On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, I stayed at two Novotel hotels in Krakow, Poland. I'm pre-disposed to dislike Novotels. I think it's the neon-colored accessories so reminiscent of hideous scrunchies that I wore in the early 1990s combined with the ultra-modern George Jetson-esque bathrooms. Two years ago I stayed at the Novotel Centrum in Krakow and was so horrified by the dingy rug and quilt that I inspected the whole bed for critters (there weren't any). I vowed to never stay there … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Solo Traveler
June 22, 2008 By Leave a Comment
It's nearly 7pm in Prague and I'm sitting in my room at the Hilton, and I have a confession to make: My name is TravelSpark, and I hate traveling by myself. Okay, perhaps "hate" is a rather strong term, but solo travel is not something I would do if it wasn't a job requirement. After arriving in Prague around lunchtime, I settled in for a nap. When the alarm went off, I seriously considered not leaving my hotel room. Fortunately I came to my senses and went for a stroll in the late afternoon … [Read more...]
Splurge-worthy Souvenirs & Stays
June 19, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Like many women, I love to shop. And like many women, I love deals! There are times however, when you get the urge to splurge. And what better occasion than to bring home a splurge-worthy souvenir from a fabulous trip. When I studied abroad for 6 months, a friend convinced me that the perfect splurge was a pair of sunglasses. After a bit of hemming and hawing (being a poor college student) I bought myself a gorgeous pair of Roberto Cavalli sunglasses in Milan, Italy. Not too ostentatious but … [Read more...]
World’s Most Unique Hotel
June 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Granted this is just my humble opinion but I think that Woodlyn Park near the Waitomo Caves on the North Island of New Zealand has to qualify for the World's Most Unique Hotel. Woodlyn Park has recently added a BOAT to the choices of accommodation locations you can choose from when staying at their lovely facility. When Mr. Albatross and I were planning our trip to New Zealand we definitely wanted to go explore the Waitomo Caves on the North Island. They are famous for their Black Water … [Read more...]
Hotel Review: Katikies in Santorini – Fabulous!
June 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment
The Katikies Hotel in Oia, Santorini has the appearance of marshmallow fluff dripping down the side of the volcano's cliff, painted all in white and reflecting the sun's rays almost blindingly. When we arrived, I got out of the car and looked around for the hotel. Instead, I found a tall, tan, attractive guy dressed in white linen who deftly swung my huge suitcase over his shoulder, grabbed my husband's bag in his free hand, and disappeared down a white staircase seemingly into the caldera's … [Read more...]
Vacationing in the great outdoors
June 10, 2008 By Leave a Comment
With gas prices rising and the airline crisis underway, it’s no wonder more Americans are choosing to vacation closer to home. New England has many great options for day or weekend trips and I personally love to go camping. My parents never thought I’d survive a week on a farm in Poland when I was 15 and were surprised when I became a fan of sleeping outdoors. The way I see it, I don’t mind bugs and other critters in their natural habitat but I’m not so keen when they visit my … [Read more...]
Martha’s Travel Theme Party Ideas
June 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment
I've been a blogging slacker and promise that my review of our hotel on Santorini is on it's way. I'm sure you've been waiting with baited breath! ;-) To tide you over, here are some ideas from Martha Stewart for planning a travel-theme wedding, shower, or other party that served as inspiration when planning my own wedding. I found it very difficult to find travel-theme ideas that were not related to tropical destination weddings, so I was thrilled when I stumbled upon these few ideas. The … [Read more...]
