New Year New You

Oh my goodness! It's that time of year again.  Time for a soliloquy. I like soliloquy rather than resolution because I reflect before I resolve.

Where have I been?  What have I learned?  What do I want and/or need to change?

Hmmmm, let me think.......

I've been to Egypt, Dubai, Croatia, Sheboygan, South Africa, Aruba, Brazil,  Denmark.

What I've learned along the way?

• "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." I went hang gliding in Brazil. The experience was liberating and absolutely breathtaking! I will add an adventure to my travels. Stepping out of your comfort zone will renew your confidence and perspective.
• Sustainability is easier than you think for yourself and your country.  We'd all be better off for it.  In Denmark I visited a hotel that operates mostly on this principle.  From the design and construction of the building to the food.  Solar panels are built in, ground water is used to heat and cool the building, the wasted food, which there is a ton of at hotels, is used as compost in their organic farm, the country has the largest wind turbine plants in the world, 80% of the people bike and there are concessions for electric cars for 10 years! I will be mindful of the footprints I leave behind. I will use my towel more than once. I will use the toiletries until they are gone before getting new ones. I will take a walking tour or rent a bike for my health and the health of the environment.  I might even take a Voluntourism trip.  Might is the operative word. I'm a work in progress.
• The middle east is just as diverse as any other part of the world.  Egypt is a mix of liberal and conservative Muslims but overall more liberal with ancient structures and history.  No alcohol is served outside of hotels and cruise ships while Dubai, UAE is far more conservative in Islamic practice but far more modern. Basically catering to foreign vacationers and alcohol is served at just about any establishment that caters to foreign visitors. I will not judge on outer appearances or what I've heard.  this is part of getting to know the locals.  You'd be surprised what you might learn about people.  It could confirm your beliefs or change them.
• Dubrovnik is beautiful and very classic European. I've been pronouncing it wrong.  The emphasis is on Du not Brov. It's DUbrovnik vs. DuBROVnik. It's been just 20 years since Croatia declared it's independence from the former Yugoslavia. And 13 years since Serbia occupied a piece of Croatia. Can't believe it's been that long. Time does fly as you mature.LOL
• In Aruba everyone is affectionately called mi dushi, Papiamento for my sweet or sweetie.  Call someone Mi Dushi and they will love you for it.  It doesn't seem to matter who you are speaking to.  We came upon a public official and our guide called out to her "hey mi dushi." Pronounced dooshee. Hmmm, should we refer to our politicians as sweetie?
• South Africa remains one of my favorite destinations.  It's now on the list of emerging markets or as we call them in the industry BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa).  I came upon a lot of nationals traveling and vacationing within their own country.  That's a great sign. When I revisit a destination, I will try something different, visit a new place, meet new people.
• Sheboygan was a nice getaway and road trip.  Sometimes you don't have to travel far for a cultural experience.  Yes, I said cultural experience.  Each of our states and cities have their own culture.  Sheboygan is a quiet seaside resort town with a close knit community.  Lake Michigan is really an inland sea! This was my second deep sea fishing adventure but my first catch.  It was a five pound lake salmon.  They smoked it for me and mailed it to me. OK, we did not go out that far but it was far enough.  It wasn't a thirty pound marlin but it was just right for me.
• I gained 10 pounds last year after working hard to take off 50 pounds two years prior. The good news is that I'm already back on track. That being said, I know the error of my ways during my travels and will not consume every meal as if it's a crucial part of my travels. When I'm just eating for sustenance I will do so mindfully and save the calories for the meals that really are crucial to my travels.
• I work in the travel industry so this may sound funny to you but I will take a vacation. I haven't had one in at least 4 years. All of my travels have been for work. You may not have sympathy for me but understand that what I do is work.
• I will engage more with the locals. Maybe even invite someone to coffee just to chat and really learn about the country and the people. It's interesting to hear what people think about their country, your country and the world. Especially what they pay in taxes.
• I will say hello, please and thank you more and learn it in as many languages as I can. It's fun and the response you get is priceless.

This is what I plan to do for the New Year and beyond. I hope that I make it such a habit that it will forever be a part of what I do.

What will you do?

Happy New Year and resolve to travel and experience!

Ja'Vonne Harley

HOLIDAY CHEER

Hey Guys,

We're bring you some holiday cheer with some cocktails from different places.

Mexican Hot Chocolate:

In a sauce pan simmer 2 cups of milk, 1oz. unsweetened Chocolate, 2tbs. of brown sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of red chili flakes, 1/4 of a vanilla bean (scraped out) and cinnamon. I like to scrape right off a cinnamon stalk to taste.

After you simmer, add 2 tbs of Godiva Dark and White Chocolate Liqueur(each), Dark Rum (Meyers), and Goldschlager (Cinnamon Schnapps...also the gold flakes add a nice touch)

Pour into cup, add Whipped Cream, drizzle some chocolate or caramel over top and stick in 1/2 a cinnamon stick.

***To make this for kids or people who are driving....skip the BOOZE!***

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Candy Cane Martini:

First crush up a bunch of cany canes into an almost powder form (small chunks are OK but no bigger than a sequin)

Rim a martini glass with simple syrup and roll rim in crushed candy cane (just like salting a rim for a Margarita)

In a Mixing Tin combine 3oz. of Vanilla Vodka and 1oz. of Pepermint Schnapps.

Shake and pour into Martini glass.

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Chocolate Raspberry Martini:

First Drizzle some chocolate syrup into a martini glass (do anything be creative....no matter what you do it WILL NOT look bad)

In a Mixing Tin combine 3/4oz. Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, 1/2oz. of Chambord (pronounced Schaum-Borg) Black Raspberry Liqueur

1/4oz. Baileys Irish Cream, 1/4oz. of Raspberry Vodka and a splash of cream.

***can substitute Dark Chocolate with White Chocolate for awesomeness***

Shake and pour into Martini glass, garnish with raspberries or chocolate covered raspberries.

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Rudolph Love Potion:

In a Mixing Tin combine 1/2oz Godiva Dark and White Chocolate Liqueur (each), 1/2oz. of Chambord, 1/2oz. of Raspberry Vodka.

Shake and pour over a cocktail ("rocks") glass filed with ice.

Gentely pour Cream on top, you will see it float.

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As for some "casual" cocktails:

Screwdriver: 1oz. Vodka fill with OJ

Madras: 1oz. Vodka fill with OJ and Cranberry

Baybreeze:1oz. Vodka fill with Cranberry and Pineapple

Sex on the Beach: 1/2 oz. Vodka, 1/2oz. Peach Schnapps fill with Cranberry and Oj

Melon Ball: 1/2oz. Midori, 1/2oz. Vodka fill with OJ

Watermelon: 1/2oz. Midori, 1/2oz. Vodka fill with Cranberry

Fuzzy Navel: 1oz. Peach Schnapps fill with OJ

Hairy Navel:1/2oz. Peach Schnapps, 1/2oz. Vodka fill with OJ

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Gimlets: A Gimlet is 1 1/2oz. of ANY Liquor and 1/2oz. Roses Lime Juice in a cocktail ("rocks") glass with ice

IE: Absolut Gimlet:1 1/2 Absolut Vodka, 1/2oz Roses Lime Juice

Always Poured over ice with a lime wedge garnish.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Recipes provided by Jim Anderson, Master Mixologist and Managing Instructor with ABC Bartending Schools.

www.abcbartendingschools.com

Copenhagen, Denmark Day Three

It's my last day in Copenhagen and I wake up to another snowy day.  Except today I have visibility.  It's cloudy, light snow and cold.  The cold doesn't bother me because I brought the right clothes.  Sweater dresses are my new best friend.  they're warm, fashionable, comfortable and a single item which means you pack less.  It also meant that I did not have to change for dinner. I'm glad I brought my Aqua Italia boots.  The heel is a bit high but they are good looking, comfortable and waterproof.  One more thing I'm happy with and that is my wide brim fedora.  It's keep my head warm and replaces an umbrella....I have to mention it looks good too. I don't believe you have to sacrifice fashion for function. LOL

My impression of Denmark

Laila Pawlak

OK, now I'm ready to face Copenhagen one more time.  Our first stop is Dare2Mansion, a professional playground for corporate events and executives.  One of they're sessions is with Lego's.  We create two groups and within our groups we build with Lego's to express our ideas at the direction of our facilitator and the founder, Laila Pawlak.  Her energy is magnetic.  Great team building and think tank type of exercise.  And, you get to play and imagine.  By the way, Lego was created in Denmark by Ole Kirk Christiansen in his carpentry workshop.  The pieces then were made of wood but after WWII plastics were made available and the Lego empire grew with Ole Kirk's imagination.






Now it's time to put on some hard hats.  I've done many site inspections of hotels and some during renovations but this is the first time I've done a site inspection of a hotel that was under complete renovation and an actual construction site.  It's quite nice to see it from this perspective.  They are keeping the historical foundation and some of the structural element and there is one completed room for viewing.  This is going to be a fantastic property.  Hotel D'Angleterre will be a five star, Leading Hotels of World property and will open May 2013.  They are offering some great rates for the opening of 75% off the rack rate.


Lunch time is fast approaching or so my stomach tells me so and we head to signatur-spisehus.dk.  Love this restaurant.  It looks like the place for the "business lunch". Dark wood tables, funky artwork, high ceilings and all window front.  The food is good too.  I see a lot of orders of Smorrebrod, that Danish open face sandwich passing by.  I order the roasted pork sandwich because it's the restaurants signature sandwich.

After another venue site inspection at Moltkes Palae, a place for conferences, banquets and dinners, we walk to the city center, Queen's Palace and Royal Copenhagen.  Wish I had video at the Queen's Palace.  I'm chasing the guards to get a photo but they keep marching and then with a quick about face back to their posts.  It doesn't look like they're moving fast but it's hard for me to keep up and get in front of one of them.  All of my photos are side views and I never manage to get in one with one of them.  I did to my surprise get one of them to turn his head and look at me.  I thought they were unflappable but I guess my silliness got his attention.  Royal Copenhagen is a historical store famous for it's porcelain, Christmas items and Christmas Tables. Love the shopping in Copenhagen and I'm mad at myself for not purchasing something. I really wanted a fur hat but because it got slippery outside I didn't go back to get it.

It's our last night and we finish it with dinner at a very unique restaurant, Sankt Gertrud's Kloster.  Dating back to the 14th century this restaurant has no electricity and is lit with over 1500 candles.  It's mysterious, romantic and a bit eerie.  They had me at the Champagne Room and extensive wine cellar.  They also have champagne saboring. And the food is delicious.  Surprising because in my experience, when a restaurant is ultra unique, the food is often not very good. Great way to end the trip! Thanks Visit Copenhagen.

Yours truly,
Ja'Vonne
 

Copenhagen, Denmark Day Two

Hello again,

It's day two.  I woke up and could not see a thing out my window.  It's very cloudy and snowing! We started with a visit to the Carlsberg Brewery.  Yep, beer at 9:30am.  Now, that's how you start your day.

Carlsberg is not only a brewery it's a great venue to have a welcome or farewell dinner.  The grounds are beautiful complete with gardens and the facility is beautifully decorated with tradition and elegance.  Carlberg is a Danish brewery that was established in 1847 and has been successfully brewing beer ever since.  they have introduced a new beer called Copenhagen where they blend yeast from champagne with the hops from beer.  It's a light and refreshing taste without the bitterness of beer that some people, especially women don't like. 

Our next stop was for a demonstration of one of Denmark's national dish, Smorrebrod, or "open face sandwich".  It's made with buttered rye bread and typically three courses, starting with hard boiled egg, mayonnaise, shrimp, lemon and fresh dill. The second is fried fish fillet, roumelade, lemon, pickles, tomato, cucumber and fresh dill.  The final sandwich is roasted pork with crispy skin, pickled cabbage, prunes, pickles, mayonnaise and fresh dill.


We first had a demonstration and then we all made our own sandwiches.  The sandwiches are actually quite large and very filling and did I mention Delicious?  the new thing for those with less of an appetite is Smushi.  This are bite sized versions of the sandwiches.  There is another typical and traditional Smorrebrod we did not have and that was pickled herring.  They weren't sure if we would care for herring.

the rest of the day was spent visiting hotels and I must say that I was quite impressed with the Crowne Plaza for the "green" philosophy.  The Crowne Plaza uses Solar energy and harnesses the ground water for their heating and cooling system.  Even their toiletries are in biodegradable containers mad with corn.  The other stand out is the Hilton.  It's an airport hotel that is above the rest.  I especially want to thank our hosts for the way in which they greeted us. when we arrived we were directed to one of their ball rooms.  the room was darkened and there were two large screens projecting a fireplace.  there were chairs arranged in a half circle each with a small foot spa ready for us.  What a way to end a day of touring and site inspections.  Oh,how can I forget....champagne was involved!


The European delegates left us and head back to their home countries.  Now we are six and all North America.  We are now five women and one man, the one man happens to be our neighbor to the north, Canada.  Now that we are a smaller party we have dinner at a quaint restaurant in the downtown area called Restaurant Gronnegade.  Absolutely love this place. Small, cozy, friendly and the food is well presented and excellent.  the owner, Eva Jerris served us with superb service.

It's been a long and wonderful day...Tomorrow will be at a slower pace, it will be clearer and colder...The forecast says the high will be 28 degrees.  I should have brought my Uggs.

until tomorrow...

Ja'Vonne

Copenhagen, Denmark Day One

Hey guys,

I just arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark.  My very first visit.  I boarded a non-stop flight from Chicago O'Hare's airport to Copenhagen.  It's a very nice flight.  I was in Premium Economy and it reminded me of the old Business Class.  Remember when there was a First Class, Business Class and Economy Class?  Well, that's what SAS's Premium Economy Class is like.  starting with the check in and boarding process. The seats are larger than standard economy and recline slightly with an elevated foot rest and the meal service was slightly different than economy.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Oh, by the way...loved the extra thick blankets that we almost as thick as a comforter.  I needed it because it was a bit cold.

My very first impression after leaving the airport is that it's classic European.  A little bit of contemporary and modern mixed in but at first glance very European.

Oh, I have to share this with you. You know that I'm a Starbucks fan.  After collecting my luggage and "nothing to declare" to by pass customs, I noticed Starbucks.  I could not resist and headed over to purchase my usually, Triple Venti Latte with 2% milk.  I was informed that have 1.5% or 3%.  I went with 1.5%.  Upon paying I swiped by debit card and a selection came up for currency. 56DK or $10.07 USD.  That's right $10.07 for a latte.  the same on I would pay $5 for in the US.  I know....$5 is even too much but $10.07 is where I draw the line.  You'd be proud of me because I canceled my order.  $10.07 REALLY?

This evening we had dinner inside Tivoli Gardens at Brdr Price.  Tivoli Gardens is world famous.  In the 18th and 19th centuries pleasure parks were prominent in and throughout Europe.  These parks were called Tivoli or Vauxhall.  In 1896 Copenhagen created it's own Tivoli and while the others in Europe went away Copenhagen's Tivoli remains today.  It has evolved over the years adding amusement, restaurants and other attractions, and just 10 years ago it began its Christmas theme.  Needless to say this is a great time to visit. Tivoli Gardens is festive and boasts a well lit Christmas theme at night.  Everything from Christmas gnomes to a beautifully lit Prussia, Chinese Garden, Toy Soldiers and dancing bears just to name a few.

Well, it's getting late and I'm a bit tired from the 8 hour flight and days activities.

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Regards,
Ja'Vonne

Destination Weddings "When Things Go Wrong"

Last week on our show we interviewed wedding expert and owner of JustMarry, Susan Southerland for some tips on Destination Weddings "When Things Go Wrong".  While Destination Wedding can me wonderful you have to protect yourself and your investment when planning to have one.  We often don't think of the "What if's" and as Susan told us we should.  Here are her tips:

• Select a good and reputable wedding planner.  Don't try to do it on your own because this day and event should be one that you relish.  You shouldn't be the one handling all of the details and an expert has contacts, relationships and experience!
• Pay attention to the contact! The wedding planner should give you a contract that includes all of the services and details of your event.  Ask questions and negotiate, especially when it comes to the vendors like hotels, ground services, cancellation, changes and contingencies.
• Get insurance for your wedding and travelers insurance for the trip.  Also, advise your friends and family to buy travelers insurance as well.  It will protect the cost of the trip in the event of the unforeseen.  Travelers Insurance and regular insurance does not cover for "cold feet".
• When things go wrong, don't become a Bridezilla! Know and discuss your options and remember You attract more bees with honey!

Ja'Vonne Harley, Co-Host, The Traveling Eye

TIMESHARES...WHAT YOU WISH YOU KNEW

We recently interviewed Brian & Bill Rogers of Timeshare Users Group (TUG) on our show, The Traveling Eye.  Bill, the father and founder of TUG told us that there's no "in the middle" for Timeshare Owners.  You either love it or hate it.  Why because you either understand the business of Timeshare ownership or don't.  This is exactly why we did the show and looked to TUG for some expert advice.

I think we have all been to a presentation or two.  For my husband it became a sport to find and receive the best prize when we were traveling.  My issue was to get that prize you had to endure the sales presentation.  You were promised a 90 minute presentation but it was never 90 minutes.  I started to calculate the amount of time we spent getting to the appointment, the 90 minute presentation, the wave of managers who won't take no for an answer and finally leaving and discovered it wasn't worth the prize.  I, of course had to convince my husband of this and finally insist.  Anyway, I don't want to go off on my own tangent.

Here's are the things you wish you knew before you bought that Timeshare or even went to that presentation.

• It's not a one time deal.  The sale person will be all too happy to receive a phone call from you at a later date if you want to purchase.
• You can cancel if you buy but there is a time limit and sometimes that time limit is only a few days and it may expire before your vacation is over.
• Choose a place you'd like to visit year after year.
• Consider your family dynamic. If you have children choose a two bedroom unit.  If you are a couple then a one bedroom is fine.
• But a popular season
• Buy what you can afford to pay cash for - it's a luxury and shouldn't be financed and the financing is very high.
• Know what the maintenance fee is
• Check on special assessments.  Sometimes "great deals" are for resorts with heavy assessments.
• Don't buy with the expectation of making a profit
• Buy a resort with a heavy demand for rentals and exchanges.
• There are two different types of Timeshares Deeded and RTU or Right to Use.  The later is usually in Mexico and means you do not own real estate, you have the right to use it for specified period of time like 20 years or so.
• Learn the business of exchanges.  There is a network of Timeshares that are exchanged so you can use anothers time at another resort.  You have to be a member of one of the exchange companies like RCI or Interval.  Fees are associated with it.

The biggest tip of the day was to RENT a timeshare.  You don't have to own one to rent one.  Many Timeshare owners who can't use their Timeshare will list their time for rent.  You can find Timeshare Rentals on TUG's website through their network of owners or go on EBay.  The savings can be as much as 80%.

For more information go to www.tug2.net

Ja'Vonne Harley
Co-Host, The Traveling Eye