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Showing posts with the label travelswithcharie

The safest countries for solo female travelers

Iceland After decades of solo travels around the world, these are the countries where I felt the safest. I’ve visited these places on the list several times except for Finland (which I had the pleasure of visiting once) and didn’t encounter any threatening incidences in any of them. I found instead the people were positively responsive when I approached them for directions or help with the language barrier. I especially remember my experiences in Ireland where I needed to find a plug adapter and a saleslady took time from her work to show me the store that carried it, in Japan where the non-English speaking train ticket agent painstakingly helped me with a smile despite the long line behind me or the restaurant chef who showed me how to order my meal using a strange machine, or in Finland where I met friendly people in church and whose friendship I’ve kept to this day as I have with my friends in the Netherlands and Romania. There are so many beautiful stories from my solo trips which

Where to go in 2023

San Francisco, California  Condé Nast Traveler   https://www.cntraveler.com/story/best-places-to-go-in-2023 Fodors Go List 2023 https://www.fodors.com/go-list/2023 Fodors No List 2023 https://www.fodors.com/news/news/fodors-no-list-2023 Frommer's Best Places to go in 2023 https://www.frommers.com/slideshows/848547-frommer-s-best-places-to-go-in-2023 Lonely Planet Where to go in 2023 https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/where-to-go-when New York Times 52 Places to go in 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/travel/52-places-travel-2023.html Travel and Leisure Best Places to go in 2023 https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-go-2023 ***** Image by TravelswithCharie  

The Road to 193 with Bernadith Barrientos

Bernadith Barrientos in Geiranger, Norway Where and when was your first trip outside of your home country?  Taipei was my first destination outside the Philippines. It was in 2018, a year full of blessings for me. I can say it was the best year I’ve had. I got the chance to travel with friends in Taipei. I feel very lucky and blessed to be able to see, explore and enjoy some of the tourist attractions in Taipei like Shifen waterfalls, Taipei National Palace Museum, Taipei 101 and their famous Sky Lantern.  What is it about traveling that appeals to you the most? Beautiful scenery, immersing myself in a country’s culture, experiencing new things and gaining new friends while traveling appeals to me the most. Whenever I am in a new place, I take it as an opportunity to explore an entirely different side of myself. Blending with locals is one of the most satisfying feelings.  How has working in the cruise industry helped you achieve your travel goals? Working in the cruise industry was re

All that glitters

Semi circular chest plate, gold, 700 A.D., South Pacific The Pre-Colombian Gold Museum is one of three museums created in the 1950s by the Central Bank of Costa Rica from the original History and Numismatic Museum to promote “meaningful and relevant connections with the material and human dimensions” of Costa Rican cultural heritage. The Gold Museum is in an underground vault in the center of San Jose. How gold jewelry was worn by the indigenous people of Costa Rica Various chest plates and pendants 1. Semi circular convex chest plate 2. Round zoomorphic and geometrical chest plate from 700 - 1500A.D., hammered     gold with  four cones protruding from the plate, worn by high ranking  individuals,        South Pacific 3. Pendants  4. Plain round chest plate Collar and buckle with embossed decoration Crab rattle, 700 A.D. to 1559 A.D., South Pacific Anthropo-zoomorphic pendant The use of animal or avimorphic pendants has a symbolic meaning to the wearer. These pendants may represent the

Graz, the City of Design

  Graz is the second largest city in Austria. Just two and a half hour by train from Vienna, it's the perfect long weekend getaway. With loads of history, architectural diversity and lots of terrace cafés, this UNESCO City of Design has plenty to offer and will easily keep you longer than planned. The Kunsthaus or art museum has been called many things - the friendly alien, whale and porcupine. It looks like a giant pickle to me from this angle. The rooftop of the Kunsthaus that gave it the nickname, friendly alien. View of the red rooftops of the old town with the Rathaus in the center, taken from the Schlossberg. Old town Graz is a Unesco designated World Heritage Site. How to get up to Schlossberg (Castle Hill)? There are 206 steps to climb to the Schlossberg. Thank goodness there are other choices to reach the top. There’s a lift at the bottom of this hill and a funicular just down the street. The funicular fare is included with the day transport pass and the lift fare is €1.30

The Road to 193 with Odette Aquitania Ricasa

Update: Odette Aquitania Ricasa just completed visiting all 193 UN countries on August 24, 2022 in Erbil, Iraq (her last country). She is the first Filipino to visit all 193 UN countries. She has also visited 301/330 TCC countries and territories. Congratulations! Odette Aquitania Ricasa Odette Aquitania Ricasa is poised to be the first Filipino American to travel to all 193 United Nations recognized sovereign countries. She has visited 189 countries, just four countries shy of 193. These travels have been rigorously validated by NomadMania. She is also a member of the Travelers Century Club (TCC) having visited 295 of 325 countries and territories on the TCC list. Odette is the author of six books*, an accomplished painter, a motivational speaker and a pianist.  Odette Ricasa has received numerous awards including First Prize in an International Speech Contest sponsored by Toastmasters Club and several Best Speaker awards from the Los Angeles Toa

Friday Night Writer’s Series

  Check out Christian’s Chronicles on Friday nights for some tips on writing. Charie Albar from TravelswithCharie.com will be the guest writer on Friday, January 29, 2021.  http://christiangeorgeacevedo.blogspot.com/2021/01/fridaynightwritersseries-charie-albar.html Excerpt from the interview: How did you discover that you have the passion and the talent for travel writing? There’s a quote that explains how I started writing. Ibn Battuta, a medieval Moroccan scholar and explorer once said, “Traveling leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller”.  I became a storyteller after traveling a few times to Europe. My blog, TravelswithCharie, was and still is my journal and travel guide. When my travel articles were published by Fil-Am newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was more motivated than ever to write about my travel experiences. *****

Budget Friendly Lodging Options

A Room with a View When I was in my 20s, I had the opportunity to stay at one of the dorms in the University of Paris for $15/day. That was quite an experience deserving a full narrative! I also stayed at a student dorm in Switzerland where I had my own room overlooking a garden courtyard and a refrigerator space in the kitchen. Until one morning when I went to take a shower and found a man in his briefs showing off his diminutive frame to all the guests who happened to pass by the shower rooms. So much for exhibitionists!  Over the years, I’ve found and stayed at more refined lodgings without emptying my travel wallet all too quickly. Many of these places are in Europe and run by religious orders like the Brigidine sisters. The room rates at some of these guest houses start around €35,00 depending on the period of stay and the location. The rooms are simple but have comfortable beds and usually have their own private bathroom. They are always kept clean. The only drawback for

Discovering Würzburg

One of the most intriguing suggestions I received on my recent visit to Würzburg was to see the Alte Mainbrücke (Old Main Bridge) and stroll across this pedestrian stone bridge with a glass of wine. I learned soon enough that this was sound advice. The bridge is a gathering place for friends and drinking wine from grapes grown in the surrounding hills is a fitting introduction to the capital of the Franconian wine region. The Alte Mainbrücke was rebuilt between 1473-1543. It has commanding views of Marienberg Fortress and the vineyards that surround the city. On the bridge are twelve statues of saints and emperors which were added in the 18th century. The Alte Mainbrücke connects the old town with the fishing quarter across the Main River. The tower of the Rathskeller and the steeples of Würzburger Dom figure prominently in the Alstadt (Old Town). Sunset reflections on the Main River with Marienberg Fortress on the hill above the vineyards. It’s fascinating to watch ho