of me, giving us space.  When I reached the guard, I asked whether we could have a tour of their vessel because my husband was a war buff.  The soldier ran up the gang plank and then returned with an invitation from the captain to dine with him that evening.

That certainly lifted my husband’s spirits and resolved our argument – he was the one in the wrong anyway, right?  We spent the day in romantic bliss.  We ate at a rustic café.  The food was wonderful, and Turkish meals are my favorite.  When I went to the restroom, it was ironic that I had to pay because there was no back wall and several donkeys peered into the ladies room.  Perhaps, the café owners were raising money to complete construction.

We strolled to the bazaar. A shopowner shouted, “Lucky man.” To my husband, I think because I had pinned a tiny evil-eye to his shirt. It was supposed to ward off negative intentions from others. My husband took it as a compliment in his having me as a wife.

By then, in a jovial mood, he sat in a throne-like chair at a leather shop, like a sultan drinking the complimentary wine, ordering the owner to shorten my skirt three times before he agreed to purchase it.  By the time he finished, the skirt was so short, two little girls giggled as I walked through the winding passages.

We discovered an isolated dock beside a restaurant.  As is tradition when we travel, my husband tried to persuade me to go skinny dipping.  Several men stepped out of the restaurant to watch my husband jump into the freezing water.  I let my naked toe touch the tip and kept my knickers in place.  No way was I going to get arrested for taking off my clothes in a Muslim country.

At the end of the day, we dressed for our dinner affair.  We met the captain and the head officers of the Turkish destroyer ship on the deck.  They served their only dish, mush with champagne.  Incredibly handsome soldiers surrounded us, standing at attention beside torpedoes and other gigantic weapons.  We learned much about the Turkish work force.  For instance, the children take aptitude tests when they reach 14 years old.  The scores are used for placing the students within their professions.  Therefore, if a child is determined to be a leader, he is trained for that position; while if a child is found suitable for less prestigious work, he will never be promoted.

The Turkish culture is erotic and the styles are vivacious.  Although the security is tight for the civilians, it feels safe for tourists who are willing to pay for a tourist escort or else stay within the main public destinations.  Turkey is one of my top choices as an adventurous destination and ancient charm.

Every few months, my husband announces, “Lucky man.” Then, he then recalls the compliment he received for being with me in Turkey.

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Secretive Serenity in Ljubljana, Slovenia

To veer off the beaten path of your European vacation venture past Italy and hop on a train that will sweep you through a valley into Ljubljana, Slovenia.  The capital city of Slovenia is an upcoming tourist destination.  The furtive mood combines a sense of hidden energy in a quiet social setting until sunset.  Just as the mysterious beings you’ve feared in your dreaded school literature classes wait until dusk to emerge, the silent old town suddenly fills with peaceful families and eager college students out for a bite of ice cream.  Yes, ice cream lovers stroll along the cobblestone streets with baby carriages and docile conversations in droves.  Anyone who enjoys eating and walking will appreciate the numerous shops, cafes, and bridges intended for socializing.  Once the sun sinks and darkness falls across the river, the town erupts with enthusiastic street parties.

Ljubljana nuzzles against both sides of the Ljubljana River, which carries murky waters in a motionless current.  Throughout history, numerous cultures desired control over its prime setting.  No wonder the Argonauts selected this city to boast their Golden Fleece.  Napoleon saw such strength in the city’s location, he named it the capital of his Illyrian Provinces.  It served as the Roman Emona and the capital of the Province of Carniola.  Today, Ljubljana holds the Congress of the Holy Alliance where European statesmen brainstorm and numerous trade shows.

Invasions by diverse cultures merged the creative ingenuities of dominate cultures.  The buildings combine a Viennese flare with Art Nouveau, Baroque and Renaissance details.  Their local artist, Joze Plecnik, is responsible for many sites, including the Cobblers Bridge where shoemakers established their marketplace.  Now you can find beaded jewelry and collectible posters sold from huts.  Enterprising musicians provide street performances and crumbling buildings house new age clothing shops. 

There are several town squares connected by narrow streets.  Look for the favorite lovers within the community.  The lovebirds were forbidden from tying the knot and in honor of their undying loyalty to one another, the city has a mural of a window where the woman waves her handkerchief at a mural of her soul mate across the courtyard. 

The city is known for its Slovenian Philharmonic Hall, which was one of the first music societies in the world.  Masters such as Haydn, Brahms, Beethoven, and Paganimi became honorary members of the orchestra.  The resident conductor in 1881 was Mahler.  The Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theater is in a Neo-renaissance palace that has symbolic sculptures for dramatic effect.  Throughout the year, Ljubljana hosts fantastical festivals featuring jazz, alternative music, and international arts, among others.

The museums have retained the rare art pieces from moments in history that other countries hastily dismissed.  The Modern Gallery offers paintings, sculptures and prints by Slovenian 20th century artists.  The Museum of Modern History provides a visual display with sound effects of the 20th century Slovenia from Austria-Hungary through World War II and the Tito period.  The National Gallery displays artwork created by Slovenians from the 13th through the 20th centuries with sprinkles of European paintings. The National Museum holds the Vace Situle, a Illyrian bronze urn from the 5th century BC.  Robba’s Fountain was created by the Slovene sculpture Francesco Robba in honor of three rivers that feed Slovenia.  I regret not purchasing a simple sketch of Saint Raphael from a quant antique shop beside a sports bar.

The city is a college town and students congregate on the steps of the pink Franciscan Church built between 1646 and 1660.  Another noteworthy Baroque building is the Cathedral of St Nicholas with main doors that tell about the previous struggles of living as Christians in Slovenia and a side door with images of the Ljubljana diocese.

Aside from the mysterious atmosphere of the Dragon Bridge and the historic French Revolution Square, and the Triple Bridge with its incorporated buildings, and the Town Hall featuring battle scenes, and Vodnik Square surrounded by flowers, fruit venders and vegetable huts, the magnificent hilltop castle is a must see.

You can reach the castle on a tram car or be like the vigorous students and walk up the hill to take a nap in the park designed by Plecnik.  From the Ljubljana Castle you have views of the terra cotta rooftops framing the river.  The castle walls were built during the 16th century and the tower was added within the 19th century.  On the castle grounds are a terrace, a café , a craft shop and gardens. 

If you prefer the great outdoors, there are gorges, brooks and lakes where you can hike.  Health resorts take advantage of the natural springs and waterfalls. 

Ljubljana is a definite yes for families in search of a tranquil destination and also for youthful travels who thrive on adventure.   Visualize an unspoiled Prague and a tranquil Budapest and you will know what to expect.

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Venice Is for Huffing in Heels

Named in honor of the goddess Venus, 117 islands on the marshy, saltwater lagoon along the northeastern coast of Italy create an alluring atmosphere of maritime mastery and classical theatres.  Venetians love luxury and share their refined tastes in silks, architecture and masks with the same flare they adopted during their wealthiest period from the 13th century through the end of the 17th century.  Venice is the place to go if you are a fan of the Renaissance period with all its music, operas, fashions and history.

You can arrive by train, which builds anticipation as you stop at small depots where homeless looking teenagers board carrying backpacks and sleeping bags.  No vagabonds are allowed in Venice for the night.  The train rattles across murky lagoons and passed parking lots full of Italian residents who work in Venice but live on the mainland.

After the shock of a rundown train station full of conflicting movements of hectic travelers and lazing hippies, you exit into a world of delight with the same electrifying energy of Diagon Alley on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron’s wall in the Harry Potter series.

The sun streams down on a canal outside the doorway.  Facing you are magnificent facades with quoins and scrolled edges in terra cottas and vermilion.  Vaporettos drift calmly, surpassed by speeding flatboat taxies.  Bridges span the waterway and alleyways lined with delightful hotels in Venetian, Egyptian and cathedral designs branch in several directions.

“I love Venice.  I can just see Mozart lounging on a vaporetto during the period when he lived here,” I announced dreamily to my dear Yankee husband, whom I refer to as Zip.

Zip replied curtly, “That’s Vienna.  Mozart never lived here.  People always get Venice and Vienna confused.”

I accepted his reprimand regarding my stupidity with dignity.  We dismissed the matter by tumbling down the steps, dragging our luggage behind.  Ideally, your hotel will be on the same island as the train depot.  Otherwise, you will need to take a taxi to your hotel because crossing the bridges is cumbersome after a while.  If you arrive by boat on the opposite side of Venice, you will definitely want to take a taxi down the winding canals to your hotel doorstep, which is quite fascinating.

We examined the city on foot, with a stroller in tow, so we wouldn’t have to carry the little whipper snapper.  Zip, eager to take in the entire city, including all its crumbling, desolate, and bustling dead ends, barreled through crowds of casual walkers, leaping up and over bridge after bridge, after bridge.  I kept mentioning that I sure could imagine Mozart living in Venice.  He played classical music for the rich folks during the winter seasons and spent summers farther north.

“No.  It’s Vienna,” was the constant reply.

We moved so quickly, I soon lost my strength and complete strangers broke free from their understanding companions to help me lift my stroller up and over the steps, only for me to chase my husband down a crowded alley as he searched for more suitable shops.  No matter which alleys we venture down, we eventually returned to the same bridge.

Finally, after several hours of our adventurous wanderings, I asked Zip if we could rest at the top of the bridge and take in the lovely beauty of the scene.  I caught my breath as a vaporetto ambled below our bridge.  The enveloping earthy autumn colors painted on the surrounding textures soothed my senses.

And then, lo and behold, I noticed an enormous sign – eight feet tall and five feet wide – that took up most of the side of a building next to the bridge.  It began something like, “This is the house where Mozart lived,” and then gave details of his life in Venice.

I nudged my husband and proudly declared, “See, I know history.  I watch TV.”

On your first day in Venice, you will have an overwhelming urge to purchase theatrical masks; however, after a while, the excitement wears off.  Be daring and venture down those intriguing alleyways alongside interconnecting canals.  Find out what’s on the other side of the next bridge.  The decaying neighborhoods have the same beauty as the refurbished sections.  The accessibility to the mansions is breathtaking, just an arm’s length from a boat.  A glide to one side and there you are, inside the foyer of a palace.

Key points of the city include the Basilica of St Marks where you can receive blessings by visiting the bones of the disciple of Jesus Christ.  It is said that the Venetians stole his bones from another province, so possibly there are negative vibes mingled into the environment.   Harry’s Bar boasts having masterful writers and artists create their greatest works within its walls.  Ernest Hemingway is one of the most famous regulars and you can purchase several of his books at the bar.  It is a viable spot to meet enterprising young people and for examining the older couples who actually have enough money to order the colorful drinks.

Boat tours to nearby islands expand your romantic surroundings.  Each island has its own unique flavor.  A monastery fortress fills one private destination.  A fisherman’s island is lit with yellow buildings and vibrant fabrics cover the doorways.  The most amazing glassware is made on the islands, purchased by famous actors and politicians.  Supposedly, during the Renaissance era, glass contacts were available.

You don’t have pay top dollar for a meal.  Numerous inexpensive pizzerias and corner bars have simple dishes.  Forget watching your weight.  At every turn and within every drinking establishment are selections of ice cream and Italian desserts.  Save enough cash to pay the high price of a midnight sail on a vaporetto.

Venice is the perfect destination for everyone, whether you are a poetic college kid, a grumpy couple, or a rambunctious family.  Go, and take in as much as you can.  It is a place you will return to many times.