Homey, Quaint, and Breakfast Too!

When contemplating a place to stay while traveling abroad, many go straight for the generic, corporate hotel. Another option if looking for something unique, and more local, is a Bed and Breakfast lodging.

There are many sites that provide a list and search engine for Bed and Breakfasts and rentable rooms in Europe and all over the world. The site www.bedandbreakfast.eu, has them listed for countries such as the UK, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Sweden, France, Australia, Thailand, etc. Other useful search sites are: www.bedandbreakfast.com, www.airbnb.com, and www.europebnb.com. 

Depending on the location, Bed and Breakfast lodging can be relatively cheap, on some sites lower than 80 euros or less a night. These include a room consisting of King, Queen, or even Double beds if necessary. The rooms normally have a bathroom attached or down the hall. Bed and Breakfast locations are usually rather large house like units, with a home like quality where the owner lives on site or nearby. The rooms are made to be more cozy then flashy, and aside from great comfort, guests are treated to breakfast early each morning. Some places even provide other daily meals or offer them as options. 

So if you are looking for a home away from home, small, quiet and quaint, then a Bed and Breakfast is for you! Many believe these could be sketchy because they are not as well known as hotel chain, but from personal experience this is not true. They are considerably cheaper, provide great breakfast foods, a chance to stay and interact with locals, and tend to be small and adorable. 


Photo Frenzy

BREAKING NEWS: According to a news report by BBC World News, it is now against the law in most European countries to pose for tacky tourist pictures. A tacky tourist picture consists of a person posing with a monument or historical site in a distracting way.

At the Fontana di Trevi

At the Fontana di Trevi

Anyone who disobeys these new laws will be prosecuted on site. If the photo isn't necessary or is just plain distracting, don't take it. The monument alone or the historic site portrayed in an appropriate manner is all that is now allowed. The picture to the right is just one example of what not to do.

Another example would be flashing the peace signs, statue mocking, or anything that can obstruct people's view or be a distraction. If caught in the act some countries our threatening fines, ticketing, jail time, or even deportation. 

So basically, just don't be crazy, tacky or wacky when being photographed or avoid photography all together. Some popular attractions that people have gotten caught with our crossing Abbey Road, running to Platform 9 3/4, catching the leaning tower of Pisa or attempting to hold the Louvre. All of which will get you in big trouble with the new law.

So remember, when on vacation, be careful. If you end up in a photo frenzy, they will find you. 

 

It's impossible to hold the Louvre, so stop trying...it will lead to punishment. 

It's impossible to hold the Louvre, so stop trying...it will lead to punishment. 

Hogwarts IS NOT real, you can't run through the wall. 

Hogwarts IS NOT real, you can't run through the wall. 

Once again, this is physically impossible. You can't catch the leaning Tower of Pisa...nor do you need to. 

Once again, this is physically impossible. You can't catch the leaning Tower of Pisa...nor do you need to. 

Crossing Abbey Road is bad news. You are obstructing and disrupting traffic. It's a road for a reason, get out of it. The Beatles did it, and that's that. 

Crossing Abbey Road is bad news. You are obstructing and disrupting traffic. It's a road for a reason, get out of it. The Beatles did it, and that's that. 

Weekend Trip to the Moon

This past weekend, three of our blog writers, took a 4-day trip to the moon! We flew down to Florida early Thursday morning and drove to the  Kennedy Space Center that afternoon. With the help of the NASA team, Kelsey, Mary Kate and Summer had a smooth take off to the moon. It took us about 14.8 hours to get there, and once we arrived it was time to jump on the moon. We put on our space gear and hopped around. While we were on the moon, we took so many pictures of the amazing view. It was really cool to see the Earth, sun and black atmosphere. We brought along Chanello's cheesy bread, a beach chair and the James Madison girl along for the ride. These were key necessities while traveling to the moon. Let me just say it was an experience of a lifetime! We never wanted to leave this exciting excursion, but after a couple day we knew it was time to come back to America. As experienced travelers, we highly encourage others to travel to the moon and enjoy the gravity-free zone. Here's a picture from the trip:

Gotta Catch 'Em All Around the World!

Across the world Pokemon have been spotted by Google Maps. This April Fools' Day phenomenon  has allows you to virtually travel in Google Maps to catch your own Pokemon.

Only by downloading Google Maps to your phone can you access this fantasy world. Google headquarters is located as a Pokemon Lab, and any Pokemon that you catch around the lab transports you to another part of the world.

Escape this day and it's pranks by going across the world to new heights to find your  own Pokemon. Gotta catch them all!

Source: http://time.com/45026/google-hq-is-now-a-pokemon-lab-and-google-maps-has-been-overrun/

Classic and Comfortable

For first time travelers, being in a new and strange place can cause discomfort and can seriously interfere with their level of enjoyment.  This can prevent them from thoroughly enjoying the amazing experience that traveling to a different country can bring.  A simple way to increase comfort while traveling abroad is to stay in hotels that have chains in the United States.  This will increase your familiarity and give you a taste of home while you are abroad in a strange and unfamiliar country.  

Because consistency is greatly emphasized in these worldwide chains, the hotels will mostly have the same appearance and set-up as the same hotels in the United States.  Some of the biggest hotel chains are very prevalent in the worldwide hotel business; including Best Western, Wyndham, Marriott and Hilton.  Especially in large tourist areas, these are more prevalent than less well-known areas and thus easier to find and book.

Sometimes having a small reminder of home can make a huge difference while traveling abroad.  When going back to your hotel after a long day, the familiarity that these hotels can bring can increase the quality of your experience in your travels!

Sweet dreams and happy travels!

 

http://listdose.com/top-10-biggest-hotel-chains-in-the-world/

Is There Something in the Water?

Every year, more than 3.4 million people die from a water-related disease. Nearly all of these deaths occur in the developing world. 780 million people lack access to clean water, which is equivalent to 3 times the population of the United States. These statistics are extremely alarming especially when clean water and access is not scarce in our home country. As humans, we need water on a daily basis to survive. In the 21st century, it is really hard to believe that clean water and access to it are still not a common thing.  

Water safety is a major concern for people planning to travel abroad. Before traveling, one should research their destination and see if it has potential water safety issues. If the water is somewhat unsafe, travelers will soon find out their body cannot take the water. In an article by Everyday Healthy, it says that the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe all have pretty safe drinking water. 

While abroad, sticking to water from water bottles should work pretty well. The water in the bottle is usually purified and imported from various countries. However, water is used in many other things such as the ice cubes, washing the fruits and vegetables, brushing your teeth and showering. These all contain or have been processed through water in some type of way. The key is to research your travel destination and make sure that water is safe and sanitary. The other option is to make alternatives for obtaining water, so that you don't get dehydrated. 

For spring break this year, I travelled to Cancun, Mexico for a week long trip. I was excited for the clear ocean, beautiful weather and being with my closest friends. However, I did not know what I was in for when I came to find out water was scarce and a hot commodity. US citizens are not used to the water Mexico has and are very prone to getting sick from it. I could not drink the water from the sink nor the shower. The only safe method of water consumption was from bottled water. During the week, I got very dehydrated and my feet and fingers began to swell up. This feeling is extremely painful to the point where I could not even wear sandals! 

ICE, ICE, BABY

During my time abroad, I was blown away by the concept of “nightlife” in Europe. I thought I had experienced some pretty crazy nightlife in the United States, but I was far from prepared for a night out “European style.”

In particular, the nightlife in Barcelona was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. A typical night out in Barcelona begins around midnight and ends around 7:00am for most locals. In the United States, most bars and clubs shut down around 2:00am, however, Barcelona is a city that never sleeps with bars and clubs staying open till the wee hours of the morning. And even after the bars and clubs shut down for the night, most locals hit the beach to watch the sunrise before throwing in the towel and heading home. For me, it was unrealistic to stay out that late every night, but I made it my goal to stay out at least one night until the sunrise. Although, I spent most of the next day in bed sleeping, the experience of hanging out on the beach waiting for the sun to rise was unforgettable.

The number of nightclubs lining the beach was overwhelming because I wanted to make sure I could experience each and every one. I quickly realized this was nearly impossible to accomplish, but I was able to visit a variety of unique nightclubs and bars.

Of all the nightclubs and bars I visited while in Barcelona, my favorite was Ice Barcelona. Before going abroad, I was amazed by the concept of an ice bar and knew I wanted to experience one before returning to the States. For those of you who don’t know, an ice bar is exactly what it sounds like: a bar made entirely out of ice. Before entering, each person is given a heavy-duty coat and gloves to wear as the bar typically remains around negative thirty degrees. You are also given a cup made out of ice to drink out of while at the bar.

Inside the ice bar, there are numerous ice sculptures scattered around including chairs and tables made completely out of ice. Below is a picture of my friends and I at Ice Barcelona posing with one of the many ice sculptures!

 

 

The ice bar was honestly one of the coolest experiences I had during my time abroad and I would encourage each of you to visit an ice bar during your upcoming travels! There are ice bars all around the world in various countries, not just Barcelona, so make sure to do your research! 

 

Battling FOMO

FOMO. Fear of Missing Out. Urbandictionary.com defines FOMO as “The fear that if you miss a party or event you will miss out on something great”. It manifests itself in the anxiety you get when your body wants to fall into bed but there is some social event happening that you can’t bring yourself to miss. FOMO occurs where ever you are. In another country, however, it amplifies.

During my study abroad there were people who went out every night with no shame and intense FOMO.  In a group of excited Americans anything becomes a party or an adventure. A small mojito bar becomes a happening spot. Missing Tuesday night at the salsa club is a sin. The town fountain becomes the occasional swimming pool. And even if no one across Europe goes out on Sunday night, you can at least grab a nightcap before going to sleep.

Eventually you have to choose: sleep, drink coffee or die. I started drinking coffee to balance out the nights when I gave into my FOMO and hit the town. Setting curfews and drink limits were the next steps for my roommate and I to maintain our sanity. Lastly, we decided to forget about our FOMO. We allowed ourselves a couple nights to stay home to be with our host family and be with each other. Having a partner to weigh the options of whether we needed to force ourselves out of the house, or to leave the party early, or to breathe for the night and enjoy the culture under our own roof, will make decisions for your nightly game plan easier.

Each night there is 100% chance that something exotic is happening where you are. Most of the time you should take advantage of everything! However, when you stop functioning, you have to face the facts that some nights are better spent working on your health. The presence of FOMO will always be there, but considering the options and allowing yourself to take a break will give you more energy when faced with the next adventure.

Tips on defeating FOMO

1.      Find a battle buddy. The person to pump you up and help you out.

2.      Examine your options. Is it worth going out? What day of the week is it? What is your plan for the next day? Will you be able to do this again? Can/ would you do this at home? Have you slept recently?

3     Suck it up and just drink coffee tomorrow

Getting Back to the Drinking Roots!

St. Patrick's day is a widely celebrated day of drinking and celebrations of Irish heritage!  It is plenty of fun in America, from bar crawls to day drinks to parties.  But imagine what it would be like to celebrate St. Patrick's day in the place that started it all: Ireland!

While traveling, it is important to consider what you are interested in.  Don't be afraid to think outside of the box to create a unique travel experience.  Tourist drinking may be just that thing. 

Currently, one of my friends is studying abroad in Belgium.  Whenever she has a free weekend, she just hops on the train and goes to a nearby country.  With so many options in Europe because of the proximity of the countries, her travel has been thorough and definitely an adventure!  So when she had free time for St. Patrick's Day, she went to Ireland to see how the home country celebrates the holiday it is famous for. 

Although she admitted to falling asleep by 7 pm, she was able to spend a day at the pubs with her friends in her study abroad group.  With cheap beer, good company and a great atmosphere, she was able to enjoy St. Patrick's Day in a way that she had never thought possible.

So the next time you think about traveling, consider all of your options.  A trip to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day may be the perfect fit!