Robyn's Wanderings

The sunshine came, it burnt, and now it's on its way out.

A Bermudian in Canada for the summer? Oh yes it is true. Our wanderer Nicola Arnold found herself not swizzling away her summer on a pink beach at home, but surviving Canada.

So how did she do it? Well here she is to tell her tale:

Labour Day Weekend? I guess that means it is time to tell you “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”… hmmm. Let’s spice it up a bit, shall we?!

Backtrack to summer for a minute – the warm, breezy months of laissez-faire attitude – what’s not to love? While we may no longer be walking around in itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka dot bikinis (or other such outfits that stave off the heatwave), the summer-lovin’ kids from Grease treated us to this back-to-school hit to remind us of our sweet summer nights. And speaking of that itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini… voila!

Summer 2011 was particularly interesting for me. Why? It was my first Canadian summer! Despite two getaway trips (to Boston and a family reunion that took me to Bermuda, South Africa & Croatia), I spent a good 3 out of 4 months here. I learnt that I can, indeed, pass a summer in Canada and live to tell the tale. Here goes…

11 Ways That I Survived (I Mean Enjoyed!) My Canadian** Summer:

1. Getaway for a weekend on Porter Airlines: A hop, skip and a jump away from downtown Toronto, Porter Airlines flights take-off from Toronto Island. Very quick & easy, as I jetted off to Boston for a long weekend in May to visit friends (several school friends from Bermuda, in fact). From Chicao to Halifax, Porter’s “fly refined” motto was definitely true, as who doesn’t like a leather airplane seat and a complimentary glass of wine?

A trip to Boston is not complete without tasting as many Dunkin' Donuts as possible!

2. Chill out for a day on the Toronto Islands: Whether you wish to hit the beach, rent bicycles or a boat, pack a picnic, or visit the children’s amusement park or the farm, you just need to jump on the ferry from Toronto Harbour. TheToronto Islands are far enough away from the city to exude peacefulness… provided you beat the rush of summer camps & birthday parties! Alas, my friend and I found two things out the hard way – make sure you have enough cash (no ATM), and do NOT forget the sunscreen.

3. Seek thrills at Canada’s Wonderland: Until this summer, I had never been able to enjoy the rides at Canada’s Wonderland, as it’s usually only open from May-October. I was delighted to go not once but twice this summer with different pals – and bonus, we got good deals! As it has been awhile since my last roller-coaster experience, I was not sure what to expect from myself:  Screamer? Eyes wide closed? Nope. My “oh-my-gosh-I-cannot-breathe-I’m-laughing-so-much” coaster reaction was a hit among my friends.

The Behemoth, guaranteed to make you scream, cry, gasp... or laugh!

4. Explore the Elora Gorge: Elora, a small town so close to Guelph yet so far… without one’s own car. I was able to convince my friend (with a lovable dog) to join me in exploring the Elora Gorge. The Grand River proved to be a fantastic place to walk said lovable dog, eat a picnic and watch the brave kayakers battle the rapids.

5. Canada Day… in London (?): Celebrated on July 1st, I thought this would be my first authentic Canada Day. Lo and behold, my Canada Day 2011 was indeed Canadian… but took place in London, England! On the journey back to Canada from my family reunion, we passed through London. While killing time before watching Les Misérables, we strolled to Trafalgar Square for some people-watching. It turns out there were a lot of people to watch… both Canadians & Londoners! From Sleeman beer tents to Tim Horton’s coffee & donuts stalls, it felt like I was in my (adopted) home away home.

6. Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games: As I mentioned in my kilt blog, I had the joy of attending the Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games in August with some family friends of bona fide Scottish descent. It was a superb round-up of highland games, dancing, taste-testing, and all-round jolly festivities. If only I had been brave enough to try haggis…

Great Scott!

7. Canoeing/kayaking the Speed River: While the rapids at Elora Gorge may be a tad too rapid for me, I persuaded several different friends to go canoeing at our local Speed River. A few had never canoed before, which made for some very entertaining trips – it appears that some people cannot steer & talk simultaneously… but the fun stems from rocking the boat!

8. BBQ/dining al fesco: Barbecuing is synonymous with summer. If it’s warm enough to fire up the grill, you might as well enjoy the balmy evenings. But on top of the BBQ, one thing that was a real treat (coming from Bermuda, where the weather is either summery or rainy, but never snowy), was the late spring/early summer patio season. Canadians hop outside to enjoy some sunshine and, voila, al fresco dining hits the ground running. ‘Tis glorious when it’s at last permissible to sit outside with a burger & beer!

9. Ribs, Rhythm & Rotary: For a finger-lickin’ good time, it’s worth a taste of Ribfest. If you desired, you could wind your way across the province for a summer full of Ontario Ribfests. Besides choosing our flavour of ribs and taste-testing each others choices, my friends and I were able to enjoy the car show, the children’s amusement rides and wash down the ribs with a trip to the beer tent, the ice-cream truck, or the lemonade stand. Don’t forget the lasso training. Yee-haw!

Hmm... so many ribs, such little space to put them!

10. Check out a dazzling Air Show: The city of Waterloo may be known for RIM’s Blackberry, but did you also know there is a Waterloo International Airport? I was invited to go to the Air Show with some friends and I happily accepted, as I have fond memories of air shows in Bermuda. We were dazzled by the talented Canadian Forces Snowbirds, fighter jets, parachute teams, and even witnessed an acrobatic plane land on top of a moving RV – stunning!

11. Mosquitoes x100: I survived my summer of mosquitoes. Instead of battling Bermudian cockroaches that fly right at you, the combat this summer was against blood-sucking mosquitoes. After a few failed attempts at lazing in the Arboretum due to the revenge of the mosquito, I realized that sunscreen plus bug repellent are summer must-haves in Canada. Ah, the sense of adventure!

(** in my case, Canadian = Southern Ontario)

So… “Did you miss Bermuda?”

Swizzle, I missed you this summer

Yes, some days I wished for Bermuda-style beaching & boating adventures, or a happy hour at Hamilton Princess overlooking the harbour. Instead, I chose to bring Bermuda to Canada: As you can buy Gosling’s Black Seal in Ontario, I introduced friends to some “makeshift” Dark ‘n Stormies. And I mean makeshift, as I ever so irritatingly left my case of Barritt’s Ginger Beer at the airport baggage claim. Solution? I had to taste-test several other “Caribbean-style” ginger beers… what a hardship! While all were incomparable to Barritt’s, one was sufficient enough to weather the Storm.

These past few months have been a treat. Even if summer is drawing to a close… there is no need to fall apart. Little by little, we will switch up our iced coffees for spiced chai lattes and enjoy the coziness of the autumn.

Green Beer will be everywhere!

Tomorrow in Enterprise, Alabama one person of Irish decent will march from the town’s court house to the Boll Weevil museum (don’t ask) and back carrying a pot of gold and reciting limericks.

No, this is not some new form of torture.

Nope, I promise. Apparently in 1993, the people of Enterprise (with Irish heritage, anyway) actually chose to start this.

What’s this? It’s only the smallest, annual St. Patrick’s Day parade – one person of Irish heritage in the town actually compete to be part (the only part) of it.

At least their parade only lasts about 10 minutes! Want to see some pics? Visit here.

Ahhhh St. Patrick’s Day.

Which brings me to Rock Fever this week: where and what is St. Patrick’s Day and why do people celebrate it around the world?

Well let’s start with Ireland. For those who live in Ireland tomorrow is a National Holiday celebrated with everything from parades to people piled high in the pub.

But they’re not alone (that does not include those calling-in sick! That is NOT a National Holiday). Ireland is joined by Montserrat. Yep, outside of Ireland this Caribbean island is the only other place to call St. Patrick’s Day a National Holiday and celebrates with a week of festivities that include a Freedom hike, a kite festival, and church services.

Yes, church services. While many believe St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration for green beer, the day did actually have a saintly birth. Yes, the day recognizes St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, who converted Irish pagans to christianity in the 5th Century a.d.

St. Patrick

Patrick, however, was originally from Britain (his parents, Calpurnius and Conchessa, were Roman citizens living in either Scotland or Wales, depending on his stories). When he was about 16 he was captured by Irish raiders and was imprisoned in Ireland for six years. After six years he claimed to have heard the voice of God telling him to leave Ireland. He escaped, marched 200 miles, jumped on a boat, returned to Britain, entered the Church, trained and returned to Ireland.

To help convert the Irish to Christianity, legend has it that St. Patrick used the native shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity and incorporated other Irish symbols such as the bonfire (the Irish had used these to honour their gods) and the Sun. To celebrate his accomplishments, St. Patrick’s Day was born on the day of his death, March 17th.

While it may have started with religious connotation and still has some, it has also evolved into a general celebration of everything green, shamrock and gold. Oh, yeah and Irish too. And while Alabama might have the smallest St. Patrick’s Day parade to recognize this saint, New York is home to the largest! Of course! Who knows how to celebrate a person or an event like New Yorkers? No one.

The first parade in New York was on March 17th, 1762, 14 years before the Declaration of Independence. It now starts on 44th street and marches up 5th Avenue, past St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 50th Street and the finishes at the Metropolitan Museum at 83rd Street. The celebrations in Boston (one of the “most Irish cities” according to them) are no slouch either with a parade in South Boston (among other events) on Sunday!

Canadians are also not far behind in their celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. No, indeed in Montreal, they started in 1759 with celebratory dinners (far more civilized) and meandered up to an annual parade on March 17th, 1824.

Of course on the other side of Canada, Vancouver will be hosting an entire fest to overlap St. Patrick’s Day this year! Yes, from March 16 to the 20, this city will be the focus of some 60 plus concerts, festivals and workshops based on the Celtic culture. The St. Patrick’s parade, though? Well that won’t be until Sunday! So you’ve got time to jump from Montreal to Vancouver if the Irish spirit grips you!

That still won’t be enough time to get you to Australia, however. In Sydney St. Patrick’s day has been celebrated since March 17, 1810 when the then governor, Lachlan Macquarie, declared the official day of celebration for the Irish and those of Irish heritage. Now, more than 200 years since it started, the city is host to the second largest parade in the world (after New York’s of course).

In Brisbane, however, I’m afraid we’ve already missed their parade which is held on the Saturday BEFORE St. Patrick’s Day (go figure). Instead tomorrow will be celebrated with all-day music and “hearty” irish food at the Celtic Koala Club. Sounds like a plan to me.

So where else is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated? I mean besides every Irish pub around the world? How about Dubai!

Yes, in Dubai there is actually an Irish Village (I mean why wouldn’t there be, really?) and starting from tomorrow the Village will host two days of celebration with food and drink. Who knew? Well maybe the people who were invited to the Dubai Irish Society Ball. Yep. One Irish village is not enough for Dubai….there are two and tomorrow (Friday) there will be Ball at the Dubai Marina.

Unfortunately, other celebrations that usually attract Irish politicians will be muted and may not exist this year thanks to economic woes and concerns over political protests. While 22 Irish representatives traveled around the world last year for fancy Balls hosted in everywhere from Russia to China, only nine will this year, according to Global Post. And parades that normally took place in these two countries will also be muted or cancelled (no marching in Shanghai this year) to ensure they do not become a chance to fight the government.

One Irish Government official, however, will definitely be traveling: the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister). He will be heading to the White House in Washington, D.C. where he will be received in an annual lunch hosted by the speaker of the U.S. House and is attended by the president and senior members of the House and Senate. In fact, the Irish Taoiseach is the only head of Government given an automatic access to the White House on one day of the year – May 17. Maybe they can talk about Ireland’s economy over some green beer?

Which brings us to next week’s column and what could be worse than an economy already struggling? One that has been wiped-out by earthquakes and tsunami waves. Poor Japan has suffered and yet visiting might not be the right move. What’s the best way to help? Find out next week.

Until then, Slán go fóill.

Open Road

Question for you today? Study abroad? Exchange student? Semester abroad? Field trip? International student? International volunteering? Backpacking Europe/Asia/the Americas? Road trip? Home stay? Host family?

How do you travel? when are you going to travel? Is it too late to travel? Are you done with the questions? Yeah well me too so Nicola (our weekly blogger) what do you think?

Simple: It’s never too early or too late to visit the world. You might contemplate an exchange programme near/after graduation from high school. You might go backpacking after university, before you face “the great, wide world”.

You may go on a trek to Nepal or volunteer in a rural town in Guatemala for a few weeks/months. You may spend a summer road-tripping from country to country, or from coast to coast.

Bermudian students? Well we (cause I’m Bermudian) especially may look into attending university in Canada, the US or the UK. Despite the fact that these 3 cultures are much like our own (English-speaking, right?!), there are of course those moments when you realize you have acquired some new vocabulary along life’s journeys… What’s a ‘toque in Toronto? What’s “the T” in Boston? What are “quid” in London…and I don’t mean calamari!

Study in Bos(t)on?

Need some reasons to study abroad? See if the following 5 reasons strike a chord within your travelling soul…

1. Language: The myth about exchanges is that it’s all about a foreign language – it is not – but it can be a great way to break language barriers. Whether you head to Europe to further your knowledge in German, Spanish, or Italian, or you venture to Asia for a semester in Japan or India and do not know the lingo, you will pick up the language… perhaps it will cause a brain-drain at first, but you will pick up the basics and keep improving from there if you put the effort into it!

And don’t underestimate the value of hand gestures or non-verbal communication! After all, a smile transcends language barriers

Are foreign languages not one of your strong points? And English is your first language? Then consider studying abroad in Australia or South Africa!

[As a moderate French-speaker, I was delighted to spend nearly a whole year beefing my French skills up to “advanced”. *Bonus: Your CV could include “bilingualism” or “overcame language barriers in a foreign environment”. With globalization in the workplace, international experiences help to create a tip-top CV*]

2. Culture: Study in India in the fall and learn about Diwali, or study in India in the spring and take part in Holi. Each country, or even region, will have it’s own traditions, customs, festivals, habits and mannerisms. Integrating into a group of natives can be a nerve-wracking, but why not step outside of your comfort zone? Learn through experience – not purely through theory and books in the classroom!

Seeing India first hand!

Why not study abroad and have a front-row cultural encounter? Better yet, take part & crowd-surf!

Bermuda example? of course the Easter traditions of Good Friday – flying kites at the beach, fishcakes on hot cross buns. You know about raft-ups at Cupmatch in August. For foreigners in Bermuda, they learn about those things by taking part in the festivities!

3. Friendships: Travel in a school group… travel with a few buddies… or embark on your own adventure. Any which way you go, you will be taking lifelong friends with you or making friends along your journey. Relating exciting stories back to friends and family can leave you stumped – the famous “You had to be there!” comes to mind – but the friends who experienced these unforgettable moments with you will understand exactly what you mean.

While I studied in Paris for a semester in university, I was able to revisit a friend I knew in Sweden, and she came to Bermuda to visit me a few summers go. Bonus: Travel opportunities!! A free bed and a personal tour of the city/town/country where your international friends live… thanks to Skype, Facebook or even ‘snail mail’, keeping in touch is easy!

4. Expecting the unexpected:  School strikes happen. Trains get cancelled. You meet fellow backpackers, which modifies your plans. You do not understand directions given to you in a foreign language. You order a beer and you receive a coffee instead. You realize on your way to the airport for a weekend trip that you forgot your passport in your bedroom.

When you study abroad, you have the chance to break your routine and try new things… one of those things is independence! But have no fear – learning to be flexible, overcoming challenges and adapting to a more spontaneous lifestyle can pay off…

A natural “weekend trip planner” during my study abroad experiences, some of my most unforgettable travel experiences came out of last-minute decisions: taking a 7-hour ferry to the Greek Islands for a 36hr visit, or dancing in a graveyard in small town in Wales, with friends I made after a wedding set in a medieval castle.

Fly Ryan Air!

5. Travel: You are abroad… so why not take advantage of the opportunity? Within Europe, low-cost airlines like Ryanair and easyJet can herd you onto a plane and a few hours later you could be in Athens, Berlin or Lisbon. For example, from London Gatwick, easyJet has 92 different destinations!

But you may think, “I’m studying abroad… money is tight”. Yes, as a struggling student or recent graduate, you know the drill… live on peanut butter and pasta, and only pay for absolute necessities. So while on exchange, try to get transportation discounts for buses and trains (flash that students card and you will reap the benefits!).  Take your free time to explore the city or area you will call home for the next few weeks or months. Find out how local cheese is made, go wine-tasting and stomp on grapes, or meet up with your parents’ friends from college who now live in Australia… conveniently near where you are studying abroad!

Study abroad in Hungary - taste some hearty goulash

Bottom line: You will never learn more about yourself than when you are 18,000 miles from everything that is comfortable.

Wishing for warm pink sand!

Ok I am officially done. Done with what you ask?

I am done with winter. Yes, you’re right I probably shouldn’t complain. I am not living in Toronto, Canada where temperatures are limping back down to negative degrees.

Nor am I living in Boston, Massachusetts where rain is threatened along with freezing temps. Didn’t Punxsutawney Phil predict an early spring? I mean he didn’t see his shadow!

And yet I sit huddled-up in Bermuda (yes Bermuda!!!) wearing wool slippers, a scarf and layers of clothes. This is not home.

This is not what I am supposed to be wearing. Which is why Friday’s Photo today is about what I wish I was doing. What I miss.

I miss feeling the warm pink sand of our beaches on my feet. I miss walking around barefoot because that is the best way to get around.

I miss the shorts and t-shirts of my home. The sun might be out, but it’s not keeping me warm.

So I say on this Friday……BRING ON THE SUMMER! And maybe my photo of the day will bring it closer than phil? One can only hope.

Happy Friday!

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!

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!

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!

Well no visa or passport if you are Bermudian! Yes, yesterday’s post was all about how to get prepared if you plan to leave a 21-square-mile island called Bermuda.

Today it’s about experiencing something new here.

But Robyn, you say, there is nothing left to do on this island. I have been to the beaches. I have been to the bars. What else is there to do?

Well how about celebrating some of the amazing artists our beautiful island has to offer? Why not celebrate them in the old capital of this country?

Well that is what the Old Towne Market on Sundays in St. George’s is all about! Running along the cobblestoned streets are stalls filled with the beautiful workings of some of Bermuda’s most talented artists. There is everything from the traditional banana leaf dolls to the new silver packets of the Capri Sun drink containers turned into bags.

Want to see what you are in for before you go between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow? Check out these photos below:

[slideshow]

And don’t think there isn’t food! Donuts, tea, the yummy fillings of traditional cakes, brownies and fudge will keep you more than filled while you shop for you holidays!

So what are you waiting for? Well if you’re in New York, Boston, London, you need to get on the next cheapest flights and Jet Blue has had some great ones.

You in Bermuda….you need to get on your motorbike or in your car and enjoy a Sunday afternoon meandering through your history!

December's Decorations

It’s time to plan for your travels. Where are you going next? Need somewhere or something to do in December? Well if you’re Bermudian this first one is most definitely not up your alley.

So why am I including it in my December 10 traveling ideas today? Well because it’s always amazing to me to see people strip down, jump-in and try to swim as the temperatures around them plunge.

Are you interested in participating? Are you in London? Going to London? Well on December 4th some crazy people will be taking the Plum Pudding Plunge in the Parliament Hill Lido.

Enticing I know. Maybe the mince pies and the hot tub afterwards would bring you around? It certainly does nothing for me. Neither does the 15 pounds they are charging for the pleasure.

I will certainly be keeping my sweater on, but if you are interested in the challenge and won’t be in London on December 4th check-out this Outdoor Swimming site for more ideas.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Or perhaps you are in London for more traditional, winter fare? Perhaps a turn on the ice rink? Some warm wine?

A taste of a Christmas market?

Well Hyde Park is here to help with their traditional and annual event: Winter Wonderland.

Every year from November 19th to January 3rd, this corner in Hyde Park is decked-out with everything from Santa and his helpers to winter food and rides such as a replica London’s Eye!

Who can resist? Of course it is free, unless you want to go on the rides. A fun way to use the cold to your advantage.

But maybe you’re not traveling to London for December? Maybe, if you’re from Bermuda, an easy trip is to head for the East Coast and New York.

New York has ice skating too and if you’re going to be ice skating you’re probably going to want to go to Rockefeller Centre. It’s the place featured in all the films. It’s romantic with all the buildings towering above you, but’s also expensive, busy and not always the best option. Try to visit early in the morning or before 4 p.m. if you want to get this New York experience. And, of course, visit the Centre for the lighting of the tree on December 2!

Why not get a free (yes I wrote free) skating experience in New York? Head a little further south in Manhattan and you will hit Bryant Park. For $13 you can rent skates and it is free to skate on the pond. If you have your own skates, well, you get it….it’s FREE!!!

But who just wants to skate or see the lights in New York? If I’m coming from Bermuda I want it to be for a reason.

How about December 10? You free? z100 (a radio station) is hosting their Jingle Ball with the likes of Katy Perry, B.o.B. , Bruno Mars, Paramore, Michael Buble, Taio Cruz and many, many more! How amazing would that concert be?

Hosted at the Madison Square Gardens from 7.30 p.m. you can buy your tickets here.

Is Boston more your style? Well if it is you are more than likely a Bruins fan. Can’t wait to see them fly across the ice? Well you don’t have to. In December the home team is heading home for at least seven games.

Check out these dates:

Boston for December

Thursday, 12/2, 7pm – Bruins vs Lightening

Tuesday, 12/7, 7pm – Bruins vs Sabres

Thursday, 12/9, 7pm – Bruins vs Islanders

Saturday, 12/11, 7pm – Bruins vs Flyers

Saturday, 12/18, 7pm – Bruins vs Capitals

Monday, 12/20, 7pm – Bruins vs Ducks

Thursday, 12/23, 7pm – Bruins vs Thrashers

Buy your tickets here.

Perhaps hockey is not quite your style? Perhaps you want to try something a bit more soothing on the ears?

Well have no fear the Boston Pops Orchestra is here. Well in Boston, but you get it.

From December 8th to December 26th the holiday season will be serenaded with 37 matinée and evening performances at the Symphony Hall.

Tickets range from $27 to $125 so check out their website here for more information.

Need something more from Boston? Well check out Boston Events website for more ideas.

Canada. Yep that northerly neighbour of America is also getting festive this season. Why not bundle-up and

Animals need holiday treats too

head for Toronto? Their zoo is even getting into the mix this year.

On boxing day, which of course we also celebrate in Bermuda, the Toronto zoo will be hosting its 35th annual Christmas Treats walk. Yes even the animals get some holiday cheer.

For those human beings that participate, hot chocolate and carollers are your treat.

Not up for the animals? Well Toronto also has an annual bike show!

From December 10th to the 12th Toronto will be holding a motorcycle show for the enthusiast in all.

Not sure why I would want to drive a bike in Canada in December, but hey, maybe those Canadians are more hearty than Bermudians.

In any case if you do fancy yourself a motorcyclist check out the website for more information.

Finally on the other side of Canada, in Vancouver, Stanley Park will be alight with millions of Christmas whites to create a winter wonderland.

Take train ride through the forest transformed with two million twinkling lights, see the animated displays and listen to holiday sounds as you enjoy hot chocolate, fresh popcorn and roasted chestnuts. For more information visit the Parks’ website.

Sounds lovely. Now to pack for the trip. Check back here tomorrow for some tips and tales on how to pack.