Jenny and I are both baby boomers waiting for retirement so we can travel more. I am already retired and just waiting for the next couple of years to pass so Jenny can retire and then it's travel all the way.
About Travel As I See It Blog
Travel As I See It is the blog we share what we learn about travel in our today's world. It's always better to be prepared as it will help you have the travel experience you want instead of facing problems you didn't fore see.
Image by tokyoosakatw via FlickrWhile in Calgary, gastronomes and chocoholics alike should swing by the home office of Callebaut Chocolate, 1313 1st Street SE, for Canadian chocolates with Old World style.
Bernard Callebaut grew up in Belgium next door to the factory where his family had been making chocolate for the previous four generations. In 1980, when the family decided to sell the Belgian chocolate business to Swiss chocolate giant Suchard Toblerone (they still owned, among other things, a brewery), Bernard decided to emigrate.
We wanted to bring truly excellent, gourmet chocolate to the Americas. After touring cities throughout America and Canada, he fell in love with the mountains and culture of Calgary. There he began anew with Bernard Callebaut chocolates.
His family was convinced he had gone mad, making high-quality chocolates for a people who, generally, would not know the difference between that and paper-wrapped bar from the gas station. They were wrong. The first day his chocolate shop was open he made $700 and by the end of his first year in business he had made $200,000. He doubled that the following year.
What is his secret, the thing that will get North Americans to pay more for his delectable treats? There is no secret. Callebaut is happy to tell people how to make his chocolates and even occasionally teaches courses at his Calgary factory and world headquarters.
The trick is to use fresh, organic ingredients with no additives. His chocolates do not contain preservatives or vegetable oils. He is so open about his methods he even has recipes for some of the things they sell in the shop posted on his website at www.bernardcallebaut.com.
At Bernard Callebaut they are happy to give visitors a tour of the factory as long as it is arranged in advance. The tour is great and the best part is, of course, the free samples.
Image by lucidreama via FlickrAlbania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries of Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.
Culture
The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding one’s head means ‘no’ where as shaking the head means ‘yes’. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers aren’t much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers don’t have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit.
Travelling within the country
Buses with relatively cheap fares operate in the main cities of the country or taxis are another choice which provided service for some main hotels.
Visit Dajti Mountain and experience Dajti Ekspres Cable car for an unforgettable 15 minute ride passing through Dajt Oark to reach Tirana. The route is about 4.2 km long and the ride costs €6.5.Alpha Yachting provides crewed yacht which is a luxury in itself. Tirana Bank is the best place for withdrawing money as it allows access to Visa cards.
Eating Out
Restaurants are not always sufficiently heated, so always wear warm clothes if out in the night during winters. Foreigners are charged more than the locals. Both the entry fees as well as any merchandise will be on a higher scale, so it’s better not to reveal the fact that you are a foreigner when out on the streets.
Site Seeing
If you enjoy canoeing, this is the right place to be. There are places right outside Tirana which is an amazing site for not just canoeing, but also rock climbing, hiking, and camping.
Accommodation
If you want a 5-Star ambience, try The Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers, which is situated in the middle of a shopping and entertainment center. There are about 151 rooms and 56 suites. So, along with the comfort, one can shop at once convenience here. Another hotel which provides all modern facilities is Hotel Mondial. It is located 1000 m away from the city and is also a good example of traditional architecture.
Getting There
One of the best and the easiest means is to go by air. Albanian Airlines is the national airline which works in collaboration with Tyrolean Airways, and provides service to almost all the big European cities. The airport, Mother Teresa, is 16 miles or 26 km away from the capital. A tourist bus is available every 3 hrs to get to the city center and takes about 30 minutes to get there. Taxis are available round the clock. While waiting for any transport service, tourists can check out the duty free shops, bank, eateries and car hire at the airport. A departure tax of $10 USD is imposed on all foreign nationals. Check out www.flyalbanian .com for flight times and offers.
If trying to get there by sea, try the ferry services which are provided by Adriatic Line and Agoudimos. The main ports are Durres (has ferry connection to Italy, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste, and Ancona), Vlora (has ferry connection to Bari, and Brindisi), Saranda (has connection to Corfu), Shen Gjini (has ferry connection to Bari). Check out www.adriatica.it and www.aqoudimos-lines.com for more information.
Bus is another option. Buses start from Istanbul, Athens and Sofia. Internal passengers have lots of options with bus services provided. If traveling by road in a private car, there is road network to the Kosovo region, but they are too dangerous to use because of the political tensions within the region. Crossings at Hani I Hotit, Bllata, Oafa e Thaes, Tushemisht, Gorica, Kapshtica, and kakavija can be taken. If tired one can take halts at hotels or other designated areas. There is a network of 18,000 km, out of which only 7450 km are main roads, for local travelers. About 2138km stretch of these roads is in poor condition and has pot holes, and utmost safety precautions should be taken when driving on such roads. Speed limit should be strictly followed on highways as well as within towns. Driving at night should be better avoided because of the absence of street lights on the road except for urban areas. Traffic should drive on the right-hand. There is a shortage of gas stations in the countryside, so filling the gas tank completely when passing through urban area is recommended and since there is lack of national recovery system; travelers should be prepared for an emergency or breakdown before hand. One should carry necessary documents like International Driving Permit and national driving license.
Duty Free Items
Following are the items that can be carried without customs duty being levied on them:
1 liter of spirits or 2liter of wine
250ml of eau de toilette
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
50ml of perfume.
Prohibited Items
Things that are prohibited to carry are firearms, narcotics and ammunitions. Special export permission should be taken for precious metals, books, antiques, work of art, or material of national or historic value.
Gone are the days where a person had to use a paper travel map in order to find out how to get from one place to another. Now there is new technology called GPS systems, or global positioning systems. These devices, which have been used by the military for many years have recently become popular with the public. These are electronic devices that come in different forms, from handheld models to display models that are mounted or even a permanent fixture of some newer cars.
These devices, which are controlled by satellite, work by punching in a starting address and the final destination address. Once that information is put into the GPS, the GPS will guide the person step by step, turn by turn until the person has arrived at his or her destination. Some GPS systems will actually talk to you and tell you exactly where to turn and when, others are simply an interactive map that will show you on a display when and where to turn, but will not give verbal directions. Along with showing or telling the person where to turn, it also says where you are at, at which direction you are currently heading.
These global positioning systems, or GPS, are very handy to drivers since the driver does not need to be hassled with a large map while he or she is trying to keep their hands on the steering wheel and their eyes on the road. This is particularly true for those drivers that are driving without someone else to navigate for them. These GPS systems are also very handy if a person does become lost. Because the system will tell the person where they are at, they could call for help and be able to tell another person their direction and exactly where they are.
Not only are GPS systems useful for drivers, but they are also very useful to anyone that is unfamiliar with any location that they are at. Take for instance hikers. With hand held GPS systems, they can make the most of their hike and again, if they get turned around, they can find out how to get back on track if they know which direction they should go in relation to the direction they are currently headed.
Of course, this new technology is very handy and can save a person a lot of hassle, but it is important to understand how to use the particular system, and to understand that not all GPS systems work exactly the same way. It is also important to know that with any technology, they may not always work and it is still a good idea to have a traditional back up travel map, just in case.
Whether using an electronic device such as a GPS, or using a traditional map, it is a good idea to become familiar with it and familiar with your destination before you actually leave for any trip. Maps, whether traditional or electronic are only as good as the person that knows how to use and read them.
It is no surprise; tourism has become an extremely popular industry. There are more people traveling then ever before, more often, and they are traveling further and further away from home. As tourism becomes more popular, more and more companies are associated with tourism. To prove this, all one has to do is type in the word “tourism” while on the internet to see how popular it really is.
There are several fairly new types of businesses that help people with their travel needs. These can be found online as people try to search for the cheapest way to travel. This way of making travel plans has gained in popularity over several years, but is still relatively new compared with how long tourism has been around.
Another industry within tourism is travel agencies, which help people to plan their trips, either for business or for pleasure. While these agencies are not new, their capabilities and information may be, as they continue to change with the new additions in the business.
Then there are those businesses that are not new, in fact they are as old as travel itself. These businesses produce maps. While maps have certainly changed over the years, in order to keep up with new technology, they have always been a constant with the travel and tourism industry.
People love to travel, they love to experience new places, and now that it has become more affordable compared to decades earlier, and it is more popular then ever. No matter how popular it gets, and no matter how many things change in the tourism industry, travel maps will always be in the center.
Every business that deals with travel and tourism will have maps available to their clients. Each map may be very different from one another and vary greatly in the information they provide, but they are all forms of maps intended to help the person who is traveling.
Tourism is exciting and can be educational. The best way to make the most of any type of travel is to become familiar with maps, and when they are given, it is always a good idea to study them.
Many people will collect maps and then later decide to travel to a particular destination based on the information contained on the map.
As the travel and tourism industry has grown, so have the variety and means available for obtaining maps. Where as just a short time ago internet maps were unheard of, now they are a very popular resource for travelers. There is also new technology with maps that allow people to use satellite type maps, eliminating the need for more traditional paper maps.
Tourism is exciting as well as educational, depending on the places traveled. The best way to make the most of any type of travel is to become familiar with maps, and when they are given, it is always a good idea to study them, mark them, and know where you want to go and what you will do upon arrival. These things will make the difference between an enjoyable or stressful trip.
The crowd is attracted to sparkling ski slopes of the Alps, sunlit vineyards and sun-baked beaches of this beautiful country. France is a country which draws more tourists than any other country. It is easy to see why this is the case given France’s great reputation for fine wines, good food, high fashion and relaxed lifestyle. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink till your heart is content, there’s much more to this fascinating country than only cutting-edge cuisines. Spring is the best time to be here, and those interested in winter sports can drop at the Alps and Pyrenees with some polar gear. The summers are very hot and winters are moderate. An all-weather coat and pair of comfortable shoes are a must. Women, especially, should carry cocktail dresses as some of the restaurants ask for it. When visiting any religious site, refrain from wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, as they are disliked at such places.
Culture
English is widely spoken here, although French is the official language. Handshaking is customary greeting and women should be kissed on both cheeks and should be addressed as Monsieur or Madame. French people are popularly known for their like for stylish sportswear and of course perfumes. Nudism is allowed on some beaches only. Social functions, fine restaurants, and clubs call for more formal dressing. When at a formal dinner, wait till the host gestures to start the dinner. Smoking is banned in public places.
Site Seeing
Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to thehighly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile.
The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of an unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and museums.
Shopping
Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. An extra dollar can be given as tip to the waiter. A tip of $2 can be left for the bus drivers.
Electricity
220-volt, 50-cycle AC current.
Getting There
The national airline that operates here is Air France. Many low-cost airlines, too, provide services from UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. Coaches, taxis, limousines services are provided at the airport. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse.
Ferry and cruise trips can be made from ports such as Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, and Havre.
Duty Free Items
1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 1liter of spirits over 22 per cent or 2liter of alcoholic beverage up to 22 per cent
3. 2liter of wine
4. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract
6. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
Image by tokyoosakatw via FlickrWhile in Calgary, gastronomes and chocoholics alike should swing by the home office of Callebaut Chocolate, 1313 1st Street SE, for Canadian chocolates with Old World style.
