Boston to New York on BoltBus

I'm writing this post from a bus - a BoltBus to be specific. Boltbus provides express city-to-city connections with some pretty cool amenities, like wireless internet and outlets to plug your electronics into (not all seats have these, though, so choose your seat carefully). True, the wireless isn't perfect - it's having some trouble streaming Netflix, for example - but anything that will get me from my friends in Boston to my boyfriend in New York in under five hours while providing internet of any kind is good by me. The price tag is what makes it especially appealing - my ticket was only $15 one way. Compare that with the $158 I paid for the Amtrak Acela (also has wireless) to get me from New York to Boston ahead of the post-Christmas storm (I was one of the last trains out before they shut the station down) and BoltBus is the clear winner.

BoltBus connects a variety of locations in New York, Washington DC, Boston, and Philadelphia. The further in advance you buy your tickets, the cheaper they are, and BoltBus offers a rewards system if you use their service frequently. So far my trip has gone smoothly and has included a single, ten-minute stop at McDonald's for a food and restroom break. It's a relief to be able to work, write, and watch chunks of my favorite tv shows as the wireless struggles with Netflix. Outside, the East Coast scenery is also still pretty with its heavy frosting of snow, so watching the cities go by has its charm, too.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

How Much Is Three Ounces?

Five 3-ounce bottles fit comfortably inside a 1-quart bag
with room for your travel toothpaste

Okay, let's assume I'm not asking the obvious. Three ounces is 90 mL, the amount of any one liquid or gel you can take in a carry-on bag (all liquids together to fit inside a 1-quart plastic bag). Anyone who's traveled in the past nine years is familiar with TSA's rules.

What I'm really asking is how far will three ounces get you? Will three ounces of shampoo be enough for a two-week trip? A two-month trip? Will three ounces of face wash last as long as three ounces of shampoo? I don't know the answers to these questions - but I wish I did. Knowing exactly how much lotion and body wash I need would really help me pack light. So I'm going to answer my own question: I'm going to put three ounces of essential bath products to the test and see how long they last.

Before I can conduct my experiment, I have to locate 3-ounce bottles. There are a wide variety of products on the market, including a set of four bottles by Eagle Creek ($15) and another set of four by Bed, Bath, & Beyond ($5). In the end, I've decided to order my bottles individually (and much more cheaply) at PlasticTravelBottles.com ($0.98 a bottle and a flat shipping rate of $1.99, but be warned: they only accept PayPal and they ship from Singapore, so order well in advance).

All bottles full on Monday morning, November 29, 2010

Here they are, all set to go: shampoo, body wash, face wash, toner, and lotion. As of today, I will use only these 3-ounce bottles until their contents are gone - and I'll let you know, one by one, as the contenders drop. To provide you with some context for comparing my results with what you're likely to experience: I use shampoo and body wash once a day, face wash and toner twice a day, and lotion all over once a day. I'm 5'6" and have short hair.

Just to underscore the importance of packing the correct amount of liquids - my five 3-ounce bottles actually weigh 19 ounces when they're full, rather than the 15 you would expect. Liquids are heavy, so it's definitely best not to overpack.

All right, I think we're set to go. We'll see just how much three ounces really is!

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

More from the Department of Unfortunate Names

I bet all the guys shop there.

Groningen, the Netherlands

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Pozzuoli: A Day Trip from Naples with Lots to Offer

Underneath the Roman amphitheater in Pozzuoli

If your travels through Italy take you to Naples, you should consider taking a day trip to Pozzuoli. Pozzuoli is practically a suburb of Naples and you can get there in half an hour by taking a metro train from Garibaldi Station. Not only is it easy and cheap to get to Pozzuoli, this gritty but charming harbor town has something for everyone.

One of my favorite attractions is the Roman amphitheater. You can wander around the entire structure, including the underground chambers where the beasts and gladiators were kept. Numerous signs provide detailed explanations of how the amphitheater worked and you won't have to fight crowds, stand in lines, or pay the hefty entrance fee that you will to see the Colosseum (there is an entrance fee at Pozzuoli, but it's reasonable). If you go in the summer, the underground chambers make a refreshing break from the South Italian sun and the grounds surrounding the amphitheater are littered with sculptures and architectural carvings - just don't go looking for the museum that the signs mention: they never built it.

The ancient Roman marketplace when the water table is low

Another great Pozzuoli ruin is the ancient Roman marketplace, also called the Serapeum, located near the harbor. This was once the heart of the Roman city of Puteoli, an important commercial center, and today it gives an interesting insight into the volcanic geology of Campania, the region of Italy around Naples. The marketplace is seriously affected by bradyseism, the rise and fall of the earth due to volcanic activity. Sometimes the bottom of the market is dry and visible, as in the photo above. At other times, as on my last visit, the entire market floor is covered with several feet of water, complete with pond weeds and hopping frogs.

A sulfurous steam vent at Solfatara

If ancient ruins don't interest you, try hiking up the road for more volcanic activity. The crater of the dormant Solfatara volcano provides a strange lunar landscape complete with pits of boiling mud, vents of steam, yellow and orange sulfur crystals growing on the rocks, and a constant smell of fireworks. At one end of the vast crater is a seriously toasty medieval sauna, not for the faint of heart. The ground is also quite hot, so be careful if you're wearing sandals or flip-flops.

Of course, no day trip would be complete without great food. Try stopping at 'A Scarpetta, a traditional Napolitano restaurant located at Via S. Paolo 15 (you'll find it if you face the main harbor, then follow the waterside road to your left). 'A Scarpetta makes fabulous seafood dishes. For a genuine culinary delight, order the antipasti di mare. Just be warned - you might not have room for dinner afterward!


Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Great Bar In Florence: Plaz

Enjoying the warm March weather at Platz

Plaz is a bizarrely German-sounding name for an Italian bar, but it was where my Florentine friends wanted to go after an evening of pizza, so why not check it out?

I was not disappointed. Despite the name, Plaz is pure Florence: the decor is a modernized version of Renaissance luxury, they have live music at night, and they even offer a cocktail list - and if you've ever tried to order something more complicated than a gin-and-tonic in a European bar, you know what a triumph a cocktail list is. Following my tendency to order anything I've never had before, I tried my first Rossini that night, a bubbly concoction perfect for celebrating an evening out with good friends.

I've been back to Plaz many times since that first night in March. They offer a wide selection of wine, beer, cocktails, and simple eats. They also have an excellent aperitivo - the Italian version of happy hour, where buying a drink grants you access to a table full of tasty appetizers. During the summer, you can sit across the street under one of Florence's many public porticoes and enjoy some good people-watching with your glass of chianti.

Plaz is located at Via Pietrapiana 36r, across from the Piazza dei Ciompi.

Food: Good basics and a tasty aperitivo spread
Atmosphere: Modern Renaissance with a hint of goth
Price: Reasonable (8-10 euros for a glass of wine, but that's pretty normal for Florence)

Bottom Line: A nice stop for an afternoon drink, and live music makes it great for a night out


Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Sardinia's "Cheese with Worms" Makes the Media

Casu marzu or formaggio con vermi: Sardinia's cheese with worms

Obviously, you'll find a mention of casu marzu, Sardinia's maggot-riddled cheese, in every "Guide to Sardinia" on the market. How could you not? Who could resist writing about a traditional delicacy that is not only infested with fly larvae, but is also more or less illegal? (It may have gotten around the illegality recently by being declared a "traditional food," but you still can't buy it in Sardinian grocery stores.)

Trying casu marzu was an explicit goal of mine last time I visited Sardinia, and one I was lucky enough to accomplish. I was thrilled to finally take part in this weird, wonderful, and slightly freaky cultural experience. For the curious: the cheese is sharp and strong and you don't notice the worms if you close your eyes.

What I never anticipated was seeing a reference to casu marzu in American popular culture. Immagine my surprise when an infestation of maggots on the most recent episode of Bones was caused, not by a human corpse, but instead - you guessed it! - by an illegal Sardinian delicacy called casu marzu. I practically fell out of my chair. I guess the show must have someone researching all the harmless things that can possibly be mistaken for murder evidence, but still - with a little luck, maybe some national exposure like this will get people to realize what an interesting place Sardinia is.

Photo of casu marzu by Shardan, accessed through the Wikimedia Commons
Text Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Stock Up on Travel Essentials at Aveda!

The holiday season means more of Aveda's great
products come in convenient travel sizes.

I love Aveda. I love their products and I love their dedication to preserving ecological and human diversity, which makes me feel good about buying their products. Washing my hair with Aveda's invigorating Shampure shampoo is a favorite part of my morning ritual. Also, scents are terribly evocative - and culturally specific - so my Aveda shampoo actually smells like home to me. And when I'm traveling, there's nothing more comforting than having a bit of home come along for the ride.

That's why I'm heading to Aveda now to stock up on my favorite products. For most of the year, Aveda offers only the basics in trial sizes. But around the holidays when everyone's on the lookout for stocking-stuffers and little gifts, Aveda markets a much fuller range of their products in sizes compatible with a carry-on. If you love Aveda's Pure Abundance Volumizing Hairspray or their Rosemary Mint Body Lotion, now is the time to find these products in travel sizes.

Prices for Aveda's trial sizes start at $3.50 and range up to $10, depending on the product. Most of the bottles are refillable, so once you've purchased a travel bottle of - say - Phomollient with its unusual pump mechanism, you can simply refill it from your larger (and more economical) version.

As we all become more aware of the size of our carbon footprints - and as green and eco-tourism take top spots on the savvy traveler's wish list - Aveda's trial sizes and travel gift sets are a great way to have it all: quality, environmental consciousness, and the scent of home.









Photos taken at the Douglas J Aveda Institute, Ann Arbor
Text Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

From the Department of Unfortunate Names

I can only imagine their ad campaigns

Munich, Germany

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Caffe degli Spiriti

The chic and fun Caffe degli Spiriti in Cagliari

The Caffe degli Spiriti is one of my favorite bars - ever, period, full stop. Located on top of the Bastione San Remy in Cagliari, Sardinia, Caffe degli Spiriti offers great views, contemporary surroundings, and a delightful sense of fun. My favorite way to enjoy the Caffe is to order a glass of wine and lounge in one of the rope hammocks in back - a particularly romantic option if you're squeezing up against the one you love.

Looking out over the city is beautiful by day, but even more gorgeous by night, and as the night wears on, Caffe degli Spiriti rapidly becomes one of Cagliari's hottest hang-outs. Go early to claim the good spots, and settle in with a bottle of Sardinia's signature red wine, cannonau. It depends a little on who's serving - and how cute the customer is - but a bottle of wine will often come with a selection of local cheeses and cured meats. Sit back and enjoy the delicious traditions of Sardinia - in one of its chicest bars!

Food: No full menu but the bar snacks are great
Atmosphere: Chic, contemporary, fun
Price: Reasonable (20 euros for a bottle of good wine)
Bottom Line: A sexy spot to party the night away

A lazy afternoon at the Caffe - by midnight, it'll be packed!

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Favorite Places: The Bastione San Remy, Cagliari

On top of the Bastione San Remy

A recent thread on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree asked: "Sardinia where to go?" It got me thinking about the fact that I haven't written much about Sardinia yet, even though it's one of my favorite destinations and I find frequent excuses to return to it. I don't know what I love most about Sardinia. Maybe it's the historic but lively cities. Maybe it's the vast empty landscape dotted with ancient ruins... and flocks of sheep. Or maybe it's the exquisite culture of food and wine that ranges from Michelin Star-winning restaurants to delicious home cooking to the utterly bizarre (care for some snails baked in salt? calf thyroids? cheese with worms?).

Heading to the top of the  Bastione

So I decided it was time to write about Sardinia and at least begin introducing readers to one of my Favorite Places. My favorite city in Sardinia is the island's capital, Cagliari, and one of my favorite spots in Cagliari is the beautiful Bastione San Remy. The Bastione is an 18th century fortification built on top of Cagliari's old medieval wall system, originally constructed 400 years earlier. Now the Bastione serves as a beautiful look-out point from which to admire Cagliari's colorful rooftops, winding streets, and blue harbor. If you head up the Bastione's broad double stairs from Piazza Costituzione, you'll find yourself in a grand piazza. All around you stretch gorgeous views: to the south is the sea with its harbor full of cruise ships, to northwest is Cagliari's lagoon with its complement of pale pink flamingoes, and to the north, up yet more flights of stairs, rises the castello itself, Cagliari's old fortified city where you'll find one of its great cathedrals as well as its archaeological museum.

Enjoying the sun

There are plenty of benches on the Bastione if you want to sit in the sun and admire the palm trees, and there are cafes at the edges of the piazza if you need a refreshing cappuccino after climbing the stairs. If you visit the Bastione on a weekend in the summer you're likely to find an artisan market selling jewelry, sculpture, and hand-made t-shirts. And if you're looking for nightlife, the Bastione is a great stop. At night its cafes fill up with Cagliari's glitterati and occasional events like Argentine tango in the piazza keep things lively.

Napoleon's cannonballs

A final amusing note about the Bastione should appeal to history buffs. When you visit the Bastione, take a good look at the pink building you can see in the background in the picture above. The careful observer will spot three cannonballs still embedded in the wall - a small souvenir of the Napoleonic Wars.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Beauty in the Beast

The crushing loneliness of a Medusa in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

The Best of the Bazaar: Colorful Gloves in Florence

Leather gloves from Florence against a colorful silk scarf from Syria.

Traveling in Italy has permanently shifted my style toward the colorful. American clothes can be so drab, at least if you're past the age where you're shopping in the junior's section. My inner Italian rebels at the color choices she's offered in American clothing stores: black, brown, camel, beige, cream, denim... at best, she may hope to find hunter green or mulberry or red (if it's around the holidays).

That's why I find myself gravitating toward bright accessories when I travel - a khaki trench coat is just more fun if you dress it up with an orange silk scarf and blue gloves. But where can you find nice blue gloves? In one of my all-time favorite shopping destinations: Florence.

From designer stores to chalk artists, charming fountains to gorgeous architecture, it's easy to stumble onto beauty in Florence. The markets are no exception. There are several around the city and they're full of gorgeous scarves, jewelry, clothes, and a Florentine specialty: colorful and sumptuous leather.

Leather handbags in the Market of San Lorenzo

Any kind of leather you want is available in the markets of Florence: jackets, handbags, shoes, belts, leather-bound journals, and - of course - gloves. The gloves are my favorite. Not only are they an elegant accessory, the variety they come in is practically infinite. In the Market of San Lorenzo, the largest of Florence's markets, you can find gloves in every color from lime green to canary yellow to my selection, turquoise blue - and those are just the solid colors! Other common options are black with red piping, multi-colored pastel patchwork, and fingerless driving gloves with chestnut leather palms and crocheted cotton backs.

Not only are the gloves gorgeous, they're extremely affordable. My pair, which are unlined, cost 14 euros, which is pretty standard for outdoor market prices. A few euros extra will get you the silk-lined variety, and there are also fleece- and fur-lined options. Whether you love gloves for their bygone-era drama, are trying to find a match for an unusual scarf, or just appreciate fine leather, a pair of Florentine gloves is a fitting souvenir of this beautiful city.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Home Again... On The Michigan Flyer

Back in the Detroit airport... long before I wanted to be.

So... I'm home again. I had a wonderful trip in New York and returning home is a bit anticlimactic. I already miss my boyfriend, too - so much so that I'm going to write a short post and then put on my pajamas and eat candy.

The big thing I want to share isn't my post-boyfriend depression, however, it's a useful resource I discovered while trying to find a way home from the Detroit airport. A friend dropped me off for my outgoing flight, but no friend was available to pick me up on my way home. Of course, I put off thoughts of leaving until the very last minute, so at 9 pm the night before my departure I found myself cross-legged on my boyfriend's bed googling ways to get home.

Of course, there's a cab stand at the Detroit airport and there are lots of shuttle services, but I'm trying to save money so I wanted something a little cheaper than the $35 shuttle service that was my most economical option. Fortunately, I happened upon a useful bus service called the Michigan Flyer. Prices range from $15-$30 one way depending on your destination: Ann Arbor, Jackson, or East Lansing. There are also small discounts for round-trip tickets and/or multiple passengers. Booking online - even the night before - was fast and simple and the bus driver was impressively courteous and helpful. He offered us complimentary bottled water and also offered to arrange for taxis to meet us at the bus's drop-off points.

I know this is a rather specific travel tip, but I hope some of my fellow Michigan residents find it useful. If you live in Ann Arbor, Jackson, or East Lansing and you need a way to the airport, the Michigan Flyer offers great service and convenience at a great price.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Mill Korean Restaurant

Mill Korean Restaurant, 2895 Broadway, New York

As I wander around New York, I'm loving the abundance of good food to be had conveniently and inexpensively. For example, I love the “green carts” that sell fresh produce to passers-by on the street. Why don't we have these in Michigan, where the greenest food you can get from a street vendor is a hotdog with extra pickle relish?

I also love the restaurants here in New York. I haven't exactly been checking out the haute cuisine, but I have seen an abundance of small restaurants offering tasty-looking dishes for less than I would pay back home. Today I decided to check out a Korean place on Broadway near my boyfriend's apartment. Mill Korean Restaurant packs about 15 tables into a cosy interior with a few more tables out on the sidewalk (New Yorkers seem determined to dine al fresco until there's actually snow falling on them). The ethnic wooden decor and the old newspaper clippings on the wall give the restaurant a lived-in, comfortable feel that made it the perfect place to spend a cold afternoon. Lunch started with dishes of delicious cold appetizers, then moved onto miso broth, then to our entrees: beef bibim bap for my boyfriend and stir-fried rice noodles for me.

The food was spicy and memorably good, the green tea was nutty and complex, and the price was fantastic: everything together came to under $20, including my 20% tip. My curious nature generally leads me to try a new place whenever possible, but Mill Korean Restaurant is going on my list of restaurants to return to.

Food: Very good Korean food
Atmosphere: Cosy
Price: Inexpensive ($7-$8 for lunch)
Bottom Line: A great lunch spot on a cold day

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

The Hungarian Pastry Shop

The Hungarian Pastry Shop: 1030 Amsterdam Ave, NYC

My dear, busy boyfriend is working today (not just on a Sunday, but on a Sunday that is also Halloween!), so I ventured out on my own again. I got paid on Friday, so I thought I'd hit up an ATM and return to the Hungarian Pastry Shop, where my lack of cash prevented me from buying breakfast on my Thursday morning walk. I'm told the Hungarian Pastry Shop is a local institution. It certainly was packed when I wandered in this afternoon, so full of escapees from nearby Columbia University that I wasn't sure I'd find a seat. Stickers on the door told me the shop is Zagat rated and recommended by City Rover and Let's Go!, so my expectations were high as I placed my order for a slice of carrot cake and a small coffee. The service is the kind of brusque I expect in NYC (is that just a Midwestern prejudice?): the woman behind the counter seems mildly irritated by my attempts to pay and motions me to have a seat in the small, crowded room. Apparently, they will bring me both my food and my check.

The atmosphere is the kind I look for in a coffee shop. It's dim and funky, with walls covered in random posters and mis-matched art, big plants in the windows, and vintage light fixtures over the tables. Now that I've found a table, I like the crowd. It's amusing to eavesdrop on the studying undergrads and the constant, loud hum forms a protective barrier – I could sit here all day and no one would bother me. There's no wireless available – it's always a downside when you can't work in a cafe – but this would be a pleasant place to hang out or a good place to suggest you and your secret crush go for coffee.

When my carrot cake arrives, however, I'm underwhelmed. I come from a family of exceedingly talented cooks and bakers (is this a gift or a curse?), so it's hard to impress me with food. The carrot cake is nice, but I'm not blown away – I'd rather have my aunt's carrot cake any day. I feel slightly guilty that I didn't order the shop's “specialty” - I didn't even ask what it is – and maybe it isn't fair to judge the Hungarian Pastry Shop against a beloved family recipe. Still, my current impression is that the pastries here are a step above standard coffee shop fare, but nothing to write home about. Though it is nice to see Eastern European specialties like sacher torte on the menu.

My carrot cake may be so-so and my coffee only fine, but it's still a pleasure to sit here, listen to the two girls beside me studying Bourdieu, and write this review. Given that there aren't many independent coffee shops in the near vicinity, I would probably come back, but not before I had explored what else the neighborhood has to offer.

Food: Average

Atmosphere: Dim, cosy, crowded

Price: Inexpensive (coffee and carrot cake for $6)

Bottom line: Go if you like crowded, funky coffee shops - the food isn't the draw

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Beauty On The Move: Skin Care Products

A facial brush from the Body Shop - keeping
me radiant on my trip to visit my boyfriend in New York

Finding a way to fit your beauty regimen into a suitcase - both literally and figuratively - can be a real challenge. All travelers want to avoid overpacking, but at the same time, many of us have a carefully-developed set of procedures and products that keep us looking sexy... and no one wants to leave their sexy behind!

So when it comes to packing your bag, it's important to know how to travel light and still look fabulous.  It's a tall order, but there are tips - and products - that can help.

One of my best skin care tips is to leave the face scrub at home. It's heavy, you may run out of it, and it's one more liquid that you'll have to fit inside a quart-sized bag when you go through check in. Also, most face scrubs come in flip-top tubes that may accidentally flip open in your bag - no one wants to arrive at their destination to find gritty paste all over their travel essentials.

Instead of face scrub, bring a facial exfoliator. My two favorites are a facial buffer and a facial brush, both available inexpensively at the Body Shop. You only need one or the other, and either one will be lighter, smaller, and last longer than a tube of face scrub. I took both on my recent trip to Europe to test them out, and had great results with both. I found the facial buffer to be slightly easier to use - the facial brush tends to flick drops of face wash around and is best used in the shower - but the facial brush gave a slightly deeper exfoliation. If you're concerned about choosing the right one, buy both and test them out before you go - both together will still cost you under $10.

Traveling is great, but no one wants to look like they're traveling. We all long for the casual elegance of the International Person of Mystery - that enviable traveler who can fit everything they need for two weeks in a carry-on and still look chic and put together. To achieve this, you can either log tens of thousands of frequent-flyer miles... or take the advice of someone who has.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Taking A Look Around

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine 

While my boyfriend was off at work, I thought I would take the opportunity to do some exploring. My boyfriend lives in Morningside Heights (I had to find that out from Wikipedia) and I know absolutely nothing about neighborhoods in New York, so I thought my best bet would be to google "things to do in Morningside Heights." Also, tomorrow is payday, which means I'm down to my last $11 - "things to do" had better be "cheap things to do."

My google search struck gold: "32 Things To Do If You Visit Our Neighborhood." It looked like visiting St. John the Divine was a must-do - and probably not expensive - so I decided to start my journey there. An added bonus was the fact that I had always wanted to see St. John the Divine, though I had no idea it was in Morningside until today. St. John the Divine was the church where one of my favorite American authors, Madeleine L'Engle, was a parishioner, and I had always wondered about the place where a woman of such creativity and talent chose to pray.

Detail of the Military Window in the Nave

St. John the Divine is a stunning cathedral. It's huge, and the columns seem to stretch endlessly upward into the dimly-lit vaults. The stained-glass windows are richly-colored and depict an almost bewildering array of themes, from sports to missionaries. The intricate Gothic woodwork in the nave is beautiful, and the contemporary art displayed alongside it makes an interesting counterpoint: currently there are pieces by Enrique Martinez Celaya and Mary Buckley Parriott. My favorite work of art was the Peace Altar by George Nakashima, displayed at the entrance to the nave.

My enjoyment of the cathedral was enhanced by the gorgeous harmonies of the choir. I had wandered in while they were practicing, a stroke of luck that was like stumbling into a free concert.

In his left hand, a sword. In his right... a giraffe?

After half an hour, I wandered back out of the cathedral and decided to find breakfast. The well-known Hungarian Pastry Shop is just down a block and across the street from St. John the Divine, and I went in and ordered a cheese danish before finding out that they only accept cash. I couldn't find an ATM that would let me withdraw just 10 of my remaining 11 dollars, so I walked over to Broadway and found a Westside Market, which took debit cards. Westside Markets are full of delicious prepared foods of all kinds as well as groceries, and they had a nice selection of pastries, too. I left with a cheese-covered focaccia and a bottle of organic blood orange juice.

I walked back to the park at St. John the Divine and ate my breakfast under a bizarre sculpture of an angel with a sword cuddling giraffes. "32 Things To Do" tells me this sculpture is called "The Fountain of Life" and dubs it the ugliest piece of public art in the neighborhood. Ugliest? Well, I'm not from around here so I can't be sure, but it certainly is odd. No matter - not even weird art could spoil a picnic breakfast on an unseasonably warm day in New York City.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Naked Without My Passport

Usually when I get on a plane, I'm going to Europe. I have to show my passport at three or four airports before I make it to my destination. When I finally get to my hotel, I have to show my passport there, too – most European hotels won't let you check in without one. Even walking around a European city, I need my passport. Internet cafes always require one, and sometimes just sending a fax means showing a passport. If I realize I left my hotel without my passport, my first reaction is I panic.

Which is why I now feel naked without my passport. I keep reminding myself that, as a US citizen, I can travel domestically with just my driver's license, but it doesn't help. Every few seconds I catch my breath and think “Oh my god! I forgot my passport!” Then I have to breathe deeply and remind myself that I did not forget my passport, I left it at home on purpose because I don't need it.

Even now as I sit at my gate - well past security and check in – I periodically feel that something is amiss. I think for a second, trying to figure out what's causing my feeling of unease, and then it hits me – I'm still concerned about that stupid passport.

What really worries me, though, is the following scenario: I accidentally leave my carry-on with its precious cargo of shoes under the bench at my gate. I walk onto the plane with just my tote bag over my shoulder and my trench coat over my arm. I put my trench in the overhead bin and my tote under the seat in front of me. Suddenly, I think: aren't I supposed to have something else?

Of course not. This flight is domestic. For the last time – I don't need my passport!

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Little Jaunt to the Big Apple... on Spirit Airlines

Struggling to pack chic, but light

I haven't mentioned anything about my relationship status in a while. It was very much on my mind when I started the blog, because at the time I was struggling to put a relationship together. Then it was on my mind in Paris, where I spent two weeks alone in spite of having invited my boyfriend to join me in the most romantic city in the world. I'm happy to say, though, that things have been going well since I've been back in the states, and tomorrow morning I head off to spend a week with him in New York.

Which gives me an opportunity to write a little about in-country travel. Getting over the oceans is really my thing, but there are lots of great places you can go without leaving the USA, and New York is surely one of the greatest. Don't expect too much of me - I am going to visit my boyfriend after all and blogging isn't going to be my priority - but I promise to fill you in on the highlights.

But for today, how am I getting to New York? I'm flying Spirit Airlines. If you don't already know about Spirit, it's a great way to get around major US hubs on the cheap. Most of the airports Spirit flies to are located in the eastern half of the United States, and flights to Florida, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Mexico make it great for vacations. Flights to New York, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles make it great for work, too.

Spirit gets high marks for being affordable. You choose each segment of your flight separately and can see when the cheapest flights are available - if your travel plans are a bit flexible, this can really save you money. Spirit's flights are generally fairly inexpensive, but they're even cheaper if you join Spirit's 9 Dollar Fare Club. For $40 a year, you have access to rock-bottom prices. To put it in perspective, I joined the 9 Dollar Fare Club AND booked my roundtrip flight to New York for less than a major airline would have charged me for the ticket alone.

The downside, of course, is luggage. Spirit is particularly restrictive, even for a budget airline. You may only take a personal item without paying, something like a small tote. Bringing even a standard-sized carry-on will cost you an extra $20. Even so, including the charge for my carry-on and my membership in the 9 Dollar Fare Club, my flight cost me under $200. And now that most major airlines have begun to charge for the first checked bag on a domestic flight, I would have limited myself to just a carry-on even if I had paid major airline prices.

Although Spirit may not fly everywhere you want to go, the low prices make it worth checking out. And who knows - maybe some of the sunny destinations will inspire you to take a mid-winter break!

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Sixbeds Hostel, Rome, Italy

All the bits of paper are thank you notes

Really great budget accommodation is hard to find. Generally, you have to give something up. Maybe it's convenience or cleanliness or service, but chances are if you're spending less than 60 euros, you won't have a remarkably pleasant stay.

That's what makes Sixbeds Hostel in Rome an absolute stand-out in budget accommodations. Sixbeds has it all: it's clean and comfortable, it's located close to the train station and directly next to a major subway stop, and it provides important amenities like bed linens, towels, and in-room safes. It also provides the little extras like a book corner where you can pick up a book for the road or leave one you're finished with.

Most importantly, Sixbeds provides the big extra, which is fantastic service. Recognized by Hostel Bookers for the excellence of its service, Sixbeds goes out of its way to help you make the most of your time in Rome. When I arrived, even though I was only in town for one night, Max - Sixbeds' gregarious owner - sat me down with a complimentary map of the city and showed me how to get to all of Rome's famous monuments. He asked me what I had seen before and told me about new places I'd never been. Then he provided me with the train schedule for the following morning so I would be sure to get to the airport on time. I couldn't believe how helpful and welcoming Max was.

The book nook at Sixbeds

When I left Sixbeds, I left Max a thank you note. His walls are already full of them, but I hope mine is now up there, too. Being welcomed in a foreign city makes all the difference in the world to a tired traveler. I speak Italian and have spent over a year living in Italy, and I was still grateful for Max's help. If you're heading to Rome for the first time, I can't emphasize enough that you should stay at Sixbeds.

Size: Small (one single, one double, one triple)
Rates: Budget (a single room cost 40 euros a night)
Bathroom: Shared
Breakfast: Included
Cleanliness: High
Convenience: High
Languages spoken: English, Italian
Service: Outstanding!!!!
Overall rating: 10

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

The Best of the Bazaar: Carthusia Perfumes

Traveling overseas has enriched my life in a lot of ways. It got me to finally learn a second language, taught me that I really do like seafood if it was pulled from the Mediterranean the same day I eat it, and gave me a sense of capability and independence that comes to my rescue on a daily basis. Shallow though it may be, however, one of my favorite benefits of traveling is what it's done for my style.

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest, which means for the first eighteen years of my life I was unaware of anything more fashionable than a GAP sweater. My first trip to Europe was like walking into a fine arts museum for the first time. All at once I realized that the world contained more kinds of beauty than I had ever imagined, and just as immediately, I wanted to be a part of it.

Fortunately for me, the vastness of the global bazaar means that even a penniless writer can find great style on a modest budget. And to bring these great finds to light, I'm starting a new series of blog posts: "The Best of the Bazaar."

My first great find for The Best of the Bazaar is Carthusia perfumes. Carthusia is a tiny company that makes exquisite perfumes using flowers and herbs indigenous to the island of Capri. The medieval formulas for these perfumes were discovered in a Carthusian monastery in 1948, and the perfumes are still being made in limited batches that allow the preservation of the ancient production techniques. Women's perfumes contain essence of Capri wild carnation, while men's fragrances contain essence of rosemary from Monte Solarno.

In addition to being a unique expression of Capri's terroir, Carthusia perfumes are intoxicating. My favorite is Ligea La Sirena, a sensual, sweet, musky fragrance based around scents of mandarin and wild white rose. The fragrance wears beautifully and is long-lasting, so an application in the morning will keep you smelling lovely until the end of the work day. I wore my Ligea constantly while traveling - perhaps you can tell by the fact that I left a sweaty finger print on my bottle's label.

Carthusia perfumes are affordable as well as elegant. A 0.85 ounce bottle - which will last for ages due to the perfume's potency - is only 13 euros if you opt for the version without the built-in atomizer. Carthusia can be purchased online, but is more fun purchased while wandering down the sun-drenched streets of Capri (Via Federico Serena and Via Caremelle), Sorrento (Corso Italia), or Positano (Via della Tartana).

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Piece of Pisa

I promised I would fill you in on what I did while I was AWOL, so here's my first installment. I spent a few weeks in Florence during my mysterious absence (not so much mysterious as lazy, but I'm trying to spin it in my favor). More on Florence itself later, but you know what makes a fabulous and easy day trip from Florence? Pisa.

You can get to Pisa (Pisa) from Florence (Firenze) by spending an hour on a train departing from Santa Maria Novella, the main train station in Florence. Direct trains depart every half hour, but watch out - there are also regional trains that stop at every single station on the way. A regional train will still get you to Pisa, but it will take an hour and a half instead of an hour.

Pisa is a beautiful, quiet city with pedestrian streets full of shops and cafes, so it's worth spending a day just looking around. If you're dead set on getting to the famous tower, however, walk straight out of the train station and just keep walking. You'll soon find yourself facing the river Arno. Cross the river and then, if you're adventuresome, head off into the charming streets and bear slightly left - you'll stumble into the tower before you know it. If you feel like playing it safe, turn left after you cross the river and follow it until you see Via Roma on your right. Via Roma will take you directly to the Piazza del Duomo, the location of Pisa's beautiful cathedral, baptistry, and of course the Leaning Tower.

All of the monuments in the Piazza del Duomo can be visited, but access to the tower itself is a little tricky. If you want to go up in the tower it's a very good idea to book a ticket online before you go. This will allow you to avoid lines as well as ensure that you get a spot on one of the tours. Entrance to the tower is possible only with a guided tour and tours tend to sell out during the summer.

Other Pisa attractions not to miss include the beautiful Gothic cathedral Santa Maria della Spina on the banks of the Arno and the Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa, which houses a variety of Roman artifacts and more than ten fantastically preserved ancient ships that were discovered by accident in 1998.  And, of course, if you can't get enough of medieval art, you should check out the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Back On The Wagon

Detail of a work of art in Square Roland Dorgeles, Paris

Good grief! (And thanks, Mr. Brown, for the use of your catchphrase.) I confess I was better at this blogging thing back when I received a per-post wage. Clearly I am not ready to quit my day job and become a full-time writer. I had a decent excuse for not posting up until September 17, when AT&T finally got around to connecting my internet (over a week later than they promised), but beginning September 18 the fault became totally my own.

But enough with the self-flagellation and on with the show!

I want to pick back up by suggesting that everyone read Robert Pippin's excellent post in yesterday's New York Times Opinionator, "In Defense of Naive Reading." Why am I directing readers of a travel blog to an opinion piece about literary criticism? Because of this statement: "Literature and the arts.... invite or invoke, at a kind of “first level,” an aesthetic experience that is by its nature resistant to restatement in more formalized, theoretical or generalizing language."

Right on, Mr. Pippin.

That statement pretty much sums up both what is amazing about travel and why it is so hard to write about. Travel is an aesthetic experiences. Like literature and art, travel is transformative. A good "naive reader" of the travel experience takes in details at a level that precedes worded thought. We walk through our new surroundings the way we read a great novel or see a great work of art. We are impressed by things we don't realize we noticed. We feel connections and relationships that we can't articulate. A new place is so rich, so complex, that it may take a long time and a lot of processing before we can put together an explanation of why it changed us, but change us we know it did.

The tree with the anonymous installation

How many of us have been frustrated by questions like "what was France like?" Reducing my trip to Paris to a formula of what makes France French isn't just impossible, it's ridiculous. Travel is resistant to "generalizing language." We try to pin down what was so amazing so our families and friends can share in our experience, but in the end we are often reduced to a bewildered "you had to be there."

So in order to translate the art of travel into a blog post, the blog post must become art. And maybe that's why I've been avoiding my writerly duty for a full two weeks. I can write a certain number of posts about budget airlines and good hostels, but there will come a point when I have to reduce a new place to its barest shapes and colors, and I worry that I'm no Matisse.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Bittersweet Return

Already missing the streets of Europe

Nostalgia, that bittersweet feeling of missing the past, comes from the Greek word nostos meaning "a return home." Appropriate, I think. Homecoming is something we all long for, yet I'm not sure many of us ever achieve it. I'm not sure it's even possible to achieve. Home is a mental construction more than a place or even a set of people. Going home is the illusion of perfect belonging, and it always proves false once we arrive.

At least, that's how it is for me. At 8pm on August 30, I stepped off an airplane onto American soil (well, onto American carpeting at least). I was thrilled to be "home." After a long stay abroad, I was ready for barbecue and drip coffee and shops that open promptly at 8am and stay open until 10pm, even during lunch time. I had a new apartment to look forward to with new furniture and a walk-in closet where I could hang - actually hang! - far more clothes than could ever fit in a suitcase. I could go months at a time without worrying about catching a plane to anywhere. It was good to be back.

Ten days later it's still good to be back. I'm struggling every day to get more of my life together: reactivate my American cell phone, get internet service in my apartment, assemble my new furniture. I'm eating the foods I missed and buying Three Buck Chuck (a relief after dropping $25 on that Chateauneuf-du-Pape). But the real question is, did I come home? Did my nostalgia go away?

And the answer is of course not. I'm just nostalgic for my other homes now. Every day I think of something I miss: the wide, empty spaces of the Sardinian landscape, the gorgeous views along the Amalfi coast, the urban nightlife of Florence, or Paris's cafes. If I scratch below the surface of my most recent trip, I find I continue to miss places I lived many years ago. I miss the friendly pubs and fabulous whiskeys of Ireland. I miss the civilized urbanity of bike transport in the Netherlands. I miss the cool Troodos Mountains in Cyprus and I even miss - and I never thought I'd say this - the wonderful, polluted chaos that is Athens, Greece.

So even though I'm back in the land of my citizenship, I'll never quite settle in. There will always be that bit of nostalgia for the way things are back home.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Sacre Coeur

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Final Stop: Montmartre

The Abbesses stop, designed by Hector Guimard

Yesterday was my last full day in Paris. It was cool and sunny (for the most part), and I decided to finally see a part of Paris that I had heard about but never visited: Montmartre. Montmartre is famous for its nightclubs - like the Moulin Rouge and Le Chat Noir - and as a neighborhood where numerous late 19th and 20th century artists lived and worked. Reading their names is like a role-call of the important painters of the last hundred-some years: Salvador Dali, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas... and the list goes on.

I got to Montmartre from Montparnasse by taking Metro line 13 to Montparnasse-Bienvenue and then switching to the 12 and taking it all the way to the famous Abbesses stop with its original art nouveau sign (only three of these are left in Paris). I climbed the long spiral staircase - the stop is 36 meters underground - and stepped out into the beautiful arrondissement of Montmartre.

Artists' kiosks outside a cafe in Montmartre

The streets of Montmartre are charming, overflowing with cafes, creperies, corner markets, and enticing boutiques. It was a pleasure just to wander, but the real fun began when I climbed up the stairs toward the basilica of Sacre Coeur and found myself in a square filled with artists. Charles Aznavour may lament that Montmartre may not be the artists' colony it once was, but the place is still full of aspiring artists practicing their crafts among the crowds of tourists. Some of them are quite aggressive as well - I stopped to watch as one artist cut a little girl's silhouette out of paper in a matter of seconds and before I knew it he was cutting mine as well. It was such an unusual souvenir that I ended up buying it from him - at the somewhat expensive price of 15 euros. I don't know how many customers these artists get during the day, but it's clear that "starving" is no longer an appropriate epithet for the Montmartre artists.

Rue Chappe

After seeing the impressive basilica of Sacre Coeur, I wandered the picturesqu streets looking for the one souvenir my dad wanted from Paris - a photograph of the Montmartre steps that appear in the famous photograph by Brassai. I knew only the photograph and had no idea what the name of the street was or where to find it. I had thought that such a long flight of steps would be somewhat obvious, but what I hadn't realized was that all of Montmartre is a big hill and long flights of steps are everywhere. I finally found a postcard of the same spot and bought it. It had the name of the street on the back - Rue Chappe - and I stopped in a boulangerie and then a mini market showing the postcard around and asking where I could find these particular steps. The second attempt led to success and I spent ten minutes taking shots of the stairs from all angles.

My last stop was Cafe Chappe at the bottom of the stairs. After walking up and down a hill for several hours, I was in need of some refreshment, so I ordered a glass of wine and indulged in that most Parisian pastime - watching the world go by through the window of a cafe.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Saying Goodbye to Paris

The Eiffel Tower at night, taken from a Seine riverboat

I leave Paris tomorrow. It seems like I've been here such a short time, but it's already time to go. Seeing this famous city has been an amazing experience. There are a hundred things I wish I'd had time to do and never got around to. I'll have to content myself with the thought that they'll all make great reasons to plan a second Paris trip as soon as possible.

Leaving Paris also marks the end of my stay in Europe. I fly to Rome for a single night, then back to the good old US of A. And do I ever miss it! Whenever I leave America for a long stay overseas, I "say goodbye" to America by enjoying all the things I know I won't have for months to come. Now, I'm practically ecstatic about getting back to them.

Today I'll spend my time walking around Montemartre, a historic neighborhood in Paris that I haven't seen yet (it's where the Moulin Rouge is). Then I'll come home and pack, and tomorrow morning I'll be on my way. It saddens me to say "au revoir" to this beautiful place, but I try to remember that "au revoir" literally means "til I see you again."

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Doing My Cultural Duty at the Louvre

She's back there somewhere...

It amazes me how some things become cultural icons. I can only imagine there's a certain amount of path dependence in this. Someone - an important critic, a fashionable taste-maker, a high-profile political figure - likes something and bam! the rest of us like it too, for centuries to come.

What I'm going on about, of course, is the absolute pain in the ass it is to see the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.  I'm not big into painting, as I've said before, but I felt that it would just be weird to spend a day in the Louvre and not see the Mona Lisa. I could imagine people back home. It would be the first thing they asked and I would have to admit "no, I didn't see the Mona Lisa" and suddenly my whole level of cultural sophistication would come under suspicion.

So I decided to do my cultural duty and see the thing.

I have to admit, I never did see it well, because what I encountered when I walked into the famous painting's gallery was a mob of unruly, camera-wielding tourists all eager to do their cultural duty, too - and have digital proof they had done it. I thought for a brief second about trying to elbow my way through, but I rapidly decided it wasn't worth it. I stood on tip toe, looked enigmatic Mona in the eyes, and then took a picture of the frustrating crowd, almost all of whom were using flashes despite the signs forbidding flash photography.

The Louvre contains hundreds of masterpieces, my favorites being in the sculpture sections - the Nike of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. At none of these artistic marvels did I find myself wishing for a SWAT team.

I don't mean to imply that the Mona Lisa doesn't deserve its hype, but at the same time, why the Mona Lisa? Why do some things fascinate us and feed our imaginations while others are just... cool? I doubt I'll ever understand. But at least when I get the inevitable "did you see the Mona Lisa" I'll be able to answer "yes."

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Such a Romantic City...

A detail of Antonio Canova's "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss" (commissioned 1787), in the Louvre.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding