About Me
- Christine Maier
- I'm a 30 something who loves to travel. I have a full time job and enjoy writing (or blogging) about my travels. I've traveled through several countries in Europe as well as Russia and Egypt. I also enjoy domestic travel in the United States, including Disney. My long term travel goal is to do a round the world trip.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Recommendation: Pixel of Ink
Today's recommendation is a blog/website for you Kindle owners out there, it's called Pixel of Ink.
The site features free and bargain Kindle Books - http://www.pixelofink.com/
I haven't been following this long, but have already "bought" a few books that I would probably never heard of, let alone read.
The site features free and bargain Kindle Books - http://www.pixelofink.com/
I haven't been following this long, but have already "bought" a few books that I would probably never heard of, let alone read.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
HELP?
Today I don't have a tip or anything. I'm looking for help...
I'm looking for a day bag for travel, something that will hold my DSLR camera, wallet, phone, etc. Anyone have a bag they love?
I'm looking for a day bag for travel, something that will hold my DSLR camera, wallet, phone, etc. Anyone have a bag they love?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Delays in posting
As some of you might know, I had surgery in the beginning of the month. I had a bone graft from my leg to my mouth. I've run into an issue where I can't sit for long periods at my desk, so although I did have some posts lined up for post surgery, they are running out.
So, there may be some missed posts in the next few weeks while I catch up and also work on some posts to put up while I'm away in June.
So, there may be some missed posts in the next few weeks while I catch up and also work on some posts to put up while I'm away in June.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Polynesian Review
On my February trip to Disney World I got to stay at the Polynesian Resort, which was on my Disney World bucket list. I had the benefit though of not having to pay full price though as I went with my sister and her two kids ;) The resort is really nice; but, it didn't live up to my expectations.
The rooms were really nice. They were large with lots of storage. The rooms had 2 comfy Queen sized beds, two chairs and a couch that converts to a bed, allowing a 5th person to sleep in the room. And a balcony. As far as storage there was a dresser, two closets, and a desk with a pull out table underneath. There was also a night table and a refrigerator. My nephew complained that the couch/bed thing wasn't comfortable, but my brother-in-law had slept on one on a previous trip and said it was fine. Do you trust the adult or the 13 year old?
The bathroom was very nice - it had nice tiles and an asthetically pleasing look. But that's where the hype on the bathroom ends. I have stayed in a value and a moderate resort in the past and liked the bathroom set up there MUCH better. Both had the shower and toilet in a room with the sink area seperate, allowing for more then 1 person to use bathroom facilities at one time. With everything in the bathroom at the Polynesian it made getting ready much more complicated and we were two adult woman and two boys, I pitty a group of 4 or 5 woman trying to get ready with this bathroom. Additionally, the bathroom had 1 sink and 1 mirror - again an issue when more then 1 person is trying to get ready at a time. There was another mirror in the room, but the lighting around it was terrible.
The resort did offer free Wifi, it wasn't worth the money! It never worked, every single time I logged on it worked for less then 5 minutes before it just stopped working. My sister got it to work one morning around 6 AM. It was actually worse then not having wifi at all.
On to transportation...
If you're spending most of your trip going to the Magic Kingdom, you can't beat the location. However, Disney recently changed the schedule for the monorail and it stops running earlier then it used to. Don't ask me when it stops running because no one actually told us when, you just had to look for the sign. While the boat isn't bad, it's not the monorail - one of the reasons people choose to stay at the Polynesian (or any Magic Kingdom/monorail resort for that matter). I would definatly factor in this change in the monorail schedule into your decision to stay at any resort along the monorail.
If you're not spending much time at the Magic Kingdom then I would consider other resorts. From the Polynesian you can take a reasonable walk over the the Ticket and Transportation Center and take the monorail over to Epcot, but I'll admit that the ride was longer then I expected, the monorail is just a form of transportation, and not a magic bullet. The bus ride to The Hollywood Studios wasn't long and I never went to the Animal Kingdom.
Where the Polynesian shined though was in its theming. From the scents in the lobby to the trees around the resort, everything about the Polynesian represented the region it was themed after. Even the pool was a volcano. The resort had a relaxed "Aloha" kinda vibe to it, and that made it a fun place to stay.
There are two pools at the Polynesian (well, I saw two pools), the quiet pool was large and quiet... The main pool with the volcano slide was on the small side, but it did have zero entry, nice if you're traveling with small kids. And there was also a beach area. I'm not sure if you can swim here, but sitting on a beach chair on the white sand is nice. Or better yet, take one of the hamocks or swings inbetween beach vollyball games. Are you getting the idea? There is a very nice pool/beach area here - making the resort - resortlike.
Overall the Polynesian is a very nice resort, it has a lot of great ammenities. However, it's not all sunshine and leis, before spending a lot of money on this resort I would give some real thought to the needs of your group and if this resort offers the right ammenities for you.
You can follow me on Twitter: Travelingiraffe
The rooms were really nice. They were large with lots of storage. The rooms had 2 comfy Queen sized beds, two chairs and a couch that converts to a bed, allowing a 5th person to sleep in the room. And a balcony. As far as storage there was a dresser, two closets, and a desk with a pull out table underneath. There was also a night table and a refrigerator. My nephew complained that the couch/bed thing wasn't comfortable, but my brother-in-law had slept on one on a previous trip and said it was fine. Do you trust the adult or the 13 year old?
The bathroom was very nice - it had nice tiles and an asthetically pleasing look. But that's where the hype on the bathroom ends. I have stayed in a value and a moderate resort in the past and liked the bathroom set up there MUCH better. Both had the shower and toilet in a room with the sink area seperate, allowing for more then 1 person to use bathroom facilities at one time. With everything in the bathroom at the Polynesian it made getting ready much more complicated and we were two adult woman and two boys, I pitty a group of 4 or 5 woman trying to get ready with this bathroom. Additionally, the bathroom had 1 sink and 1 mirror - again an issue when more then 1 person is trying to get ready at a time. There was another mirror in the room, but the lighting around it was terrible.
If you're spending most of your trip going to the Magic Kingdom, you can't beat the location. However, Disney recently changed the schedule for the monorail and it stops running earlier then it used to. Don't ask me when it stops running because no one actually told us when, you just had to look for the sign. While the boat isn't bad, it's not the monorail - one of the reasons people choose to stay at the Polynesian (or any Magic Kingdom/monorail resort for that matter). I would definatly factor in this change in the monorail schedule into your decision to stay at any resort along the monorail.
If you're not spending much time at the Magic Kingdom then I would consider other resorts. From the Polynesian you can take a reasonable walk over the the Ticket and Transportation Center and take the monorail over to Epcot, but I'll admit that the ride was longer then I expected, the monorail is just a form of transportation, and not a magic bullet. The bus ride to The Hollywood Studios wasn't long and I never went to the Animal Kingdom.
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| Nanea Volcano Pool |
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| Quiet Pool |
You can follow me on Twitter: Travelingiraffe
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Who or What is The Traveling Giraffe?
I've been writing this blog for a few years now and I'm not sure if I've ever really wrote about who or what The Traveling Giraffe is.
I had first made a website for myself back in 1999, just a few pictures to update my friends on what I was doing after college. It grew a bit once something interesting was happening - travel. Then I started to read travelogues and take some tours, I decided that I wanted to write travelogues about my own tours. I set up a website at giraffegirl.net and kept it up for a few years (it's currently hosted on a friends website). But there's a funny thing about travelogues, they stop when the trip stops. No room for growth, so here I am writing a blog.
But, The Traveling Giraffe?
In 2006 after finishing my tour through Scandinavia I was walking through the main train station in Copenhagen when I saw it, a small giraffe. I bought him and named him after our day song through Russia - Rasputin. Not too long after that I realized that this would be my travel buddy, like the Roaming Gnome from Travelocity. I could take pictures of him while I traveled to break up the monotony of pictures of me or pictures without me.
When I needed a name for my blog I went through a lot of ideas, but I decided that Rasputin could be my partner in writing the blog. He's been kinda useless, being stuffed and all, but it's still fun trying to figure out new ways to take pictures of him.
Rasputitn does have his own Flikr account if you want to see his travels.
I had first made a website for myself back in 1999, just a few pictures to update my friends on what I was doing after college. It grew a bit once something interesting was happening - travel. Then I started to read travelogues and take some tours, I decided that I wanted to write travelogues about my own tours. I set up a website at giraffegirl.net and kept it up for a few years (it's currently hosted on a friends website). But there's a funny thing about travelogues, they stop when the trip stops. No room for growth, so here I am writing a blog.
But, The Traveling Giraffe?
In 2006 after finishing my tour through Scandinavia I was walking through the main train station in Copenhagen when I saw it, a small giraffe. I bought him and named him after our day song through Russia - Rasputin. Not too long after that I realized that this would be my travel buddy, like the Roaming Gnome from Travelocity. I could take pictures of him while I traveled to break up the monotony of pictures of me or pictures without me.
When I needed a name for my blog I went through a lot of ideas, but I decided that Rasputin could be my partner in writing the blog. He's been kinda useless, being stuffed and all, but it's still fun trying to figure out new ways to take pictures of him.
Rasputitn does have his own Flikr account if you want to see his travels.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Exclusive Italian Riviera & Pompeii Part 2
This is Part 2 of 2 on my Norwegian Epic tour: Exclusive Italian Riviera & Pompeii.
Just a couple facts about this tour - it was a "small" group tour - 18 people max in a mini bus. It was an expensive tour, over $400 a person. The tour visits Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii - it was the only tour offered by the cruise line that went to Positano (only mini buses can get there). The tour consists of a visit to Positano and Sorrento, lunch in Sorrento and a guided tour of Pompeii. In this post I'll talk about Pompeii.
During our drives around the Amalfi Coast we had been given information about the Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. We were told about the advance warning system (based on the volcano's activities giving 20 days to 2 weeks notice) and the different evacuation zones. The Red Zone includes 18 towns and 600,000 people. The Yellow Zone includes Naples. Mt. Vesuvius erupting would be bad....
Before the eruption that covered Pompeii in the year 79, Mt. Vesuvius had one peak, since then you'll notice that there are two peaks to Mt. Vesuvius.
Our visit to Pompeii started with a stop at a cameo shop, we had a quick demonstration (about 5 minutes) and then a few minutes to shop and use the bathroom. There was no hard sell by our tour guide or by the people doing the demo. However, in the shop they were polite, but definitely trying to sell.
Once inside we had a guided tour of Pompeii. Our guide was very knowledgeable and showed us a lot of the elements of daily life in Pompeii. How to tell which homes were owned by the wealthy, how they crossed the street before sewers, what the inside of a brothel looked like (a very popular spot) and even how to tell what type of front a store or house might have had.
We also got to see some of the casts from the excavation. When people or animals were covered in ash a mold was made of them, eventually the bodies disintegrated, but the casts remained in tact. From those casts they can re-create molds of the people and animals who died in the aftermath. It was very moving and disturbing to see the faces and bodies. The worst was the dog, and it made me wonder about the molds they do not display.
At the end of the tour we went by what appeared to have been a cliff like area (The water was closer back in 97 AD), it was a beautiful setting for the edge of Pompeii, even now with the water further away.
After our tour of Pompeii we were given 20-30 minutes to walk around outside, there was a little market selling souvenirs and a "coffee" shop. We were one of the lucky tours to end before it started to rain, and we left a few minutes ahead of schedule, taking the 30 minute ride back to the ship. I know a few other people got caught mid-tour in the rain and there wasn't much for cover in the site.
We were back at the ship an hour or two before sailing, giving a little time to relax before dinner and the nighttime entertainment.
Overall this was a great tour. I'm not sure it was independently worth the $400+ it costs, until you compared it to the prices of the other ship tours.
As with most tours offered in Europe through the cruise lines, you can find better deals through local vendors, much better deals. You do lose the security that comes with taking a ship tour (the cruise line is responsible for getting you back to the ship if it leaves without you). For some the security it worth the cost (I was traveling by myself), for others they prefer to save money or to tour independently. Neither choice is wrong, but a personal preference.
You can follow me on Twitter @Travelingiraffe
Just a couple facts about this tour - it was a "small" group tour - 18 people max in a mini bus. It was an expensive tour, over $400 a person. The tour visits Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii - it was the only tour offered by the cruise line that went to Positano (only mini buses can get there). The tour consists of a visit to Positano and Sorrento, lunch in Sorrento and a guided tour of Pompeii. In this post I'll talk about Pompeii.
During our drives around the Amalfi Coast we had been given information about the Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. We were told about the advance warning system (based on the volcano's activities giving 20 days to 2 weeks notice) and the different evacuation zones. The Red Zone includes 18 towns and 600,000 people. The Yellow Zone includes Naples. Mt. Vesuvius erupting would be bad....
Before the eruption that covered Pompeii in the year 79, Mt. Vesuvius had one peak, since then you'll notice that there are two peaks to Mt. Vesuvius.
Our visit to Pompeii started with a stop at a cameo shop, we had a quick demonstration (about 5 minutes) and then a few minutes to shop and use the bathroom. There was no hard sell by our tour guide or by the people doing the demo. However, in the shop they were polite, but definitely trying to sell.
 |
| Amphitheater |
Once inside we had a guided tour of Pompeii. Our guide was very knowledgeable and showed us a lot of the elements of daily life in Pompeii. How to tell which homes were owned by the wealthy, how they crossed the street before sewers, what the inside of a brothel looked like (a very popular spot) and even how to tell what type of front a store or house might have had.
 |
| Line for the Brothel |
We also got to see some of the casts from the excavation. When people or animals were covered in ash a mold was made of them, eventually the bodies disintegrated, but the casts remained in tact. From those casts they can re-create molds of the people and animals who died in the aftermath. It was very moving and disturbing to see the faces and bodies. The worst was the dog, and it made me wonder about the molds they do not display.
 |
| The answer to the street being the sewage system |
At the end of the tour we went by what appeared to have been a cliff like area (The water was closer back in 97 AD), it was a beautiful setting for the edge of Pompeii, even now with the water further away.
 |
| Entrance to a home of the wealthy |
After our tour of Pompeii we were given 20-30 minutes to walk around outside, there was a little market selling souvenirs and a "coffee" shop. We were one of the lucky tours to end before it started to rain, and we left a few minutes ahead of schedule, taking the 30 minute ride back to the ship. I know a few other people got caught mid-tour in the rain and there wasn't much for cover in the site.
 |
| Mt. Vesuvius |
We were back at the ship an hour or two before sailing, giving a little time to relax before dinner and the nighttime entertainment.
Overall this was a great tour. I'm not sure it was independently worth the $400+ it costs, until you compared it to the prices of the other ship tours.
As with most tours offered in Europe through the cruise lines, you can find better deals through local vendors, much better deals. You do lose the security that comes with taking a ship tour (the cruise line is responsible for getting you back to the ship if it leaves without you). For some the security it worth the cost (I was traveling by myself), for others they prefer to save money or to tour independently. Neither choice is wrong, but a personal preference.
You can follow me on Twitter @Travelingiraffe
Monday, March 19, 2012
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