Remembering a Great Man and a Great Cause

WASHINGTON (WKOW) -- President Barack Obama plans to use Martin Luther King Jr. Day to celebrate the life and legacy of the civil rights leaders as well as pushing Americans to support their communities through volunteerism.

On Monday, Obama will host a chat with a small group of African-American seniors and their grandchildren and in the evening will attend the "Let Freedom Ring" concert at the Kennedy Center with his wife.

Both he and first lady Michelle Obama have spoken in depth about community service. Since being elected have planted trees, helped pack backpacks for the military and passed out Thanksgiving meals at a food pantry.

At a church event near the White House Sunday, Obama said that he, like King, learned to rely on his faith even as he felt the "sting of criticism."

Don't forget about Haiti, everyone, every bit counts. To give $10 to the Red Cross, please text "HAITI" to 90999.

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

Italian Festivals: In Depth

I officially have the "check out the official tourism website of every European country" bug. Today, I'm highlighting a wonderful PDF that the Italian Tourism Board has put together for us. It discusses, in depth, four festivals throughout the country and at different times of the year that are definitely worth looking at: The Stressa Festival, the Festival Puccini, the Rossini Opera Festival and the Ravello Festival.

Keeping in mind this was made for 2009, some of the performances at each will change for the upcoming year, but the festivals are described well and also have links to each in case you want to read more!

See all of our trips to Italy or just visit us at JetSetPilot!

The Scottish Highland Games

Remember that scene in Braveheart where Wallace and his giant, red-haired friend compete in throwing various objects such as large boulders? Those games are from deep within the Scottish culture and are still played (in one form or another) today. In fact, there's a huge festival that is built around them, called the Scottish Highland Games.

These games aren't just about tossing around giant weights (seen below) and telephone pole-like timber around the field. They also have other contests, such as best kilts, best Highland dances and best bagpiping. These games truly have it all when thinking about the heritage of Scotland and the Celts.

This festival is actually named the Cowal Highland Gathering or Cowal Games (thanks Wikipedia) and attracts upwards of twenty thousand spectators and competitors from around the world. While doing some "research" the other night, I saw these games highlighted on HDTV on the Festivals Around the World program, so watch that when it is on again. Many people use this as an excuse to visit Scotland every August, why don't you?

Check out our trips to Scotland or have a gander at trips to the UK!

If You Go to Greece in April, Watch Out!

This has to be one of the most amazing festivals in the world. The only scary thing would be if you had no idea about and you were in town or passing by. I can see it now: "Please, someone let the United Nations know that World War 3 has begun in Greece!" This is something I stumbled upon that I couldn't help but post on here. Watch the movie and check out how to get there below!

Want to go to Greece? Click here for our trips there! Also don't forget to Follow Us directly on our blog or through Facebook!

Halloween in France?

Can you believe it? Halloween is celebrated throughout the world, but never was it considered a French holiday. That being said, it has become increasingly popular there, gaining its roots in the UK and US.


First, it is claimed that the Celts who lived in Northern France used to celebrate and Halloween someone how trickled through time to become more popular today. The real reason for its surge in popularity, however, seems to be US corporations shoving the holiday down the throat of the French. Starting as mostly a reason to dress in costume and have a party, the Holiday has evolved to much more like our own. Kids used to have to go from door to door to the businesses of the large cities to go Trick-or-Treating, but the residential neighborhoods have begun to do so as well as surrounding towns in the country.







There has been much backlash, however, as many French despise the fact that US corporations are forcing the Holiday upon the French people. Also, the French have November 1st (All Saints Day or Toussaint Day) which they celebrate as a day to remember the dead by doing things such as cleaning the graves of their loved ones.


We will see if Halloween truly ever does catch on in France. Thank you to Laura Lawless for some of the information today. If you want to learn to speak French, follow her blog!

Click here if you want to go to France, and here if you're looking specifically at Paris!

Because We're Sad Oktoberfest is Over for 2009

I had to put this movie in for all of us who missed Oktoberfest this year. The bad news, we missed the biggest beer festival in the world. The good news, you can visit Munich all year round and the "tents" are up. This is a nice walkthrough of what Oktoberfest is all about:



Tell us about YOUR Oktoberfest and your experiences there! Is the myth true that there are no hangovers with German beer?

Click here for a trip that will get you to Munich or search all of our trips to find the your next trip to Europe!

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.

La Tomatina!

Does everyone remember when we spoke about La Tomatina in an earlier post? Well it happened today! Wow, did it happen today. Check out this link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/08/26/tomatina.festival/index.html

I personally like the makeout session that CNN was nice enough to put on their website!

Now you can enjoy Oktoberfest all year round!

We celebrated Oktoberfest early this year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last weekend at a German Hofbrauhaus Restaurant. Hofbrahaus Restaurants are popping up all over the US: in Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas to name a couple. The significance of the Hofbrauhaus is that this is one of the original beer tents at the real Oktoberfest held every mid-September through mid-October in Munich, Germany.

The Pittsburgh venue is located on the south side with a great view of the river. You have the option to sit in one of three sections of the Hofbrauhaus, outside in the gardens or one of two indoor locations. We recommend the main dining hall where all the singing, dancing and “shot skis” are enjoyed (I’ll get into more of this later).

If you’ve never drank your beer from a liter stein, let me tell you about it. At the Hofbrauhaus specifically, it contains a total of three to four 12oz beers, is filled with 5.2% (on average) genuine German Hofbra beer brewed right on the premises, and may need to be held with both hands. It’s incredibly impressive and amazing to see the waiters and bartenders delivering 5+ liter steins at a time.

The main dining hall contains long tables and benches where you will be sat with other beer-goers, unless you arrive with a large enough group to occupy the entire table which seats about 8. At the front of a hall you’ll find a stage where entertainment and the MC reside, and on the opposite wall a large rectangular bar rounds out the room.

Upon arriving at our table, Brian and I and our two friends quickly ordered a round of 1 liter steins and we begin our drinking festival. Surprisingly, we saw a pretty large number families and children in attendance for dinner, but soon after 9pm the clientele shifts to almost all 21+.

About an hr into our Friday night Oktoberfest a waiter runs up to the stage holding what appears to be a ski (yes, as in skiing down a mountain) high in the air with 4 evenly spaced shot glasses attached. Soon everyone starts chanting “Shot Skis!!”. Two more waiters appear up front with the same contraption and the crowd chants “Triple Shot Skis!!”. Three groups of 4 are now lined up in front of the skis and in unison they down the shots. What the contents of the shots are, I’m not sure. If anyone is familiar with this drinking event, feel free to provide your input. Is there a standard “Shot Ski” shot? Or is it whatever liquor strikes your fancy?

If you plan on visiting the Hofbrauhaus on Friday or Saturday nights, I suggest arriving early (7pm or earlier) if you expect to find a table without a long wait. And do NOT come on a full stomach. You need to save room for the beer!!

Oh, and most importantly…1 liter of beer will run you about $7. The same or less than 1 12oz beer you’ll buy at your local major league baseball game. And for an additional $8, you get to keep your liter stein! Half steins are available as well, but why would you want one of those?

So, have I sufficiently excited you about Oktoberfest??

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!