Robyn's Wanderings

Skiing in Vermont

There are a few ways to end a relationship.

“Wait Robyn, what has this got to do with travel?”

Ha! Relationships and travel are inevitably intertwined, but that’s not the point this week. Nope. I already wrote about how to pick your travel buddies in this column.

That’s why this week, my Rock Fever Column in The Royal Gazette is about skiing. While travel might be the number one way to end a relationship, the number two? Teaching someone to ski.

Believe me I have tried. Seven years ago I took a boyfriend (now ex) to the slopes for a weekend. I became the teacher and there were some kids on the beginner’s slope who learned some very bad words that day.

So when it came to planning a New Year’s ski trip this year I debated what to do. There was going to be five of us: a Brit, a Canadian and two Americans and of course, me, a Bermudian.

Take a guess how many of us could ski….. One. Guess who… The Bermudian. We won’t go into why that is ridiculous, what we will go into is what was a good plan for a ski/combo trip because not everyone in the group wanted to even learn to ski.

Trying to ski in Vermont?

So this wee? Ten tips for planning a ski trip with various levels of people (or basically any good ski getaway from Bermuda). Take tip one: go close to home. Now living on a 21-square-mile island doesn’t usually afford us that possibility. Luckily Boston is not far away. I found a flight on Delta for a little more than $300 and that was over New Years. (remember my tips about using online agencies). With Delta your flight will be under two hours.

Tip two is find good car deals and rent at least one (with a group of friends you might want two to ensure flexibility). There are plenty of sites to investigate prices. You know all of the main car rental places: Alamo, Hertz, Budget, etc… So start with the online agencies (hotwire.com, orbitz.com, expedia.com) and then go directly to the car rental sites to ensure the prices.

Now you’ve got the vehicle so drive for two hours to….Quechee, Vermont (or at least that is what we did). Tip three is to book a house in Quechee. Luckily there are plenty of Bermudians who frequent Quechee and you’ll be able to find a place to borrow or even a place to rent (if you want to rent your place out check our my website www.robynswanderings.com which lists them for free!) With a group of friends that is the perfect option.

Which leads to four: Quechee is quaint. Quechee is beautiful. Quechee could be a Norman Rockwell painting. It is also a great place to combine a group that wants different things from a holiday. I wanted to ski. My Canadian and British travel buddies wanted to learn, but my American travel buddies wanted to take photos (there are at least two covered bridges and waterfalls next to a Simon Pearce – a glass blowing factory – to add to your albums) and visit Breweries (Harpoon has their brewery a good 20 minutes nearby). We were all accommodated.

Even better is tip five for planning your ski trip here. There is a great rental place (Henderson’s Ski Rentals) which charges only about $30 a day for boots, poles and skis. That’s a great deal if you look at any other resorts (Killington, which is only 45 minutes away charges at least $10 more). I mean skiing is never going to be a cheap sport, but you can cut costs where you can.

[slideshow]

Which leads to six and the five minute drive to Quechee’s own “mountain” (I would say hill because it’s too small for anyone with experience). But it is right in the middle of town. That means it’s close enough if people are sick of skiing or cold or tired, it’s not a far ride back to home.

Even better is seven, which is for the beginners there are great slopes which will keep them busy and instructors that will help immediately. We showed-up at 10.30 a.m. and had the beginners on the slope by 11! I had to keep myself busy going on the higher slopes that were open, but luckily Vermonters are incredibly friendly and I was always chatting with someone from Harvard who visited Bermuda every year or the wife of a producer for XSports.

And when everyone gets better at skiing you head to tip eight, which is that Quechee offers more than beginner skiing. A 45-minute drive (or so) will deliver you to Killington, which has been named one of the top resorts for skiing in the United States! Even better is if you stay in Quechee you don’t get the prices (www.quecheelakerentals.com can help you find an affordable house for a group. If we had not borrowed a house it would have been about $60 a night each. That’s a deal!)

Cheese at Sugar Bush farm in Quechee, Vermont

Plus you get the choices like nine: which is going into Woodstock ( a town 15 minutes away) with little restaurants, cafes and even a country store that sells everything from rubber boots to gluten-free beer. Yeah it’s old school and very cool! Ha I rhyme. Anyway, Woodstock is beautiful and small, which makes it perfect for those who don’t want to ski. Or even better is the family farm Sugar Bush which offers all the cheese tasting you could ever want. I mean seriously do NOT eat lunch or breakfast and go try their 8-year-old cheddar. Besides a stunning setting that allows a view of the Vermont valley, it also fills the tummy.

Which is good because, as we found, the restaurants in Quechee were definitely hit or miss. Tip ten: CAREFUL where you eat twice. Because our flight to Boston was delayed by five hours, my Philadelphia friends arrived in Quechee before us. They chose a seat at the Firestone’s Restaurant. We eventually arrived, had amazing service and great pub/upscale food. I was relieved because I had booked the same place for New Year’s Eve. What a mistake revisiting. We splurged on Kobe steaks which came cold and sea bass that could have been in the Quechee river. Luckily, like everything in Quechee, our night was salvaged by a view that was spectacular: fireworks leaving the side of the Quechee ski mountain, a fire in the place, and a front seat to the NYC ball drop. As far as we were concerned with Quechee, Vermont, we had it all.

Which is why I would totally recommend it as a destination for Bermudians hoping to learn to ski or even those advanced enough for Killington’s slopes to tackle more! And next week I will give you how to ensure entering the United States is not a problem. Hint: It means a visa!

Walking down Broadway!

Whatcha doin next month? Wanna visit New York? Do you know how to get the best tickets? Have you found a cheap flight to Toronto, but want to figure-out what to do there?

Well have no fear our trusty Robyn’s Wanderings blogger, Nicola Arnold, is here as ever on Saturdays to help. She’s lived and studied in Toronto and spent time as a student in New York so I think it’s fair to say she might know where the deals are and where the fun events are happening!

Read on and get ready to plan your next trip:

Music. Film. Sport. Food. Heck, even Bridal!  Personally, I am a big fan of musicals – whether it be Broadway in New York, London’s West End theater, or elsewhere. Over the past year, I was able to catch a few musicals in New York, Toronto and London, such as Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Jersey Boys and Mary Poppins (magic umbrella included!).

There are a few tricks of the trade with scoring cheap tickets, and quite frankly, on a student budget you really appreciate the great discounts. At the individual theaters, you can get student rush, lottery or standing-room-only tickets. Stand in the back of the theater for 3 hours? Nicola are you crazy?

Well… a few years ago, I had standing-room only tickets to Lion King, and I can tell you that once animals come down the aisles in the opening act, you completely forget that you are standing up. How can you not be thrilled when there is a singing elephant RIGHT behind you?! Plus you can beat the rush to the restrooms, which can work in your favour.

Be a foodie in Toronto this month!

For Bermudians studying in or visiting Toronto, you know there is many a thing to do in the ever-exciting T-dot. When I was studying at University of Guelph, a 45 minute bus ride away, I used to trek into Toronto with my housemates for fun events such as the Santa Claus Parade and to be in the live audience for one of MTV’s shows, Much on Demand (MOD).

www.toronto.com is a great site that has various events, from music concerts to bridal shows, so check it out for what’s on this week, in January, or February, or in the future. For example, the link below takes you to the ‘Must-See January Events 2011’…. http://www.toronto.com/events/article/647959

Hey, it’s like one-stop shopping!

- If you are a foodie, you can check out Winterlicious from Jan 28 – Feb 10, 2011 at various locations in Toronto.

- If you are a fan of dark & mysterious films such as Edward Scissorhands or the new Alice in Wonderland, you should look into the Tim Burton Exhibition and Retrospective running until April 21, 2011 at the Museum of Modern Art.

- And, if I may, I personally recommend the Monster Jam happening at the Rogers Center Jan 22-23, 2011… I know, it may seem highly unlikely that I would be raving about a monster truck show with roaring engines and daring tricks. However, I went to one in London, Ontario last spring and the whole day was electric, given the high energy levels and excitement of my friends. Never turn down an invitation… you never know what may come of it!

If you delight in making snow angels and want to escape for a quick trip to a winter wonderland, there are a few fantastic snow-filled events coming up in February in Ottawa and Quebec. Don’t worry if your extent of French is ‘bonjour’ and ‘croissant’… the Winterlude in Ottawa and the Quebec Winter Carnival cater to everyone – francophones, anglophones and international visitors alike!

The Quebec Winter Carnival gives you a taste of old Europe right in North America, with traditional Quebecois activities like canoe races and dog-sledding. This year Carnival takes places from January 28 – February 13, 2011 so the winter amusement park is ready & waiting for its new arrivals… families will enjoy the giant (life size) table-soccer game, and  sports enthusiasts may enjoy the 500-foot zipline that flies above the Carnival.

[I have not been myself, but I did do a presentation in my 2^nd year French class, which was all about le Carnaval de Québec… and I dressed up as Bonhomme Carnaval, the snowman who represents the festivities. Oh, what great lengths I went to make a good impression on my French T.A.!]

Winterlude (or le Bal de Neige) is being held in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, from February 4-21, 201. That means there are 3 weeks in which to enjoy activities such as skating on the world’s longest skating rink (the Rideau Canal), marvel at the ice sculptures, and eat one of Ottawa’s mouthwatering BeaverTails… your choice of toppings: cinnamon & sugar, chocolate & banana, and many more delicious flavours! www.canadascapital.gc.ca/winterlude

And of course for all of you traveling to Bermuda or currently on our 21-square-mile island, Nicola has some advice for you too:

Visit Bermuda for a run?

Special events pop up very often, and if you are in Bermuda, you could throw a glance at websites such as www.nothingtodoinbermuda.com or www.todo.bm. The what’s what, who’s who, where & when of our sub-tropical island!

Of course, if you are in Bermuda and drove down Front Street in Hamilton on Friday, you may have seen the set-up for the International Race Weekend. With over 600 participants coming from abroad, it’s bound to be a great weekend! Check out some of the activities here: www.bermudaraceweekend.com

Kissing Fish in Boston

“E tu Brute?”

So greeted me my editor at The Royal Gazette, Bermuda’s National newspaper, two days after I had handed in my notice to the Editor and Chief in December 2008.

“Uh….sorry,” is about all I could pitifully squeak out. Stabbing in his back is not exactly what I planned. No, I had planned to go travel around the world. Slightly a different affair.

Luckily he recovered from the wound and attempted another approach: “How would you feel about writing about your travels? It wouldn’t have to be on a regular basis or long.”

That offer required no thinking: “Yes, of course!”

What transpired was a weekly column, which followed my trials and tribulations through 24 countries in one year.

When I returned to Bermuda (my home) one question remained: “Would the column continue?”

I didn’t want to give-up my new-found love. I fought for its continuation, but from the point of analysis and any small trips I might take, rather than from around the world.

Now it’s been almost a year since I have been maintaining the Rock Fever Column and I have one question: Can a travel writer take a vacation?

No, seriously. I can hear you accountants and desk hounds scoffing. “Robyn, seriously, you have to have adventures for your job. How can you ask us this?”

“I told you, yes, I am serious.”

I might be serious, but I’m not naive. I get that I have a good gig writing a column about travel. But what about

The smallest violin in the world playing "My heart bleeds for you" as my father would demonstrate

when I don’t want to write? Or think about writing?

Yeah, yeah I hear your heart strings playing for me. Or as my father would demonstrate like the photo to the right: “My heart bleeds for you” played on the smallest violin in the world.

But seriously, (have I said seriously enough? ok enough questions) when do I get to turn my brain off?

The weird thing for travel writers (I humbly include myself here for arguments sake) is that when we head to vacation spots it’s not a holiday.

When accountants head for the beach (what is my deal with accountants today?) they are heading for a relaxing time. Instead for the writer everything in front of us is possible substance for a travel column or article.

Well, at least for me. That hotwire booking in this week’s Rock Fever Column? Oh that derived from my New Year’s trip to Vermont and Boston.

But with deciding to write about the actual trip to Vermont and Boston I was stuck by a conundrum and this blog post. That’s because I traveled with two friends from the states, a friend from England and a Canadian friend. I knew if I was going to travel with this many people I would never get a break to write something.

I also knew that I wasn’t going to be able to do whatever I wanted to do i.e. investigate things for my column.

I would not be able to travel simply to ensure I had the best priced options for Bermudians or travel simply to discover some new place simply to write about it.

Well, I can’t place all of the blame on my friends. I also felt like having a vacation. I know, crazy, right?

“But how can you go away so soon, you were just on a trip?”

Technically, you are correct. I was in London for a month working on ten columns about ten trips that someone could take from this capital city.

Visiting Vermont

But there again you see the important word, right? No, not London. Not trips. Nope. I am talking about “working”. Believe me I love traveling. I love discovering new places and having my senses bombarded by new experiences.

When I am traveling for my column, though, it’s not the same thing. I experience things, but I also look at everything as: “how will I write about this?”, “Will this make a good entry?”, “Will anyone really want to have some suggestions for visiting Dover?” “What about Berlin?”

I swear! These are all questions (and more) that run through my head while I travel. I never stop thinking about who might read about my adventures.

So what was I going to do in Vermont? Was I going to be able to take a vacation? It didn’t sound, with four friends joining me, that I was going to have much of a choice.

While they may have turned-off my choices, they couldn’t turn off my brain.

As soon as we arrived we had to pick-up the car. “Hmmm he booked the car for a discount price. That could be a column!”

My friend Lauren is a photo buff. We couldn’t keep her contained inside the house for long: “Best places in Vermont for photography?”

Out of the five of us, only one could ski. Yeah, that was me a Bermudian. Go figure. I was with four others from cold places and the sub-tropical girl knew how to use two planks to get down a ski hill.

Next Column: “How to teach beginner skiers to ski.” (Hint: don’t teach them! Hire an instructor!)

The tap wouldn’t turn off. We visited Sugarbush farm. “Sunsets in Vermont,” “Family farms to visit.”

Visiting Boston

Ok getting ridiculous. I know, but I couldn’t stop…..what did stop me? Well that would be technology. My little lap top that traveled around the world with me? It decided to throw a couple of keys out and I couldn’t type.

By the time Boston creeped-up on me my little typing fingers were itching! MUST…TYPE…SOMETHING! I missed writing.

I missed being able to analyze and look at where I had been through words. And therein lies my answer: I might stop writing. I might not travel for anyone, but myself (and my five friends), but I will always be a travel writer.

I can’t stop and I can’t take a vacation! Thank goodness for blogs!

Swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean!

You know you are! So what are you going to get that special person? Sure you could get them chocolates or waste your money on flowers.

Yep, you could do that.

But why would you when you could………BUY A TICKET TO THE CARIBBEAN! Yes it sounds expensive, but here’s the best part – it isn’t.

Sail from Tampa, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico with the Royal Caribbean Cruise line for four days in a State Room (i.e. nothing but the best for your loved one) for just $529 per person.

And if you’re feeling even more adventurous and depending on how much you have to save things, you could splurge on the Love Affair package for an additional $327 per couple.

The package includes: Private Cocktail Parties – Special Gifts – Couples Workshops on Romance, Finance & Commun- ication – Wine & chocolate covered strawberries in your stateroom – Private Events – and more…

But this cruise is not just about, perhaps, salvaging a relationship or strengthening one, it’s also about visiting a new place.

Cozumel

Explore the ruins’s park in Cozumel or the markets festooned with the local and native produce! That is if you can get yourself away from the pristine beaches.

You’ll be happy you do book this, especially if you do through CTravel who are you local experts on cruises and ensuring you get the best deal!

Since today’s post is all about cruises and because those are where the best deals are these days of economic tightening, why not treat yourself to a second one (after Valentine’s of course) and sail with the Norwegian Cruise Line!

Only it will have to be a small treat because the cruise will only set you back $399 per person for seven days!!! Well that’s for an inside room. If you really want to up your game then you can book the balcony for $599 per person. That is still an incredible savings.

7-Day Eastern Caribbean from Miami Norwegian

For seven days sail in pure luxury from Miami to Nassau to St. Maarten to St. Thomas and ensure you get the best deal you know you need to contact CTravel!

Of course if you’re looking for something a bit more exotic and long distance there is really only one cruise for you: The Baltics!

Yes for just $106 a night per person you can sail from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden, Tallinn, Estonia, St. Petersburg, Russia, Helsinki, Finland and Warnemunde, Germany over nine days.

Cruise the Baltics

You would set sail on June 4th and return on June 13th into Copenhagen for the prices starting at $949! What are you waiting for?

Oh the temperatures?! Well have no fear, by then the weather should be warming and the ice should be melting. Heck it’s June right. The average temperature in Stockholm is 70 degrees (Fahrenheit of course).

So call or visit CTravel today for more information and book your cruise for 2011!

Boston (while running along the Charles River)

“Mrs Skinner do you have a credit card?”

I felt smug. Usually I wouldn’t. I mean who would when you’re being asked to hand over a piece of plastic used for large charges. Especially after they messed-up my name (I’m still a Miss)!

Why was I smug? Because I had already paid for the hotel in Boston (it was part of my trip over New Years) on the online site www.hotwire.com.

You don’t know hotwire? Well Hotwire.com has one gimmick and only one gimmick. What is it? Good question. Essentially they claim to offer reduced prices for hotels and airline tickets.

“Sounds like everywhere else Robyn.”

Yes, I know, which is why reduced prices is not the gimmick, just the substance.

Hotwire.com is about gambling. While this reservation site will offer you explanations about the hotel rooms or cars you want to rent, i.e. the room is in a three star hotel, the site will not name the hotel.

So for Boston I selected a three and half star hotel in the Back Bay area (i.e. central Boston). Sounds like it could be expensive? I actually found it on hotwire.com for just $93 a night before taxes – it came to a total of $359 for three nights.

A little over my $100 budget on my recent trips from London (so Dover, Berlin, Stockholm, Brighton, to name a few), but it was a holiday. Plus I was splitting the price so technically it was still under $100 a day.

Which hotel did I book? After I gave hotwire.com my credit card they told me it was the Sheraton in the

View from my hotwire.com booked room

Prudential Centre (i.e. above a mall). I felt pleased with my gamble.

“But the room is already paid-for, right?” I said to the receptionist.

“Oh yes, this is just for incidentals.”

My piece of plastic was much more for the Sheraton. The hotel then decided to also charge me for the three-night stay.

But that’s not the worst part. Nope. Neither is the hassle I went through to deny this charge. The disappointing part was that the hotel was only going to charge me $288!! I might have saved more than $70 if I had booked directly through the hotel!

Which led me to this column: how to use these online travel agencies such as hotwire.com, expedia.com and orbitz.com (to name a few of the most popular). Who am I to write this after my Boston fiasco?

Well that brings me to tip one: don’t be lazy or too busy. I know, I know you can’t always make a lot of time to book your hotels and flights, but make half an hour to do a little research,(which is what I normally do and what I didn’t do for this trip) and you could save yourself close to $100.

Which is why, to be fair to tip two and to hotwire.com, I have to concede they were providing a service to me, which was pulling together a bunch of hotels in Boston, providing me with their descriptions and, according to the online agency, the best price on that day….allegedly.

Taking me to tip three be careful about these sites, which also compound the search engines. I discovered this as I gave myself half an hour to try and find flights than I could find on hotwire.com (why not try another portion of the site?). Instead of hotwire.com searching, however, I was directed to two of its partners (i.e. to search through expedia.com, kayak.com, etc…) to find flights. Hotwire.com was not even going to do the work!

This discovery led to tip four and my result, which was prices above and beyond what the actual airline was quoting. In the experiment I chose Boston again (on hotwire’s partner sites), just to keep it in the family, and both expedia and kayak were above the price quoted by the airline.

Delta leaves Bermuda

On Delta’s site the round-trip flight from Bermuda to Boston and back, from January 26th until January 30 was $315. On Expedia.com? That would be $322! An extra charge of $7 just to use that service, apparently.

Ok so this column is not meant to pick on hotwire.com. Unfortunately they are in my crossfires this week because I have had to pick-up my bank account pieces thanks to them.

But tip five is watch the small print because the booking site provides plenty of clauses that release them from me actually being irate at the higher prices. i.e. “Savings based on lowest published rate we’ve found on leading retail travel sites in the last 24-48 hours for the same neighborhood, star rating, and stay dates. Availability is limited and rates are subject to change.”

But that doesn’t mean I will return in the future and in fact many of these online agencies, such as hotwire, orbitz and cheapoair.com are facing a lash back from people much bigger than me.

I’m not the only one, apparently, who is tired of being taxed, which leads to tip six. American Airlines led the way by pulling out of advertising their fares on Orbitz.com.  Other airlines, including Delta, have contacted sites such as Airfare.com, cheapoair.com and OneTravel.com to also remove their flights.

Which is seven: don’t get caught in a flight pricing war because now even the sites are fighting back. Expedia.com actually removed American Airlines from it’s flight selection, while Delta contacted them and told them to discontinue the flight listings.

Low-cost carriers, such as JetBlue and Virgin America, decided to be Switzerland and just always did their own thing by listing their seat deals directly from their sites.

So to book the best tickets, hotel prices, etc… my tip eight is to initially visit an expedia.com or a kayak.com

Get ready to ski in Vermont!

and figure out the days that are looking cheaper to travel.

Then (AND ONLY THEN) do I touch on tip nine, which is to then travel to the website of the lowest airline, car rental or hotel to see if they have better deals BEFORE booking. Sure the want to book immediately and spend less time is there. But that brings us back to tip one: don’t be lazy.

Which brings us finally to tip ten: sign-up with the travel agency online sites to received their discounts and best prices. These can direct you to good deals, but again DO NOT BOOK through them. Take these as guidelines to then research on the actual provider’s site.

You will be happy you do especially when you save a possible $70 and can put that towards skiing in Vermont, which will be next week’s Rock Fever. And as always visit Robyn’s Wanderings every day for more tips and tales!

Nicola Arnold (left) taking in the marvelous Coliseum in Rome with her sister Katie

The holidays have come and gone and it’s back to the grind.

Or, well, for Robyn’s Wanderings’ latest columnist back to “de rock”.

Nicola Arnold has been scavenging the world over her holidays to bring us the latest in her adventures from South Africa to Italy and everywhere in between.

We welcome you back to your regular blogging program: Nicola’s Saturday posts:

Honey, I’m home… home sweet home… and for us Bermudians, back on de Rock… and I must admit it is nice to end up at home, even if it’s windy & rainy at the moment! I did manage to hope on a computer every now & then to write my Saturday postings while I was away.

See if you can work out the riddle below that explains the journey:

BDA-LGW/LHR-FCO-LHR-JNB-CPT-JNB-LHR-AMS-LGW-BDA

If you understand the riddle, you might be in the in travel industry, travel frequently, or admit to being an aviation geek… although you may have just been left thinking “what the heck?” Don’t worry, I had to Google a few that I did not know myself. That string of letters is the list of airport codes for each leg of my journey. 10 Flights in 21 days!

To break it down: Bermuda-London Gatwick/transfer to London Heathrow-Rome Fiumicino-London Heathrow-Johannesburg (transfer)-Cape Town-Johannesburg-London Heathrow (transfer)-Amsterdam Schipol-London Gatwick-Bermuda

In Rome, we joined-up with my older sister Katie, who lives and works in England. We stayed with my dad’s uncle who lives in Rome as a Jesuit priest, and we were also joined by Jenna, an American friend of mine studying in France who hopped on an EasyJet flight to Rome! We witnessed wedding party photos being taken outside the Coliseum, inadvertently jumped into rivers of rain that flooded down the cobblestones by the Trevi fountain – and of course enjoyed our share of pizza, gelato and marocchino coffees (an espresso with foamed milk and cacao, to be taken 2-3 times daily!).

In & around Cape Town: Within 36 hours we had accomplished a visiting marathon … we had afternoon tea

Nicola spent Christmas day chilling out in the pool with family & friends

with the friends who met us at the airport, enjoyed breakfast at a café with my mom’s uncle & aunt (who she hadn’t seen in 30 years), went to lunch with the parents of my dad’s best friend from college, ate dinner with my mom’s college contemporaries – PLUS stopping by a busy restaurant in the afternoon to see the daughter of a South African friend we know in Bermuda. We may travel light, but we certainly pack-in the travel adventures!

Next was Johannesburg, which is known locally as Jo’burg, Jozi, or eGoli, where we stayed for 8 days right up until New Year’s Eve. Christmas was upon us so the catching up, preparations and feasting were off with a bang! As I had not seen some of my relatives in 7 or 8 years, it was an absolute delight to spend a week eating leftovers by the pool (Jo’burg summertime meant 25-30°C days and nightly thunderstorms), go on day trips to historical sites such as Pretoria (we visited the Voortrekker monument to the Afrikaans’ pioneers), Soweto (an abbreviation of South Western Townships, where the famous Soweto Uprising took place in 1976), the Soccer City Stadium from the 2010 FIFA World Cup (designed to look like an African cooking pot), and even a day spent peering through binoculars to see the wild animals at the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve in Kromdraai, an animal reserve where we drove a few feet past fabulous animals such as white lions, cheetah, wild dogs, rhinoceros, kudu, warthogs, jackals, and buffalo.

The Lion King (live!) during Nicola's visit to the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve

[In Africa, people flock to see the “Big Five” game animals on safari or in game reserves. These five include the lion, the African elephant, the Cape Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros, as these were historically the most difficult and dangerous animals to hunt on foot. A neat fact is that on the Rand, the currency used in South Africa, banknotes published since 1990 portray a different animal of the Big Five for different denominations.]

The return to Europe meant a crash in temperature, but after New Year’s Eve on a plane and seeing an electric pink sunrise on January 1^st from 35,000 feet in the air, we started the New Year in style. 2011 began with a 2-day stay in Amsterdam, and sight-seeing by boat cruises, tram rides and on foot,but  not by bicycle. There was plenty of Christmas cheer about with ice skating rinks in vary city squares, Christmas markets selling sugared donuts and mulled wine (yes please!). Rather unfortunately, empty champagne bottles were strewn across frozen canals and bobbed up and down in watery canals… such is city life.

Last, but not least, in London we had 3 days to catch up with my sister Katie, our cousin Michael who also hosted us, and my Bermudian friend Kerri-Lynne who joined the Arnolds for a meal in town! Being the end of a 3-week journey, London was a bit of an energy struggle for me but the sites were seen atop the famous red, double-decker buses, where we always clambered to sit on the top, in the front. We even managed to squeeze in some shows in London’s West End, including Wicked which was fantastic even 9 rows from the back of the theatre!

Sure, we incurred delays and cancellations, upgrades (yay!) and downgrades (boo), various aviation hurdles

Hiding in the "m" is a little Bermudian in the city of Amsterdam

(taking off in thunderstorms, de-icing the plane) and at one point a finger infection (I will not expand all of the details, let’s just say I’m glad my dad could ‘doctor’ it).

Anxious to know what travels await me in 2011. Nothing is booked yet, but ideas are being put into place, and I am looking forward to the opportunities. Right now, I’m going to plead “jet-lag” as an excuse to return to my book. Not surprisingly in the genre of travel literature, it’s called “A Trip to the Beach” by Melinda & Robert Blanchard, a couple from the USA who set up a restaurant on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. As I read, I imagine myself in a hammock, sipping on a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella inside…

Menu from Firestones in Quechee, Vermont

Yes, a Bermudian, a Canadian, a Brit, and two Americans walked into a pub (Firestones) in Quechee, Vermont and we ordered three Dark n Stormys, a gingerale (definitely not for the Bermudian) and a Vermont Ale (for the Brit).

No, this is not a joke. Well what transpired was a comedy of errors, but it was never meant to be. Nope, this was supposed to be my New Year’s Eve.

I had planned ahead. I never do that, but this time I had four other people depending on me. Why? Because I decided to drag two friends who live in Bermuda (the Canadian and the Brit) and my college roommate and her boyfriend to a house in Quechee, VT.

Some skiing, New England quaintness and a place where I wouldn’t know anyone was just what the doctored ordered. I had rock fever.

Unfortunately this ailment is nothing that a doctor can cure. Nope. Instead, it is what Bermudians feel after spending too much time on our 21 square-mile island. That and my travel column every Wednesday in The Royal Gazette, of course!

After Delta delayed our escape by five hours we arrived in Boston by 7 p.m. and began our trek to Vermont. It’s only two hours so it wasn’t too bad.

The Americans had already made it to Quechee and we found them ensconced in beer and nibbles at the Firestones’ Pub waiting for us. It was busy, but our waitress was so amazing it made the time fly.

She even carded me! I felt young again. Heck maybe I’m a questionable 21-year-old at 31? Works for me. This was going to be a good vacation.

Even better, we had a little bit of Bermuda waiting for us on the menu. Yes I wanted to escape, but I always love seeing my home country featured somewhere. Well especially because we’re so small!

There it was listed on the Firestones’ menu: a Dark ‘n’ Stormy. Arguably Bermuda’s National drink,  the Dark ‘n’ Stormy consists of our Black Seal Rum (a dark, rich

Quchee's Waterfall/Glass Blowing Company

and smooth alcohol) mixed with Barritt’s Ginger Beer. Any other ginger beer just simply will not do.

I was sure Firestones did not have Barritt’s, but I thought I would give Firestones’ the benefit of the doubt (the friendly waitress who carded me, helped) and we decided to book our New Year’s Eve dinner here.

There were not many other choices. I mean, I love Quechee. It’s quintessential New England. But as far as eating on New Year’s Eve we were at a loss.

Sure we could have chosen Simon Pearce and spent $80 on a four course meal, but that would not have included drinks, tax or service. We didn’t have that kind of money.

The 31st came. We put the skis down, showered and even donned some make-up for the occasion. At 8p.m. we were ready for a good night.

Too bad our Firestones’ waitress wasn’t. Our friendly, first night waitress had been replaced with another.

“What do you want to order?”

Well, hello to you too. Yes, we would love to have a great New Year’s Eve, thank you for asking, I belittled the waitress in my head. I bit my tongue and we gave her the drinks order.

Three Dark ‘n’ Stormys, a gingerale and a Vermont ale.

“Ok, now do you know what food you want to order?”

“uhh, I mean, uh…no!”

She was starting to get downright pushy. I was getting tired of it. She left.

Five minutes later, she returned.

“Ok fine we’ll order.”

That meant our starters. We were still holding out on her. I mean we planned to be there for midnight. We were not going to get so lucky. As soon as she placed the order in the kitchen she was back.

“Now do you want to order your mains?” Not much of a question really. We did. Three Kobe steaks at various levels of cooking, a sea bass and chicken parmesan.

Easy, right? Nope.

The starters came, they entered our stomachs and the cutlery was taken away….never to return. Well not until we’d already had the steaks and the chicken.

Robyn, you forgot the sea bass?! Nope, nope I didn’t. Actually the waitress did.

I remained gracious: “Dig in guys. Please don’t wait for me.”

Drive-by photo of Firestones

“Ugh, mine’s cold. Mine’s not cooked enough,” echoed around the table.

We called over the waitress. Our conversations turned from borderline impolite to downright rude.

Us: “Sorry, but our steaks are all cold and we still don’t have the sea bass.”

Waitress: “What do you want me to do about it?”

I get it’s New Year’s Eve. I get that no one wants to work, but well, we would have spent a decent chunk of change. She would have done all right if she had managed an iota of pleasantness.

“Are you sorry they’re cold?” I asked her.

“Yes, I’m sorry. So what would you like me to do?”

Fly to the moon, solve world poverty, find the cure for cancer, I don’t know, maybe cook new steaks?!

The men at our table decided to confront the manager; I had already tried to no avail.

Manager: “Oh, yeah well I only heard about this five minutes before. I’m supposed to have dinner with my wife of 27-years. Um….let’s see how this turns out.”

It turned out that after fixing the steaks, my sea bass came out colder than before, the chicken parmesan had congealed cheese and we were done.

And so was her tip and half of the bill! We bid Firestone’s farewell.

A quick trip to the gas station delivered a few beers and some wine into our party and as we arrived home fireworks erupted on the ski hill!

I think we had the last laugh!

Skiing!

Yep it’s true! You can ski in Vail, Colorado for $14.21 a day! It’s true. Yep. Ok so maybe it’s lunch with a drink and dessert, but it’s not a stretch at Bermuda prices.

It’s the latest deal from Brenda Warwick, our CTravel ski expert! For just $199 you can ski for a week in Vail during the second snowiest month of the year ….. April! Imagine flying through the powder of the top ski vacation destination for the price of lunch in Bermuda!

This crazy deal also covers the period of spring break! Yep, from April 10th until April 24th, Vail is offering great deals on ski lifts.

Not only can  you ski for $14 a day, but you can also experience the parties! I mean really….isn’t apres ski the best part of the day??!

Well make sure you book the ski pass through Brenda Warwick who can also help you find the right resort for your ski trip!

Are you worried about how much it is going to cost you to fly to Colorado? You’re right from Bermuda, traveling further than the East Coast can get costly as well as tricky with combining flights!

Have no fear CTravel is here for you too! Book your vacation by January 13th and you will be able to fly to Denver, Colorado for $372!  From Denver, public transportation is easy, cheap and frequent to Vail so this is perfect!

Ok so these reduced prices are mid-week and depends on your carrier, but if you contact an agent at CTravel you know they’re going to find the best deal for you! And without you having to stress or spend hours negotiating those airline sites (expedia, hotwire, etc…) which have now dropped American Airlines.

Chicago by Sam Strangeways

Or perhaps you’re looking for some more deals?! Well good thing CTravel has some amazing Seat Sales on right now!

Even better? They match Valentine’s Day! Yep, book your tickets to Chicago for just $272 and fly between February 16 and May 24th!

Of course this depends on the carrier you book through and the days of the week you travel so check out prices on quickertix.com and prepare to spoil your loved one for Valentine’s Day.

And read Sam Strangeways’ account (it’s linked to her photo on the left) of her visit to Chicago for tips on where to eat, sleep and enjoy this windy city!

Of course check back here tomorrow for more adventures in Vermont (my latest destination) and enjoy your Thursday! Your CTravel Thursday!