2017 New York City Accounts

Washington Square (Click to view full sized)

For the past couple of days I have been working on my New York City accounts and I can now report that my total trip expenses amount to $11,003.26. I was in the city for 87 days.

There is one important caveat to this figure, however. Due to the constant fluctuation in the exchange rates, this is not a completely true and accurate record of my expenses. The issue is that I went to New York City with around USD$3630 in cash, which I got on June 12, at whatever the exchange rate was on that day. Whenever I spent some of that cash during the following three months, I converted the figure into Australian dollars based on the exchange rate for that day before logging the expense.

Depending on whether the rate was heading up or down at the precise moment in time that I made the query, I might have been paying more than my original exchange rate or less. The only way to get completely accurate figures would have been to make my calculations using the same exchange rate I got in early June. Of course, I was not about to lose any sleep over this during my trip, and I am certainly not going to do so now. I’m happy to accept that my final expense numbers are very close to the mark, and even happier to put this baby to rest.

As readers will note, my expenses for this trip began in February, three months before my departure date. This was for a gig at City Winery with Dweezil Zappa, the son of the late, great Frank Zappa. I made this booking before I had even booked my flights! Speaking of which, I touched down at JFK international airport on June 16, and departed again from there on September 10 for a total of 87 days in the city.

For the record $11,000+ averages down to a daily spend at a fraction under $126.50 per day ($126.47 to be precise). This includes airfares, transport (taxis, ferries and trains), accommodation, food, entertainment, museum memberships, and other sundry expenses. Below you can see a breakdown by month of all the major categories I was accounting for.

Click image to view at full size

A few extra comments about these expenses may be in order. For instance, my food costs were spread over three categories, the main two being Eats and Groceries, with Rec (Recreation), also accounting for some additional expenditure. Eats, were light meals and snacks I bought when out and about in the city. These were mostly of the ‘coffee to go’ variety, which often included a sandwich of some type. Groceries were mostly supermarket purchases used when I ate at the apartment. All my breakfast meals and numerous lunch and evening meals are accounted for under this heading. 

Finally, any meal or drink purchased at a major event (such as gigs at City Winery, Highline Ballroom and such like), were included in my Recreation column. The main purpose of this column was to record expenses associated with fun! These included my MoMA and Metropolitan Museum memberships and visits to other museums, cinema outings, pre-booked gigs, and numerous other activities. Now that I think of it, book purchases ended up in this column as well.

Eleven thousand dollars may seem like (and is) a lot of money, but spread across three months it constitutes a real bargain when one takes into account the high cost of living in New York City.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have a contact living and working in New York who is very accommodating and was able to offer me the use of his Washington Heights apartment for just AUD$2400.00. This breaks down to $27.48 per day for each of the eighty-seven days I spent in the city. Heck, you can't even find a flop house in the city at that price anymore. So if you are reading this Chris, Thank You for giving me a chance to really immerse myself into the life and rhythm of this truly great city. 

Let's Not Travel To Tick Things Off Lists...

Let's not travel to tick things 

off lists 

or collect half-hearted semi-treasures 

to be placed in dusty drawers 

in empty rooms.

Rather, we'll travel to find grounds 

and rooftops 

and tiny hidden parks, 

where we'll sit and dismiss 

the passing time, 

spun in the city's web 

'til we've surrendered, 

content to be spent 

and consumed. 

I need to feel a place 

while I'm in it.

~ Victoria Erickson

Don't limit your whole experience of life...

Don't limit your whole experience of life to a few people and a few places.

Travel. Meet new people. Explore what being alive has to offer.

Move, Breathe, Fly, Float...

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
to gain all while you give,
to roam the roads of lands remote,
to travel is to live.

~ Hans Christian Andersen

36 Hours In Havana, Cuba

Screen shot from the New York Times video

Another in the New York Times series 36 Hours In… This time we’re visiting Havana, Cuba. Damien Cave writes:

Havana is no longer frozen in time, at least not completely. With Cuba’s guarded openness to private enterprise grabbing hold, classic American cars and salsa singers now share the cityscape with new and inventive offerings in food, culture, night life and hospitality. No other city in Latin America, or perhaps the world, can claim to be having just the kind of moment that Havana is experiencing now after so many decades gasping for change.

For visitors, the capital is a mash-up of past and present, freedom and restriction. It’s a city of architectural decay, but also creativity, where artists have turned a defunct cooking-oil factory into a performance space, bar and music venue that on any given night makes Brooklyn look as cool as a suburban Ikea. It’s a city where finding ingredients for a stellar menu requires feats of Promethean ingenuity; where opera is subversive, and kitschy too; where the Internet is just arriving, fully formed and censored; and where young Cubans without money are fleeing, while those with connections and ideas await great success.

Officially, some limits for Americans remain in place. Despite restored relations with Cuba, tourism is still banned by the embargo. But for those who reach Havana under the 12 categories of legal travel, or without permission, and for the rest of the world, the city is ready to entertain and confound.

- o0o -

• Read the full article here…

Telling The Story of Slavery in America

The magnificent oaks of Oak Alley. Image: Jim Lesses

During my 2012 American trip, I spent five nights in New Orleans and among the numerous activities I engaged in during my stay in the Crescent City, were tours that included the Laura, and Oak Alley plantations. Being the political animal that I am, I was very much aware of what seemed to be the ‘whitewashing’ of history associated with both these beautifully preserved sites, and the part they must have played in supporting one of the worst stains in human history—the institution and maintenance of organised slavery on a massive scale.

It is not as if the history of slavery was completely ignored at these former plantations, and others like them, but more that the legacy of slavery was left to the imagination of the visitor rather than bringing it front and centre. The beautifully maintained plantation homes, and the well manicured lawns and gardens, might leave visitors with the impression that life on a pre-American Civil War plantation wasn’t all that unpleasant. In fact, the Oak Alley Plantation can be hired for weddings, corporate events, and overnight stays—“A tranquil retreat in the heart of Plantation Country”—proclaims one caption to a series of images on the site. While life may have been very pleasant for the plantation owners, it was far from pleasant for the slaves.

John J. Cummings III; Screen shot from the New Yorker video.

Since my 2012 trip, I am delighted to see that at least one former property—the Whitney Plantation—has now been set up as the first memorial of its type in America. The New Yorker magazine, under the byline of Kalim Armstrong ran an item and video in February 2016, Telling The Story of Slavery from which the following quote is taken:

John Cummings, a lawyer who founded the [Whitney Plantation] museum, spent sixteen years planning and over eight million dollars of his own money to restore this site, which honors the memory of those who were enslaved on plantations and whose labor helped build this country. The Whitney Plantation is not a place designed to make people feel guilt, or to make people feel shame. It is a site of memory, a place that that exists to further the necessary dialogue about race in America.

The Whitney Plantation was founded in 1752, and is located in Louisiana along the historic River Road, which winds down the Mississippi toward New Orleans. Here is the New Yorker video:

It wasn’t hard to find other videos detailing various aspects of slavery and the plantation system online, and the following 28-minute video is from what appears to be a made-for-television series called Weekends With Whitney. Independently produced by Whitney Vann, the program focuses on the story behind the Whitney Plantation and supplements the New Yorker video very nicely. Note: This show has three advertising breaks built into the video, but thankfully they are short and almost unobtrusive.

If You Go

The Whitney Plantation

5099, Highway 18, Wallace, Louisiana.

Open 9:30am to 4:30pm every day except Tuesday

(The museum is also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Years Day, Mardi Gras, Easter Sunday, and July 4th.)

Note: the website states that, “There are no self guided tours at The Whitney Plantation.” And further that, “The only way to visit The Whitney Plantation is through a guided tour.” Tours are given every hour between 10:00am and 3:00pm.

Prices range from $10.00 to $22.00 (see website for full schedule)

Online at: www.whitneyplantation.com/

Happy Mother's Day

I have already written about the Mother's Day celebrations I attended on the Greek island of Ikaria during my visit there over the summer of 2014 in Mother's Day Greek Island Style. 

I wrote then:

"...what I especially love about these island celebrations and traditions, is that they are embraced equally by the very young as well as by the very old. No one shouts at the kids to sit down and keep quiet, or to stay out of the way of the performers. The whole square seems as if it is being rearranging constantly by an invisible hand that manages to keep dancers, children, organisers and visitors out of each other's way, as the evening progresses."

My parents emigrated to Australia from Ikaria just before the Second World War, and as much as I love New York City, Ikaria is my true second home. I had planned to return to the island this year, but another much bigger island (Manhattan) enticed me back for what may be my last visit. In the meantime, Ikaria is not going anywhere, and all being well I will return to Greece and the island in 2018.

For Mother's Day, 2017, I thought it appropriate to repost the video of the Mother's Day celebrations one more time--so clear away the tables and chairs and get dancing!

Go Some Place...

Go Some Place Where No One Knows Your Name

I'd Rather Have a Passport...

I'd rather have a passport full of stamps, than a house full of stuff.

Good News for Yellowstone’s Bison

Adult bison and calf in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Arturo de Frias Marques.

Some people travel to kill the wildlife. Others travel to admire the same wildlife living in its natural habitat.

Most readers will surely be aware of the mass slaughter of the American Bison during the 1880s, when bison herds numbering in their tens of thousands were reduced to giant piles of bleached white bones in just a few short years. Thankfully, enough bison survived the slaughter to begin the reintroduction of this magnificent creature to some of America's national parks, including Yellowstone National Park.

In a previous post (Ending The Elephant Slaughter), I wrote about the campaign to end the continuing slaughter of this great animal for its ivory. In this post I am reproducing an article from the American Defenders Of Wildlife organisation that fights for the survival of many ever diminishing species on the North American continent, while also championing the reintroduction of threatened species to their former natural habitat.

- o0o -

It’s getting better all the time for Yellowstone’s bison. 

Under Gov. Steve Bullock, the state of Montana is at last allowing bison that leave Yellowstone National Park to roam free year-round on almost 400,000 acres. And the National Park Service announced in January it is moving forward with a plan to relocate some of Yellowstone’s bison to tribal and public lands rather than send them to slaughter.

Bison wander at will when they stay inside park boundaries. But when snow falls in Yellowstone’s high country and grazing becomes difficult, bison often trek to lower ground outside the park. In the past, they were allowed only a tiny portion of public land during winter when cattle are not present. Not all bison leave the park, but those that did risked being rounded up and sent to slaughter in years when their numbers exceeded an arbitrary cap of 3,000.

Last year, some 900 animals were killed—just for searching beyond park boundaries for food. Defenders has long opposed the slaughter and advocated for wild bison restoration to the Great Plains as a much-needed alternative. 

In recent years, Defenders helped the Assiniboine, Gros Ventre and Sioux tribes of Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Indian reservations bring Yellowstone bison back to their ancestral lands. 

The latest relocation of 130 genetically pure bison (no cattle genes) occurred last year. These bison were the first “graduates” of a 15-year effort to study the feasibility of quarantining and testing bison for brucellosis. This contagious disease originally spread to bison and elk from Old World cattle in the last century. Ranchers often opposed bison grazing outside the park because brucellosis can cause cows to miscarry. However, there has not been a single documented case of bison transmitting the disease to cattle in the wild in Montana. 

“Yellowstone’s bison are our nation’s most genetically valuable bison,” says Steve Forrest, Defenders’ senior representative for the Rockies and Plains. “They are essential in our efforts to restore the species across North America and for too long they have been needlessly sent to slaughter. We are delighted with the governor’s new rule that gives bison room to roam. It finally acknowledges that bison are wildlife, not livestock, and recognizes that their seasonal, age-old winter migration routes know no political boundaries. Further, the park’s proposal is a win-win for bison and for the American public. We are so proud to see all our hard work paying off.” 

- o0o -

Only select articles from Defenders are available online. To receive 4 issues annually of the full award-winning magazine, click here to become a member of Defenders of Wildlife!

More Information

Defenders of Wildlife...

Surf’s Up on The Weekly Web

I don’t know about you dear reader, but I spend far too much time online. Some of my online discoveries find their way onto this blog in some shape or form, while others make their way to my Twitter feed and Facebook page. I have so many sticky notes cluttering up my desktop that I thought I might try a weekly Surfing The Web round-up of the best items I find online each week, and share them here. Speaking of surfing the web, I can’t think of better way to kick off this post than with an article looking at the beginnings of the internet.

The Life and Times of the World Wide Web

My internet service provider is the source for this Out Of The Archives piece about the origins of the Internet, or the World Wide Web as it was initially referred to by Tim Berners-Lee, the man who had the bright idea to begin the project in the first place way back in 1989. Some much has changed in the few short years since the advent of the internet, that it seems odd to think this groundbreaking, world-shaking service has been around for less than 30 years. 

By the way, the image seen above shows the world’s first internet server. I don’t know what the specs for the computer were, but I suspect they were not all that great when compared to today’s super fast computers with their almost unlimited storage drives, and ultra-sharp display monitors.

Read the full blog post here and make sure you follow the link to the world’s first web page.

- o0o -

NYC's Racist, Draconian Cabaret Law Must Be Eliminated 

For “the greatest city in the world,” New York has appallingly few places to dance. The next time you find yourself confined to toe-tapping to a tinny Top 40 song in a sports bar, or clutching an $11 Heineken in a booming EDM hall, you can thank the city’s cabaret law, a 90-year-old edict that despite being racist in origin and outmoded in practice, remains a very convenient cudgel for the city to wield against local businesses. Many valiant attempts to repeal it have been made over the years. None have succeeded.

So begins a piece by Lauren Evans in a recent issue of The Village Voice, one of the most venerable of New York City’s free ‘street’ papers. Lauren goes on to report that the law, which dates back to 1926. In its current form, the cabaret law prohibits dancing by three or more people in any “room, place or space in the city... to which the public may gain admission,” and includes “musical entertainment, singing, dancing or other form[s] of amusement.”

Read the full article here… 

- o0o -

Jimmy Breslin: The Last Word

I discovered the writing of Jimmy Breslin less than twelve months ago, and I have been making up for lost time ever since. At last count, I have eight eBooks by Jimmy Breslin on my iPad, and I am working my way through all of them slowly but surely. Sadly, Breslin, who was 88, died earlier this year after long and illustrious career in journalism, which he followed up with an equally illustrious career as an author of (mostly) crime novels, which drew on his many years as a reporter in New York City.

The New York Times’ ‘Last Word’ series are video obituaries of prominent Americans, among them politicians, sportspeople, writers, directors, and musicians. 

Here is an obituary from the New York Times that provide more information about this man. If you are into reading, I highly recommend that you seek out his books in printed form or in electronic form. You won’t be disappointed.

Vancouver Island’s enchanting quarry gardens

Quarries are not generally noted for their elegance, but the glorious Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island show a makeover at its very best. Amanda McInerney paid a visit the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, off the coast of Canada. The gardens have been developed on the site of an exhausted quarry owned by Robert Butchart. In 1909, when the limestone extraction was completed, Robert’s wife Jenny set about turning the quarry pit into a sunken garden.

Read the full article here…

Australia’s Northern Territory

My one and only visit to the Northern Territory took place in 1983, during a brief visit to Alice Springs and Uluru (previously known as Ayers Rock). Somewhere on my Bucket List is a plan to visit that region of the Northern Territory we call the Top End. Thankfully, Monica Tan, writing for the Guardian, has put together a comprehensive guide to the Northern Territory that has reminded me of my previous all too brief visit, and reminded me as well, that I need to see more of this amazing country.

Read the full article here…

The True Cost of Travel

2017 USA Travel Expenses

First Uploaded: April 30, 2017 |  Latest Update: June 14, 2017

Earlier this month, in the post New York City On My Mind, I wrote that I had begun booking events in advance of my upcoming summer visit to that great city. On April 13, after booking return tickets from Adelaide, Australia to New York City, it occurred to me that it might be interesting to document every expense, no matter how small, that I will incur for this extended three month stay in America, most of which will be spent in the Big Apple.

I plan to account for my expenses across four major departments: Events & Activities; Food & Groceries; Transport & Accommodation; and Shopping & Sundries. Note: All figures in the tables are in Australian dollars. The running tally at the bottom of the screen grab below includes the total U.S. dollar amounts. Here's where things stand as of today ...

Total Expenses to Date: AUD$4916.10  -  (USD$3716.65)

NOTES

Figures are rounded up or down to the nearest five cents. Due to the constantly fluctuating exchange rates between the Australian and American dollar, anyone checking the above figures will almost certainly find their own calculations differ.

Man Cannot Discover New Oceans

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore. 

~ Andre Gide

36 Hours In Zagreb, Croatia

Image by Suradnik13 via Wikipedia

I have only been to Zagreb, Croatia once, and that was way back in 1975—or was it 1976? It was so long ago that today I have trouble remembering exactly when. Anyway, at the time, I and a friend were two-thirds of the way through hitchhiking our way from London to Athens, and found ourselves in Zagreb for the night.

We were befriended by a couple of locals who invited us out to a club for the evening, with the promise of free accommodation in a recently built hotel that was still in the process of being fitted out.

I know, I know. The warning bells were ringing then as well, but to our relief our hosts were as good as their words, and we passed the night without incident before continuing on our way towards Greece.

I’m sure—in fact I am positive—that Zagreb has gone through countless changes since that brief 24-hour visit, not the least being those changes that were brought about by the brutal conflict that tore apart the country once known as Yugoslavia (as it was called when my friend and I passed through back in the 1970s). 

For a number of years, the New York Times has been producing a series of short videos for their 36 Hours In… series of articles. Reading the article, and watching the video, brought back dim and distant memories of that hitchhiking trip, and that overnight stop in the city, and that seemed like as good a reason as any to recall that trip and make the 36 Hours In Zagreb video the focus of today’s post.

Make sure you read the online article that goes along with the video.

Every Dreamer Knows...

Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to. ~ Judith Thurman

New York City On My Mind

Regular readers of this blog might have noticed a preponderance for posts about America in general, and New York City in particular. I make no excuses for this. I have an abiding interest in that country, and after four extended stays in New York City totalling eight months, I am not done with the city or the country yet. In fact, I am returning to New York once again from mid-June, where I will spend the better part of ten weeks, and if I can’t tear myself away from the city for a couple of weeks, I will end up spending a full twelve weeks in the city this Northern summer.

With a little more than two months before I jet off to New York, you can be sure I am undertaking plenty of research into possible events and activities taking place across the five boroughs. It has always been my practise to pre-purchase tickets to special events well before my arrival in the city I will be spending the most time in. This ensures that I don’t miss out on concert and theatre tickets for performers or shows I particularly want to see. 

For example I have already bought a ticket to see Dweezil Zappa, the son of the great Frank Zappa at City Winery in mid-July. I am also waiting for bookings to open this week for a series of gigs by Michelle Shocked—also at City Winery. The Dweezil Zappa show sold out weeks ago, and I fully expect all three Michelle Shocked gigs to quickly sell out as well, so pre-purchasing tickets makes a lot of sense—or to use popular vernacular: it’s a no-brainer.

Speaking of gigs, it is also my practise to keep a ‘watching brief’ on the websites of a dozen or so favourite acts, to see if they will be performing in New York City (or near by), during my stay. Again, the point is to try and make sure I get my tickets well before I land in the city. Another benefit of doing this is that it helps to spread the cost of the trip over a much longer period, which I also find helpful.

As for pre-booking Broadway shows, this is another no-brainer. With tickets to the most popular shows often being harder to find than teeth in a chicken (the current must see show, Hamilton being a case in point), getting tickets well before the performance date is essential.

Of course, for a long stay like the one I am looking forward to, it is foolhardy to try and preplan too many events and activities. Half the fun of undertaking an extended trip is keeping your options open so as to take advantage of the unexpected, and the unplanned. And in a city the size of New York City you can pretty much guarantee there will be plenty of both.

Oh, and speaking of Hamilton, did I mention (No, Jim, you did not), that currently the cheapest priced tickets are selling for USD$441.00, while tickets for cashed up theatregoers can be had for anything up to USD$3,150.00.

Yes, that really is three-thousand-one-hundred-and-fifty-dollars! And no, I won’t be going to see Hamilton anytime soon. I think I’ll just wait for the movie.

More information

City Winery…

Dweezil Zappa…

Michelle Shocked…

Summer in South Australia

The latest online newsletter from Inside South Australia carried a great story about a local videographer, Elliot Grafton and his latest video which is fast becoming a big hit. At just four minutes in length, Elliot captures some stunning footage highlighting the joys of summer in my home state.

In the piece, Lana Guineay writes:

      “Fun, adventurous, and crazy beautiful!” That’s how 21-year-old videographer Elliot Grafton describes South Australia – and it’s an apt description for his video which has taken off on social media this week.

      The stunning footage captures a summer spent exploring South Australia, and has received an “overwhelming” response online.

      “It’s a bit crazy,” says Elliot. “Of all my videos, this one has gained so much attention – it’s been great seeing South Aussies really get into it, and say they want to get out there and explore.”

The footage just goes to show how much can be done with new photographic technology such as lightweight drones, tiny GoPro cameras, and Digital SLR cameras. Elliott says he wanted to show a different side of his home state, to locals and further afield.

      “Over the last few years I’ve heard people say things like South Australia is boring and there is nothing to do. That’s not what my friends and I thought.

      “I love it here and wanted people to see how beautiful it really is. Growing up, my family has always taken me on adventures, whether that’s camping or out on the boat. Then I found my love of videography, and realised it’s a great chance to show a different side of the state. This video showcases the things that my friends and I love to do in our spare time, we are so lucky to live in such an amazing state. Get off your phone and get outside, explore what’s out there!”

You can see Elliot’s breath-taking video below. Make sure you hit the 'full screen' icon to watch it in all its glory.

Arizona Time Lapse

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

I am lucky enough to have a cousin living in Tucson, Arizona, and luckier still to have had the opportunity to visit her and her husband during trips to America in 2010 and again in 2012. On both visits I got to see some of the magnificent scenery around Tucson, as well as other parts of the state; namely Sedona and surrounding areas, The Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley (although Utah rightly lays claim to the heart of Monument Valley).

When I saw the video embedded below on Vimeo recently, I was impressed with it enough to include it here. At a little over two minutes in length, this time lapse video titled My Arizona, was created by Drew Geraci of District 7 Media with the assistance of Andrew Breese and Jason Fudge. While it doesn't appear to show the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley, it does provide a very brief overview of some of some of what you can expect to see in Arizona if you make the journey there.

Using a variety of digital cameras the footage was recorded over the course of three days in which the photographs covers some 500 miles. In the process they say, they “…trekked down 3000 foot ravines, exploring hidden water falls, open landscape and the clear night sky.”

"My Arizona" from Drew Geraci (District 7 Media) on Vimeo.

Tech:
x2 Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 II
Canon 24-105mm f/4

Dynamic Perception Stage Zero

Music by: Gregg Lehrman
Assistance by: Andrew Breese and Jason Fudge

Welcome to 2015

The Huffington Post writer, Suzy Strutner recently offered 21 Travel Resolutions To Make For 2015 which all make very good sense (despite the fact that there were only 19 suggestions in the article), but then, who's counting?

Well, actually, I was. Anyway, among her suggestions I particularly liked:

• Get lost
• Start a conversation with a local
• Read something on the history of your destination before you get there
• Be spontaneous and open to straying from your itinerary

Get Lost
Of course, there is 'lost' and there is lost. While I have never been completely lost, and therefore at risk of personal danger, I have found myself wandering through some of the far corners of major cities well away from the usual tourist haunts. The key to this type of getting lost is to make sure you are doing it during daylight hours, and not after dark - which may well result in the risk of personal danger. During the day, it is much easier to pick out landmarks that help orientate and guide you through unfamiliar neighbourhoods. If you do find yourself running out of daylight, head to the nearest major road or avenue. These tend to be well patronized and well lit. If you can't find access to public transport like a subway station to get you back to familiar ground, you should at least have a better chance of finding a taxi along a major thoroughfare to get you safely back to your hotel or accommodations.

Start a Conversation
To be honest, I'm not great at starting conversations with complete strangers, but I am more than happy to respond to complete strangers if they start conversations with me. In this way, I have met a number of people during my extended travels, and those meetings have all helped to make my trips more memorable and enjoyable. With the advent of social networking online, it is much easier to maintain contact with people you meet on the road, and I have added several contacts to my Facebook page after having met friendly locals during my travels. Of course, the other benefit of getting to the know the locals is that you also get to know something about the country you are visiting and what makes it, and its citizens tick.

Read Some History
I am a great believer in this suggestion. I have always been a voracious reader, and now that I am travelling again, I make a point of reading as many non-fiction books with subject matter that matches the country or city I am planning to visit. This is made so much easier to do with tablet devices like iPads, Kindle's, and other any number of other eReaders now available at very reasonable prices.

My iPad has hundreds of books stored on it, and while most of these are fictional novels, I also have a large selection of historical non-fiction books as well. I great source for free eBooks, one I have written about on numerous occasions, is Gutenberg dot Org. It is a rare day when I can't find a good book on that site on almost any topic or country you care to name.

Be Spontaneous
I know some people who are not happy travellers unless they have preplanned and booked every aspect of their journey. The problem with this is that there is no room to manoeuvre if schedules get changed, delays occur, or if they want to make even minor changes to their itinerary during the course of their travels. I must admit that I have tendency to go to the other extreme on this question. I like to leave my itinerary as flexible as possible.

For example, after spending almost four weeks in New York City during my 2012 trip to America, I took in Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (seven nights); Washington, DC (five nights); Savannah, Georgia (ten nights); New Orleans, Louisiana (five nights); and Tucson and Flagstaff, Arizona (fifteen nights). The trip was bookended with four or five nights in Los Angeles. While my arrival and departure dates were fixed, and my accommodations in New York City were also pre-booked and confirmed, pretty much everything else I eventually did was worked out as I went along.

Of course, not everyone has the luxury of spending three months in the USA, or the freedom to indulge their whims as I did, but the principle remains the same: Build some flexibility into your vacation, no matter how long to give the unexpected a chance to surprise you and enhance your trip in ways you had not planned on.

Since Suzy Strutner's article was a couple shy of the promised 21 suggestions I thought I'd offer a few more of my own:

• Break out of your comfort zone and try something different (a new location, food, activity)
• Travel Solo (if you normally travel with others, or travel with others if you normally go alone )
• Book and organise your own vacation, don't leave it to a travel agent
• It's never too early to start planning your next holiday, so start now!

I will cover these suggestions in a future post. For now, I hope you are looking forward to a New Year filled with health, happiness, much love and lots of travel.

The Art of Restrooms

Sochi Olympic Village restroom (2014)

No, this entry is not about restroom decorations, but more about the design and aesthetics of these essential establishments. I have been moved to write about this today, because as a traveller who tends to indulge in extended journeys, keeping an eye open for public restrooms comes with the territory.

The double ensemble of toilet bowls in the image above have become somewhat famous (or should that be infamous?), because they, and others like them, are located in the new Olympic Village in Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympic Games are currently under way. As you can imagine, they have become the focus of much mirth and comment, with social networks across the Internet reposting photographs of the restrooms, with additional comments and criticism to suit.

However, Sochi is not the only location where these shared restrooms can be found. During my 2010 visit to New York City, I was forced to use the public restrooms in Washington Square Park, in the heart of Greenwich Village (as can be seen in the photograph below), which  shows three of at least four bowls in the male restroom. I assume a similar line up of waste receptacles were to be found in the female restrooms, but I thought it wise not to check for myself.

Washington Square Park male restroom (2010)

As I wrote on this blog way back in July, 2010, “…to say I was surprised to see such an open public display of Thomas Crapper’s toilet bowls would be a gross understatement! Especially since Washington Square Park is probably one of New York’s most popular parks.”

Hopefully, the restrooms in Washington Square have been updated since my 2010 visit, but maybe they haven’t. If any reader can shed some light on the matter, please do so via the Comments section below. Still, I suppose one should be grateful that even these shared facilities were available, although that old adage; “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” comes to mind as I write this.

In the 1899 second revised edition of Baedeker’s travel guide to the United States, one finds this: “Public conveniences are not usually provided in American cities, but their place is practically supplied by the lavatories of hotels, to which passers-by resort freely. Accommodation is also furnished at railway stations. Such public conveniences as do exist in New York and other large cities are disgracefully inadequate in number, size, and equipment.”

Today, of course, if it wasn’t for the numerous Starbucks outlets, fast food franchises, and similar establishments open to the general public, New York City in particular, and other cities across America would be awash in waste of the worst type. It seems that public restrooms are amongst the last things city planners consider when it comes to caring for their own citizens, let alone the millions of travellers who criss-cross the continent each year.

Some things, it seems, never change.

Oh, and one last thing, at least the shared toilets in Sochi supplied some toilet paper, which was more than the loo I had to use in Washington Square Park in 2010 did. Since then, I always make sure I have some spare tissues with me, just in case I am caught short on the road somewhere.