Thanksgiving, a Great Time to See the World!

It's Thanksgiving, which means it's time to travel! Many will travel to see their family, but many are also starting to take advantage of their time off to take that vacation they've always wanted. And why not? It may be even easier to be thankful resting on a Hawaiian beach or sitting on the Spanish Steps! I always take time to reflect on my blessings as I am visiting somewhere new.

In fact, many tour companies offer Thanksgiving-specific tours that are cheaper than what it would normally cost. Take advantage of the 1-3 days off you receive and the ensuing weekend. This is plenty of time to visit Vegas or London or sowehere warm in the Caribbean! Most likely you'll need 1 or 2 days off for a long vacation!

Don't forget big events like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that occurs in New York.

Take this idea into consideration next year, or better yet, do something similar for Christmas. those same holiday specials apply for Christmas, New Years and the days in between. We do not currently have any advertised specials for those times of year, but we would love to help you book one. We have great relationships with airlines, hotels and tourguides and can find you a deal worth your attention!

Please call us anytime at 215-272-3221 to book or if you have any questions or comments! My email address is bmp@jetsetpilot.com

The Wine Culture of Vienna & Austria

Didn't know there was such a thing? Well, we hadn't either until we were recommeded by a book to visit the Grinzing neighborhood of Vienna. It's not just your run-of-the-mill place to have a nice glass of wine, either! There are actually vineyards within the city limits (only a short tram ride north of the city center), coupled with an outstanding village-atmosphere with plenty of places to eat, drink and soak it all in.

Heuriger is the specialty wine of the area. It's a white wine that's relatively sweet but not so much as a dessert wine. They make it within and outside of the city as well, though you'll find most stores within Vienna cornered by one winery which is ok because they're (almost) all as good as the next when you're drinking the real Austrian stuff.

The neighborhood, itself, is worth a visit as it has the attributes of an 18th century village one pictures when reading Snow White or any other fairy tale. Also, the food is as good as anywhere you'll find in the city and for similar prices as the center of town. Remember, you're still in a popular spot that many locals as well as tourists vistit! Don't forget to drop by one of Mozart's houses before you leave. It's on a cobbled back street if I remember.


Also know that it is a hilly part of town and, if you are a walker or you just want to see the wineries themselves, bring you walking shoes (but not your sneakers).

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European Festivals in November

Throughout Europe, there are many festivals and celebrations of every sort all year 'round. Here are some of the more interesting ones in November:

On November 1st will be the Veteran Car Run in the UK (specifically London to Brighton). All the cars involved were made before 1905! While we could make this trip in minutes with no traffic, these cars take hours to do so. It's a long route, so plan where you can watch the show in advance! Click here for more:
http://www.vccofgb.co.uk/lontobri/



Le Feste de Tartufo is the Italian Festival for Truffles! It is celebrated every weekend in November starting the 14th in San Miniato. Click here for more: http://www.sanminiatotartufo.it/inglese/homeing.htm

The Santa Claus World Championships? Yes, it's true! On November 27-28th, go to Samnuan, Switzerland and watch the best Santas in the world compete in events such as skiing! Click here for more: http://www.clauwau.com/index_en.php

Crossing Borders is a giant tribute to all things artistic. "Crossing Borders is the festival where literature, music, film and the visual arts combine to take central stage. 18 - 21 November 2009, writers, poets, musicians, filmmakers and artists will reign over The Hague's cultural centre." This is one of Europe's giant festivals. Click here for more: http://www.crossingborder.nl/index.php?ID=1&lang=uk

There's so much more to sample so look around for a festival that appeals to you! Also, share with us your stories about festivals throughout Europe, November or not.

Broadway in London....seriously!

For all those theatre lovers in the U.S. who believe Broadway is the outright best place in the world to find musicals and other shows, you might want to learn about The West End or "Theatreland" in London. For instance, you know Les Miserables, the hit that keeps going on and off Broadway for some reason? Well, in London, Les Mis has been playing for 24+ years straight with no interruption! Sorry CATS lovers out there, the other Andrew Lloyd Weber musical is not played here either! Check out some of the shows that are being played currently:

1. Stomp
2. Wicked
3. Chicago
4. Phantom
5. Lion King
6. Grease
7. Mamma Mia!
8. Hairspray
9. Les Miserables
10. The Shawshank Redemption (who knew Morgan Freeman could sing?)

You get my point? This part of London has been battling for the best place to watch a show for years. In fact, the West End has been around since its first theatre was built in the mid 1500's. The longest running show, The Mouse Trap, has been playing since 1952. While you should definitely see a show there when you visit, try not to spend too much money! Considered to be one of the most expensive parts of London (already a very expensive city), The West End is home to great restaurants and pubs that will cost you a pretty "pound".

Have you seen a show in the West End? Tell us about your experiences in maybe the highest level of musical theatre in the world! We look forward to hearing from you.

Why are the northern cities of Europe not as popular?

We all tend to speak about the Mediterranean cities when discussing Europe. It seems that the only country we know about north of Paris is the UK. Now I understand why we are enamoured of beautiful, sun baked towns such as Rome and Madrid, Athens and Barcelona. What I don't understand is, why is there not MORE hype about Amsterdam, Copenhagagen, and Stockholm?

Courtesy of airpportdirecttravel.co.uk

My first guess is that, by no fault of their own, these cities are colder for a longer period in time. Sure, there's a little less time as far as pretty spring, summer and fall visits. I get it. But what about winter? These cisites in the winter may be as beautiful as those "nice" times of the year. My second guess is that no one in the U.S. seems to be of Northern European decent (outside of Germany). This may mean that there are less Americans going to these places to revisit their homeland. But let's face it, the reason there were less immigrants to the U.S. from Nordic countries is that they were stable and beautiful and no one wanted to leave in the first place except for adventure, maybe.

These cities are PRESTINE, everyone. I am talking about barely more than 0 crime, neighborhoods that refelect a picturesque European lifestyle, beautiful fjords and other natural landscapes within a day's excursion. Don't forget the unique foods and beverages the cities have to offer. Some cities like Amsterdam are known to the world as drug havens, but these places are about as dangerous as the original Woodstock. Not to mention, Amsterdam is considered the "Venice of the North" due to its extensive canal system.

Back to beverages: don't forget that Belgium is one of the beer capitals of the world! If you're going to Germany or France, think of making a day or two for gorgeous cities such as Bruges and Brussels. So next time you're thinking about going to Europe, give these destinations their due and research them. You might just find it's the part of Europe you've always heard about and have yet to see.

Tell us what you think of Northern Europe. Maybe you think it's the best part, maybe you "know" that the Mediterranean still rules the continent. Send us your feedback and get a conversation going. We love hearing from you!

Courtesy of Science Blogs

Tapas, meal of choice for more Americans!

Tapas have become a huge hit within the U.S., but why? It's not like everyone has been to Spain. There are many reasons this food sensation has become so popular. First, what are Tapas, anyway?


Tapas may be the best "appetizers" you'll ever taste. They really are small dishes of food that the Spanish people eat in between lunch and dinner, many times during a happy hour type atmosphere. The Spanish eat small portions of food in between these meals because lunch is around when the U.S. eats lunch and their dinners start much later, many times later than 10 PM.

Tapas can be anything, really. In fact, they can vary greatly from one part of the country to another. Let's run the gaunlet of Tapas: Potatas Bravas (or very good cubed french fries), many types of fish, other seas creatures such as octopus, calamari and shellfish, salads of sorts, cheeses of all kinds, and let's not forget the incredible meats like jamon (spanish ham - usually cured) and chorizo (spicy spanish sausage - my favorite!). Anything that can fit on a smaller plate and that can be shared by everyone or horded by one person like I do when there's chorizo around.

So back to my original question: why have many Americans flocked to this style of food? Well, for one thing, most of those who try Tapas, come back for more. They are so irresistable. Tapas are dishes for the masses! Some good news for those of you who have not tried this type of cuisine: most every city in the U.S. has restaurants specializing in these amazing foods. Guess what? These dinners don't have to be overly expensive. Most great Tapas dishes only cost $5-10. A good meal for two only needs about 5-6 of these dishes so do the math! I have had entire dinners at what SEEM to be expensive, upscale restaurants for $50 including tip (that's for 2). So go on the internet and find a local establishment catering these tasty morsels. This can be as easily as Googling "tapas in (your city name here)" or check out this link recommending tapas restaurants across the country: http://www.nextstop.com/keyword/tapas/places/?loc2=Py8ajiX86hI

My belief is that Tapas may be the best food in Europe. Tell us your thoughts on some of your favorite foods, whether it be French, Italian or English (little joke). We'd love to hear from you!

Festivals and Fun in Europe: August

Though Europe is mostly on vacation this month, they still need a good reason to party and celebrate. Today’s blog features some of Europe’s best festivals in the Month of August.

The Salzburg Festival is an arts festival in Salzburg, Austria that lasts all month and features some of the world’s best music and theatre. http://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/

The Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland is similar, starting on August 14th and lasting through September 6th. This is a must see for culture and arts lovers. http://www.eif.co.uk/faqs

Maybe the most unique festival in Europe, La Tomatina is a world famous food fight featuring tomatoes. The city of Bunol in Valencia, Spain erupts in what is every elementary students’ dream lunch the last Wednesday of every August! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgVULWrPfE

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Midnattsloppet is Sweden’s answer to the Boston Marathon. This six mile run in Stockholm starts at midnight and has more of a party feel. 20,000 racers quickly breeze through the run while thousands more have a huge celebration along the course. http://www.midnattsloppet.com/start/index.cfm

We will highlight festivals every month on this blog. What are your favorite festivals of the world? Discuss anything and everything by commenting below and don’t forget to visit http://www.jetsetpilot.com/ when we officially launch the website in September. We enjoy hearing from you!

European Cities with Beaches: A two-for-one deal!

Many vacationers believe there are two types of trips. On one hand, you have your run-of-the-mill beach trip where you mostly lie on the beach, sip a cool drink and relax (fun). On the other, you have your City/Historical/Cultural trip where you have a lot to do and see before your time runs out (also fun). Well, today, we're here to tell you that there are cities in this world that can let you have your cake and eat it, too!

Take, for example, Barcelona, Spain which offers you such incredible sites as La Sagrada Familia which is the Gaudi inspired cathedral soaring hundreds of feet in the air. Less known, however, are the beaches of Barcelona which lie on the Mediterranean and offer just as delicious cocktails at their ocean-side bars. This city offers a wide variety of activities that might just make for a perfect, all-around, trip (not to mention the food is about as good as you can find anywhere in the world).

Nice, France, is a Riviera destination where many Europeans and other visitors also come to bask in the sun on the beach after spending their morning combing through historical churches and squares. The food here is equally as good and the water just as blue (if not clearer). And just a stone's throw away lies Manaco, where you can do much of the same while mixing it up with billionaires for the day.

Don't forget, many European cities are relatively close to one ocean or another and takes but short excursion to instantly be transported to a beach getaway. Don't let a lack of sand and water be a reason not to visit that destination you always dreamed of.

Traveling to Europe in August: best or worst idea?

While some travel experts advise not to travel to Europe in August, Brian and I want to share with you the benefits of traveling at this time. We've experienced Rome in August, first hand, in 2006. Large cities like Rome have dozens of attractions for visitors that remain open during the summer months. Be aware that the hours of operation may shrink some, but overall, major sites will remain open despite the August Holiday month. We found the pros of traveling during the high holiday season out weigh the cons.

Cons -

• Weather tends to be extremely hot and humid
• You may miss out on city culture with most natives leaving the big cities and flocking to the closest beaches.
• Many small businesses, open air markets and street vendors close for the entire month.

Pros -

• Lines at tourist attractions can be shorter.
  

Visiting a city like Rome, with tons of tourist attractions in August may be an ingenious idea! Lines can be shorter and city streets may not be as crowded. We were extremely lucky with temperature highs hitting only upper 80's and only one short rainstorm to mention. Understandably, most August jetsetters probably aren't as lucky. And true, we did miss out on some of the open air markets and street vendors that closed up shop, but it was okay with us because we made this trip to Rome to see the history and art. Not waiting in lines to see the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, which have been known to run 3+ hrs, was well worth it. While most visitors leave Vatican City with a picture full of strangers they've never met...I was able to leave with this:
To be the only 2 people standing in St. Peter's Square was an amazing experience and something we'll never forget.