Tag Archives: Paris

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 4/27/19

28 Sunday Apr 2019

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Salutations™!!

It seems like forever since I’ve done one of these posts. We were still “in the dark” from the power outage and just went on about our day. We had breakfast and then did two stints at Underdog Records. The first was just to go in and get our haul and the second was to see (and participate) in Clay Howard’s LP release show. I was supposed to play bass but scheduling got in the way and couldn’t practice. I did lend my backup vocals, however. It was a good show. Loud and intimate. Anywhat! Here’s the haul:

Chuck_Mangione,_Feels_So_Good_(1977)

©A&M

  • Carole King – Writer: Carole King — This was actually acquired last week but it was our only grab in a truncated visit to Underdog, which actually could have happened on Friday, it’s all a blur now. But, this was her debut album back in 1970. She had written a lot of stuff but this was her first for her versions of the songs. VG++.
  • The Mountain Goats – In League With Dragons — The BCPF loves The Mountain Goats and we try to get anything we can. This is a brand new release that came out on Friday. It’s the “hardcore” 2xLP, double-speed mastered version that is yellow/green marbled. It also contains an exclusive black vinyl 7-inch featuring two non-album tracks. New.
  • The Cure – Pillbox Tales 1977-1979 — This was an import and “unofficial” release. Robert Smith sounds so young and at times didn’t sound like him at all. But, it was and it is. Great sound. VG++.
  • The Fresh & Onlys – Early Years Anthology — This is an American rock band out of San Francisco. The BCPF picked it up, I don’t know much about it. According to the bastion of all correct internet infotainment, Wikipedia: They are a key band in what has been described as San Francisco’s “new garage rock” movement, but their sound is equally aligned with pastoral psychedelia, brooding new wave, western twang, and jangly literate 80’s guitar pop. NM.
  • Kate Bush – The Kick Inside — If you ever know a Kate Bush song, you never forget the voice when you hear it again. That is the case here. I know her best for her work with Peter Gabriel and the tune “Running Up That Hill.” And, you can definitely hear the trademark Kate Bush warbly/high-pitched jangle. I love it, though. VG- due to some pops and skip or two.
  • Dokken – Tooth And Nail — It’s Dokken, it’s hair metal from the late 80s. I like that stuff. Yeah, I’m a sucker. VG/VG- because of the sleeve.
  • Linda Ronstadt – Silk Purse — Her second album and it’s all covers, as she was wont to do. Her thing was her voice. That was her personality and her vibe. She now has Parkinsons Disease and is unable to sing. This and all subsequent entries on this list is from the $1 bin and should be VG unless otherwise noted.
  • Nat King Cole – Top Pops — Nat King Cole. The BCPF. Done.
  • John Denver – John Denver’s Greatest Hits — 3B always plays “Take Me Home, Country Roads” when we’re cooking so, we have to add it, right?
  • Chuck Mangione – Feels So Good — Ol’ Chuck gets Yacht Rock Radio play, especially the title track, so why not have some on vinyl? I love that song.
  • Paris – Paris — This was Bob Welch’s (credited as Robert Welch) first project after leaving Fleetwood Mac. He formed this band with ex-Jethro Tull bassist Glenn Cornick and ex-Nazz (with Todd Rundgren) drummer Thom Mooney. The fact that Bob is on it and the cool neon green cover, are really the reasons I got this.
  • The Lovin’ Spoonful – The Very Best Of The Lovin’ Spoonful — As the name suggests. This is listed as Good condition and the cover sleeve is Poor because it’s falling apart.
  • Abbott & Costello – Who’s On First? — The BCPF found it and wanted it. That’s all we needed to know, right?
  • Europe – The Final Countdown — 7″ Single, not the full album, which I certainly want. People seem to hate this song, the band and the album. Kind of like Nickelback today. However, I love the band, this song and the album. So, I stick my tongue out at all of you.

So, it was a pretty great haul, even though we only got to listen to about two of the records because of the power/Clay situation. We will catch up a little today, I think. Underdog was hopping with people yesterday, partly due to Clay’s performance, but because people were just wanting to be there. Jonathan had hotdogs, too. Yum! Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear about the TLD/UR special of the week. And, use Discogs to catalog your vinyl, CD or even cassette collections.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“I’d like to see you in the morning light. I’d like to feel you when it comes tonight. Now I’m here and I’m all alone. Still, I know how it feels. I’m alone again. Tried so hard to make you see but I couldn’t find the words. Now the tears, they fall like rain. I’m alone again without you.” – “Alone Again” (Dokken/Pilson)

Our Lady or: Sleep Well

15 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Travel

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Salutations™!!

I had planned on writing about more happier and funnier things today, but with the news coming out of Paris about the Notre Dame Cathedral being gutted by fire has really hit me in the teeth. My stomach has turned since hearing the news.

800px-Notredame_Paris

©Madhurantakam

My mother called and asked if I heard about it and I hadn’t because I was recording. But, once I knew, it was rough.

The BCPF and I have been to Paris twice and I think we are both in agreement that it is our favorite city in the world. Both trips had us visiting Notre Dame several times each trip. It’s at the center of the city so you really can’t escape it.

It’s no secret that I’m not religious. I make sure people know so they know where I stand. However, the first time I went to Paris was April 1, 2013. That happened to be Easter Sunday. After eating, the first thing that we did was visit Notre Dame. It was a very busy day being Easter and we took a tour into the historic cathedral. All the bronze statues, the wood, the architecture, the organ and its hundreds of pipes and much more. The loss of these things can never be brought back, even if the French rebuild.

As of this writing, the bell towers are still standing. Let’s hope they hold on.

The last time we were in Paris, which was 2014, we were instructed by Arturo, our tour guide, to actually step on the Point Zero in front of the church and the superstition for that was that it meant you would come back to Paris. We certainly plan on going back, but it may be a while. I hope this fire is contained and the bones of the building stay standing and that this enables Paris to finish renovations quicker.

I’m leaving it at that.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“The spire ruined in the Notre Dame fire contained artifacts considered sacred to Roman Catholics, including a relic believed to be from Jesus Christ’s crown of thorns.” – NBC News

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/4/18

05 Sunday Aug 2018

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Salutations™!!

At Underdog Records yesterday, I was able to finally, once and for all, tackle a certain Beatles problem that I have had over the last few years. You’ll find out about it in this haul:

BruceWillis_-_ReturnOfBruno

©Motown

  • The Beatles – Rubber Soul — So, I have been burned (by my own self) over and over finding this on vinyl. Either it’s just a really sucky copy (usually with tape around the sleeve to keep it from falling apart and really scratchy vinyl) or I find a really good copy and it turns out to be the American version. And, to be honest, I hate the American versions of Beatles albums. Mainly, it’s just not what I’m used to. I have the entire Beatles catalog on CD in a box set and that’s the UK versions, to me, the real versions. So, I bought it brand new to finally kill the frustration. Now, the caveat here is that this is in mono. I don’t know how I feel about that, yet. I know the general consensus of folks when comparing the two, agree that the mono versions are probably more in tune with what they were trying to do. I will reserve judgment on that until I listen. All that being said, I finally have finished the Top 10 of the RS list as this sits at #5. Now, I only have 4 more to before the Top 25 is finished. I am sitting at 199 of the 500 on vinyl, right now.
  • The Clientele – Suburban Light — The BCPF loved the other album by The Clientele so she wanted to give this one a try. Sure enough, she loved it, too. I dug it also. New.
  • Coldplay – X&Y — Not my favorite Coldplay album (we know that’s Parachutes) but this 2xLP was there in “like new” condition for about half the cost so I couldn’t pass it up. This is where they started to lose me but I find that when I revisit, usually I can change my mind. We’ll see. NM+.
  • Pavement – Wowee Zowee — It’s weird that Pavement is a The BCPF band. It seems, all at once, to be totally against everything you’d think she’d like and totally everything she likes in one package. I don’t know how I feel about them, and there is another Pavement album we have to get because of the RS list, but this wasn’t on it. VG+.
  • The Autumn Defense – The Green Hour — Another that The BCPF really wanted. This was a past “Record Store Day” selection and one of only 500 pressed in the world, so it’s rare. We couldn’t pass it up. VG++.
  • Emmylou Harris – Blue Kentucky Girl — Not my favorite from Ms. Harris. I did get a little nostalgia because it reminded me of Ma Père listening to his records, even though he didn’t do that a lot. He didn’t play Emmylou but definitely this style. But, The BCPF wanted it and well, she gets what she wants (when I can help it). VG+.
  • Supertramp – Paris — A 2xLP live album from Supertramp’s Breakfast in America tour with minimal overdubs – or so they say. I hate they left off “Give a Little Bit” and “Goodbye Stranger” but it seems like the rest of the set is pretty sound. The reason for “Give a Little Bit” was that all the versions over several shows were awful. It was re-released in the CD/DVD anniversary edition of Breakfast… This was in VG+ condition.
  • Randy Newman – Good Old Boys — #394 on the RS list. This means that I have all of the RS entries for Randy Newman. I like him a lot. I always thought of him as a novelty act because a lot of his stuff is novelty-type songs, at least what I had always heard. But, he really digs in. I couldn’t get over the audacity of the song “Rednecks” but realized pretty quickly that it was not sensationalizing racism but actually mocking it. Still… even Newman felt weird performing it. VG+.
  • Bruce Willis – The Return Of Bruno — Yes, Bruce Willis, who I think has a decent voice and can play a mean harmonica. As I stated on social media with several people agreeing with me, it’s not a great album, it’s not a classic, it’s not a masterpiece. But, it is a decent album and it’s very entertaining. I know I had it on cassette when it came out, following the “mockumentary” that it accompanied, I may have it on CD, but I’m not certain. But, I enjoyed it and saw it and couldn’t pass it up.
  • INXS – INXS — INXS’ debut album and it’s not at all what I expected. It’s very new wavey and poppy and I loved it. At times Michael Hutchence’s voiced sounded like Tim Curry, but I also dig Tim Curry, so that’s great. It was more synth-driven and I had never heard any of the songs, that I knew of. It was a record company promo with a sticker on the front cover with checkboxes for “recommended selections.” Nothing had been checked. I found this in the $1 bin, but I’d still rate it around VG+ because it was in really good condition.
  • Eddie Cantor, Bert Williams, Van And Schenck, John Steel, Irving Berlin – Ziegfeld Follies Of 1919 —  A very entertaining recording (and accompanying booklet) of the famous Ziegfeld Follies vaudeville-like theatrical revue put on by Florenz Ziegfeld. And, did you know that Ziegfeld was married to Billie Burke? That’s right, he was married to Glinda, the Good Witch. This was a really great listen and it was a $1 bin find. VG/VG+.
  • The Melachrino Orchestra – Paris, The Sounds, The Sights — Another $1 bin find in which there is an accompanying booklet. This is about our beloved city of Paris and includes a guide to the sights and attractions of the City of Light, from 1956. We can’t wait to listen. VG.
  • Franz Schubert, Karl Böhm, Berliner Philharmoniker – Symphonies — A 5xLP collection of Schubert symphonies including Symphonie Nrs. 1-6, 8, 9 and “Rosamunde” which was written for the play Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern, by Helmina von Chézy. It was a $1 bin find but I believe the vinyl is VG+.

A decent haul this week, I think. Jonathan had just returned from a short sabbatical to Atlanta with his dad and he seemed a bit more recharged. A happy Jonathan means a happy Underdog Records. Speaking of Underdog and Atlanta… even though I hate the Atlanta Braves, it’s Jonathan’s favorite team. When the Braves complete a sweep of a series (which hasn’t happened a lot this year), there’s a “sweep sale” at Underdog Records. That can mean a variety of things so I recommend you watch their social media to see what that may be. Plus, the social media platforms is the best place to keep track of new arrivals to the store. Be the first to know and try to “Beat Beeman.” That is apparently a thing. Also, listen to The Less Desirables each week to hear the TLD/UDR special of the week.

And, when I’m there since my collection has grown, I can always cross-reference my collection to make sure I’m not doubling up on anything by using Discogs. I keep better track of my collection, my purchases and as was the case this week, let others track my collection to see if there’s anything to trade. Now, for the record, I don’t get rid of much but if it’s something I absolutely need, I may consider it.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“She’s a rounder I can tell you that. She can sing ’em all night, too. She’ll raise hell about the sleep she lost, but even cowgirls get the blues.” – “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” (Crowell)

Fare Thee Well or: A Man Crush Confidential

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Blogging, Food, Life as We Know It, Travel

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Salutations™!!

My interest in Anthony Bourdain came right after The BCPF and I met. She talked about liking his show, No Reservations, and how she really loved it and his bad-arsed qualities. It was an immediate reaction for me. Dang! This cat is cool and he loves food and travel. He dug into things that went beyond just food and travel, though.

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©David Holloway/CNN

 

He was a social activist. Which I know being a bleeding-heart liberal can turn a lot of people off. But, he was able to do that without being too in-your-face about it. He was outspoken about sexual harassment in restaurant kitchens as well as the circus that has become Hollywood’s own fight within about the same subject. In fact, his partner/girlfriend, Asia Argento, was one of the women that Harvey Weinstein allegedly harassed. But, he worked for better working conditions for restaurant workers.

Another thing that drew me to him was his willingness to try just about any food. He was especially fond of using varietal bits of animals, the stuff that most 21st century people wouldn’t think of eating. That caught on. I mean, a few of my favorite local chefs here in WSNC do what is called an offal dinner and use glands, hearts, gizzards and just about anything else they can find to use. That rubbed off on me, too. It was because of his adventurous eating that inspired me to do more of it myself. Sweetbreads. Foie gras. Glands. Organs. I will try many things like that, now. I love steak/beef tartare and it’s because of him.

But, it wasn’t the food and the activism alone. It was about the travel, too. He had a fascination with the people and cultures of Southeast Asia. He always said when he retired he would move there. The BCPF and I totally expected him to do just that. He loved Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He loved China, Malaysia, the Philippines and one of the most memorable episodes of his latest show, Parts Unknown, was filmed in Myanmar.

He loved to show his “TV friends” places that most likely would have been way off our radar. Sure, he went to some glamorous parts but mostly he dug deep into deep areas that were “less desirable,” and brought awareness, by way of “documentary-style” television. He got to know the natives. He befriended them, got to know them, lived with them for small amounts of time, learned about them and, perhaps most importantly, he learned from them. Thus, we learned from them.  He was a rock star in travel and food.

The BCPF and I love to travel. We love being places. So much of our “wish list” is based on places that he’s been. The only reason we don’t follow through is financial reasons. But, we both love to learn about different cultures and immerse ourselves in those cultures. He did that for us and we would sit with him in our living room and learn more, benefiting from his insight, knowledge and learning. I’ve loved him. I’ve had a man-crush on him.

Just this past week, 3B, my 16-year old culinary hopeful, asked me who my favorite celebrity chef was. Without hesitation, I said Anthony Bourdain (and followed by Gordon Ramsey), even though he had technically moved from the culinary aspects of his life. He wasn’t completely out of it. He talked a lot about cooking, methods, ingredients, techniques and it was never not part of his conversations, at least on television.

He graduated from Culinary Institute of America in 1978 with an associates degree. He went on to become the executive chef of Brasserie Les Halles in NYC and eventually moved on from there. But, up until their closing last year, he was considered their “chef-at-large.” He was given an honorary doctorate from CIA in December 2017.

I haven’t always agreed with him, though. He’s a fan of the Ramones and I don’t care about the Ramones. He doesn’t like Billy Joel or Elton John and I really like both of them. I am with him on the Grateful Dead though, I don’t care for them, either. He’s been tough on some celebrity chefs and lenient on others. But, he admits when there are mistakes that he’s made and apparently he’s made a lot.

He’s had demons. He was an abuser of illicit drugs. He’s admitted to using LSD, cocaine, heroin, psilocybin mushrooms (which he would soak in honey and flavor his tea) among others. He was a two-pack-a-day smoker until a few years back which he quit for his daughter’s sake. That little girl is 11 years old, now. And she’s without a father.

You see, Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his Parisian hotel by his best bud, Éric Ripert, who appeared on many of “Tony’s” shows. It was an apparent suicide, although as of this writing, I don’t know how he did it. And, I don’t know if there is a note. I think this is hitting me as hard as it did when Prince and Bowie died two years ago. As I said, he was a rock star, at least to me. He sat in my living room. He helped (indirectly) strengthen my incredible marriage to my beautiful wife.

I feel awful about this. I think I’d feel less bad had it been natural causes or something that wasn’t his doing. But, this was suicide and I have an especially hard time with that. I feel for his 11-year old daughter. I feel for his fans. I feel for others that loved him that have also dealt with suicide directly by a loved one as this is reliving a situation. I talked to just a person like that this morning. I won’t go into that because it’s not my story but she touched my heart with her story.

Something very interesting is that he always said he didn’t care for Paris. The BCPF and I call it our favorite city. The last time we were there, we actually purchased his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly in Shakespeare and Company, an English-speaking bookstore which happens to be one of the most famous bookstores in the world. I look at it often and say, I want to read that. I have a feeling that I may get to that, now.

I also have a feeling that there will be a lot of binge-watching of old eps of No Reservations and current eps of Parts Unknown. Tony, I miss you already, sir. I need to pick up my culinary chops and do you proud (at least in my mind). Thank you for the inspiration and guidance, though we never spoke. Thank you for the cultural lessons and the social advocacy.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Sad Scorp out…

—
“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” – Anthony Bourdain

Bee On Your Way or: A Long Goodbye

20 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Travel

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Salutations™!!

For the last five years, I’ve side-gigged as a travel professional. Booked many a trip including four for The BCPF and myself, several for other family members, a right many for friends and a few for clients I didn’t know. It has always been my side hustle because I have been deep into the podcasting world for the last seven years. BOYWT

Booking travel is more than just putting some numbers into the computer, comparing and contrasting prices and picking something to do. There’s a lot more to it than that. It’s hard, arduous work. If it were easy, just anyone could do it, right? At least they think they can.

I got into the travel biz at a weird time. OTAs (online travel agencies like Travelocity, Kayak, Expedia, etc.) had started to really take off and hundreds of more followed. Trying to convince people that they aren’t spending any more money booking with a real-life travel professional is hard. No one believes it and no one sees the realities of it. To keep it short, here, time is money. Your time is valuable to you. If you put a value on your free time, how much would it cost you to look up airline tix, a hotel and a few museum tours for a five-day trip to Paris? Let’s say you value your time as about $40/hour. Unless you’ve been to Paris (and really even if you have), you’re going to spend about five hours just getting started on that. You have to piece together a puzzle. Most people just give up and go to the beach or the mountains and then complain they don’t ever go anywhere because it’s such a “hassle.” But, let’s assume you went on and searched. So, at five hours at $40 an hour, that’s $200 of your time you’ve wasted. Beyond the value of what it cost you, how about the intangible things? You could have used that time to play catch with your kids, cooked a meal, talked with a close friend you’ve missed the last few weeks, binge-watching your favorite Netflix show and so on. That runs up a pretty hefty bill. Chances are it wouldn’t have cost you $100 more to use a professional. That’s our jobs.

Let’s say you value your time as about $40/hour. Unless you’ve been to Paris (and really even if you have), you’re going to spend about five hours just getting started on that. You have to piece together a puzzle. Most people just give up and go to the beach or the mountains and then complain they don’t ever go anywhere because it’s such a “hassle.” But, let’s assume you went on and searched. So, at five hours at $40 an hour, that’s $200 of your time you’ve wasted. Beyond the value of what it cost you, how about the intangible things? You could have used that time to play catch with your kids, cooked a meal, talked with a close friend you’ve missed the last few weeks, binge-watching your favorite Netflix show and so on. That runs up a pretty hefty bill. Chances are it wouldn’t have cost you $100 more to use a professional. That’s our jobs. It’s what many of us do full-time. It takes that to be serious about getting your travel right.

But, to the ones that do it part-time, sometimes it’s harder to get all the stuff right. There are rules, regulations, procedures and so on that get caught up in the minutia that one may never even know of, including full-time TP (travel professionals), much less the part-timers. There are situations I’ve never dealt with, that I wouldn’t have thought to take care of. There’s a bunch of scenarios that could/would be applicable but I’m going to skip that, you know what I mean. Sometimes a mistake ends up costing the clients a good chunk of change. Part-timers are good for letting the vendors do their work and just being the middle man, but it takes more than that to keep the biz going.

As you’ve seen from my posts over the last few months and if you keep track of any of the podcasts that I do, their social media, this blog, etc., you know that time is the one thing (well, short of cash flow) that I’m running significantly low on. What happens is you can’t give your 100% to your travel clients when you haven’t 100% to give. That’s not fair to the clients and it’s not fair to you. You can’t be upset when they’re upset you just cost them some funds, even if it’s not your fault exactly. You’re the agent; the advocate. Luckily, that’s only happened to me about twice. There’s been more missteps but usually not with me. Not in proportion, anyway.

In addition, it costs money for me to even be able to call myself an agent. It is around $50 a month for me to use an IATA/CLIA (consortium agencies that issue ID numbers to travel agencies) and run a website to book travel. If I book a trip for you today that you don’t take until February, that commission doesn’t kick in until February and could take up to 90 days to be processed. So, a commission of $350 that I may make is a minimum of 7 months away. Conceivably it could be 10 months with the 90-day process. But at the minimum, it would cost me $350 (7x$50) to even be an agent of the umbrella agency. I’d break even, what’s that worth? Take into account, too that I’ll only get 70% of that commission, then I’m in the hole on it.

I even find myself going to hotels’ websites myself to book my own travel. Joining the loyalty programs get me a better overall rate when I book that I can get, even as a travel agent unless there’s some FAM (familiarization) scenario going on. It’s all a headache, really. The beauty is I know how the business works and I know where to look for the better rates and how to work that.

So, with all of that being said, and I apologize for the verbosity, let this blog post stand as notice that I am shutting down Bee On Your Way Travel. I am resigning my membership through the travel agency that I was under the umbrella of and closing shop. To anyone that I have had the pleasure to book a trip with, thank you for trusting me with that. I have let down a couple but for the most part, I’ve done at least a decent job. I love the industry, just not the business. If I ever decide to get back into it, it will be after I have allotted time for it specifically and I will do it all on my own, keeping my own commissions and not splitting it with another agency. I will get my own consortium and go from there. But, again, thanks so much to any that I’ve talked, booked or taken travel with over the last five years. I’m going to miss it, but I think I’ll be better off. I’ll still offer advice but I won’t be able to book any longer.

Until tomorrow, happy travels…
Scorp out!

—
“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

But, the Manneken Pis or: Pensées de Belgique

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Honeymoon, Rant, Travel, Uncategorized

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Salutations™!!

Another terrorist attack and in another city that I’ve spent a little time. We all remember this past November when there were attacks in Paris, probably my favorite city dans le monde. Brussels is home to NATO and the European Union so it’s a very important city, not just from an historic angle but for financial, humanitarian and political angles, as well. It’s the capital city of a beautiful and mostly docile country.12794359_10207848998577380_2288901122513598825_n

I’d like to say that I have fond memories of the city, but truthfully, I really don’t. Well, that’s not exactly true. There were parts that I really liked. The Grand Place (pronounced grahnd plah-s) is as beautiful and welcoming as any large-scaled, historic city in the world. It is like stepping into Fantasyland in Walt Disney World every time you step into and out of  any store or just when you open and close your eyes.The Manneken Pis (which really does mean what you’d think it would; see the pic, right) is classic and, really, it’s funny. It has other points, but overall, my thoughts of Brussels is that it is a dirty, miserable city. And, we’ve been there twice.

The first time The BCPF and I were there, it was March, 2013. We had just gotten there from Amsterdam, which we loved. It was exciting getting to Brussels; cool and sexy. Then we got out of the train and it was like a cloud was just on the city. It didn’t help that it was kind of cold at that time. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza and that hotel was quite nice. We made the mistake of asking the concierge about where we should eat and they basically sent us to the European version of Shoney’s. A place called Chez Leon. I had mussels there, which is kind of a specialty in Brussels. Well, The BCPF had one style and I had another; can’t remember which is which. Whatever the case, I got sick, she didn’t. I think mine was food poisoning.  It’s a good thing that our room was nice and comfortable because I was laid up all that night and most of the next day. The bathroom, I must say, was pristine! I swore that I’d never eat any food that rhymes with the city I eat it in again. In fact, I’ve probably had about 3 mussels, total, since then.

The second time, we got there in 2014 for the last night of our honeymoon; we had just been in Bruges in the northwest of Belgium, that was one beautiful (and plentiful on the beer) city. It was important to be in Brussels to catch our flight home and yes, we were leaving from the very airport that was involved in the attacks this morning. That one night we stayed at the Sofitel Brussels and I have to say it was one of the nicest hotels that I’ve ever stayed in and I’ve stayed in some nice ones. That night, too, we decided to have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, BE Café Marché Jourdan which is an awesome and quite fancy restaurant. I think one of the best meals I’ve ever had was at that restaurant.

So, the hotels (especially the ones that I sell there) are fantastic and food was hit (in BE Café Marché Jourdan, at least) or miss (Chez Leon). It’s just that the rest of the city is dingy and gray and dreary. The people, for the most part, were polite and helpful, but there’s just something about the city itself that I don’t care for. All that being said (and I know it was a lot), I truly feel for the people because I do feel a twinge of kinship with the city. It’s just like the cousin that I really don’t care for. I do like all my cousins, by the way. But, that whole area of Europe is near and dear to my heart. The fact that yet another country is hit hard by these selfish, ungodly monsters is enough to hurt your heart, no matter how you feel about the town. These Belgians are human and deserve to live without fear of this craziness, but right now, especially today, they aren’t afforded that luxury. I hope they rest well and come back stronger. My thoughts and positive vibes to them. And, here’s hoping that Brussels, as a city, brightens up after they’re back on their feet.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“L’union fait la force!” – Belgian motto (Unity makes strength)

Let’s Get Yours or: Stuck Inside and Talking Travel

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Rant, Travel

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Salutations™!!

I know there’s usually a Movie of the Week post on Saturdays but there wasn’t a Movie of the Week (which would have been brought to you by a/perture cinema, the Official Movie Sponsor of The Less Desirables), but I have something else to talk about. Here it is, your periodic reminder of something that I do the “other half” of my days. By other half I don’t mean half of the days of the week I do the podcast/media stuff and the other half I do this. I mean every day I do the podcast/media stuff and the this all through the day. Each is “half” of my day and that also includes evenings. I’ve talked a good bit about the media stuff so I’ll focus on the other in this post. So, I know I’ve talked about it before and Thursdays are supposed to be Travel Thursday but I’ve kind of gotten away from that. So let’s talk travel, shall we? First, I’m a travel professional, a travel agent, an itinerary advocate. I have my own agency, called Bee On Your Way Travel. It’s part of a larger national agency so I have access to a lot of travel products.BOYWT

Do you bypass a real person to go to an OTA (online travel agent) like Travelocity, Expedia or Priceline? I hope not but if you do, there are two ways I can look at this. First, why not use a real travel agent? Email them, call them, IM them, send them smoke signals. It doesn’t matter what you do, contact them. They (we) want that business. There are three excuses I get from people (including my very own family, which kills me), the most, as to why they don’t use me: 1) “I didn’t want to bother you,” 2) “I just wanted to look it up and it was there, so I bought it,” 3) “I didn’t know you did that!?”

Okay. Looking at #1, that’s offensive. I know you’re not necessarily telling the truth; albeit perhaps not on purpose. You don’t ever not contact me at 9:30pm for just chatting or wanting to talk about someone else or get me to do something for you. I think it’s really one of two things. It’s either that you don’t like the thought of your friends (or family) making money off of you or you think you’re going to save money by using one of those OTAs instead of me. Look, I get it, it’s money and it’s hard to come by and we want to save what we can. The fact of the matter is, in most cases, you’re not going to spend much (if any) more using me than an OTA. I have access to stuff that an OTA isn’t going to present you. I also offer you a human aspect that you certainly aren’t going to get from an OTA. And, you’re putting food on my family’s table. OTAs are putting money in the big-wig’s pockets and not individual families (beyond that). You want your friends to succeed, right? You don’t like seeing them down. This is my job. This is what I do. I need to feed my family. Help your friends when you can.

#2. You spend a lot of time and effort working to earn your money. You work 40+ hours a week. Why in the world would you go home and work 10+ more hours on your vacation? That seems counter-productive, doesn’t it? You have insurance agents to handle your insurance, you have finance agents to handle your investments. Why not let your travel agent manage your free time and leisure money? I get the need to research what you want, but even the online world is going to mislead you at times. What is TripAdvisor going to give you that a travel agent’s expertise won’t? Honesty. I’m a senior writer at TripAdvisor so I’m for it, but there some people that only want to find negative things to make them look like they know what they’re talking about. Or, they just want a check on their count so give 5s and it means nothing. Even if we’re not experienced in a certain spot, our vendors are. They succeed from you being happy so they’re not going to steer you wrong. We succeed from you being happy and we’re not going to steer you wrong. If you have questions, ask me. If I don’t have the answer, then I will find that answer. Our answers are for your benefit, not just for us to see our name on a website. Use us! And, chances are, if you find it, we can get it for you at a great price, don’t impulse buy travel products. It usually isn’t worth it in the long run.

#3. (facepalm) I know that I don’t update my Facebook “travel professional” page every week, but I have 2200+ friends on Facebook and I’m talking about travel all the time and I talk about it on here, as well. I know I have readers because you talk to me. What more can I do? I’m open to suggestions. I DO “TRAVEL!” See!? I shout it at the top of my textual lungs! Now, you know!

So I said earlier, Dear Reader, that there is two ways to look at this, right? Well the other way is that if you’re just in need to go to an OTA really quick and buy a flight and hotel for this weekend and it’s 2am (I’ll admit I won’t usually answer you at 2am), there’s still a way to do that and still support your buddy (that’s me). I have my very own website that is just as feasible, works the same way and is comparable in prices with any of the big OTAs. Hotels, flights, cruises, rental cars, packages, even insurance. They’re all available to you right there. The one difference, I’ll tell you up front, is that you have to register to get any pricings. There’s no commitment in doing so and it’s absolutely free. The idea is that I can offer you everything you need in travel at a competitive price that you don’t need to “shop;” you’ll find it here. To be clear, I’d much rather talk to you and work on things for you as I still can get access to things that even my website can’t. It’s more personalized service and, in most cases, I don’t require any deposit to work with you. Also, I only get paid after your trip is done. So, that’s never a concern. Travel, have fun. That’s what I care about. The website can be found here.

All that out of the way, let’s talk one more thing. The human vs. OTA aspect part deux. If you book with OTAs or http://www.IBuyCheapTravel.com (that’s made up, I think) or whatever, then you may get the bottom dollar cost on “budget” travel. That means you’re showing the places you’re going that you don’t care about their location, only what you can get from them cheap. Usually, that ends up being exactly what kind of vacation you get: cheap. Even when there are things and amenities included with these you’re getting as little as they can give up for that price. Plus, they see that you didn’t necessarily pick them for their product. Human interaction allows me to take in information, make suggestions and give advice so that we make sure we get the most bang for your buck. Never in anything else in life does it mean so much to say, “you get what you pay for!” than in travel. You pay for a Motel 6 (not that there’s anything wrong with that) then you are going to get a Motel 6. Perhaps not in the resort, etc., but in the overall experience. And if something goes wrong? Call an OTA and see what happens. Call me and I will work to get you satisfaction. I can’t promise magic but I will do what I can to make you as happy as possible. You can find ALL my contact info on the website.

I know Edinburgh, London, Bruges, Brussels and Costa Rica, to some extent because of my experience and traveling there. I really know Paris and Walt Disney World because I study them and have spent adequate time there. It’s more than where to stay. It’s how to get around, what to expect in the ambiance, the currency, the weather, everything. You read on TripAdvisor, “it was awful, it rained the whole time.” C’mon. They can do better than that. Let me get you the best info for your trip. Trust me with your trip. I have been doing a good amount of cruises as of late. It’s very popular as of late. Let’s get yours. All inclusive in Caribbean? Let’s get yours. Riverboat cruising through Germany? Let’s get yours. Let’s do this.

The bottom line here? I want to help you. I want to feed my family. I want you happy. I simply offer you better and more practical service than websites, other than my own; I still service those customers. My tagline has always been that I help turn your dreams into memories. Let’s make that happen. Come to me before you do an OTA. You won’t be sorry. Let’s get yours. I hope this sheds a little light on what I do and how I can help you. I could write another thousand words plus on this and I’m sure I will in the next bit, but at fifteen hundred words, this is probably too heavy, already. I’ll end it here, then.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“I look my best when I’m totally free, on holiday, walking on the beach.” – Rosamund Pike

Talking Tuesday or: Talking Travel Tuesday

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Talking Tuesday, Travel

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Salutations™!!

I didn’t do the Talking Tuesday last week, instead doing the Rolling Stone update. Enjoy this audio blog post from this week!

 

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Back in the Saddle Again or: Rising Above

16 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Travel

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Salutations™!!

It seems that a return to complete normalcy in Paris is a long road to travel, still, but the good news is that most of the Parisian attractions that were closed after the horrific events that unfolded Friday evening are opening again today, Monday. I didn’t say much about what happened on here, partly because I had obligations to fulfill and partly because I feel talking about it much will just contribute to the sensationalizing the events and there’s enough of that. I drew my own version of the peace/Eiffel sign and posted it, not as an activisim thing but just me expressing my feelings for this beautiful city. I’m not an activist and don’t want to be, don’t want to discuss it, be part of it, etc. It was out of my broken-hearted, sickened need to express myself. Nothing more.

I’m taking to now to offer my moment of silence which in my Blog World means that I’ll be keeping it short and to the point. But, I’ll get to that in a bit. The purpose of this post was to highlight that the Parisian life is going to attempt to restart today. The French culture ministry announced yesterday that public museums and other important venues would and did reopen Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. (7 a.m. for us), right after a countrywide minute of silence this morning. According to Agence France-Press (AFP), Paris town hall said schools, sports venues and parks will also reopen Monday, along with street markets, which will receive “special scrutiny.” I’m glad to see that the people of Paris are taking a stand with fear and is continuing on with their lives. Je t’aime, Paris. Viva la France.

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Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

In Peril of the Sea or: An Island of History

12 Thursday Nov 2015

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Salutations™!!

When I was much younger, let’s say twelve or so, on a family trip to Walt Disney World, I watched the film Impressions de France in the France Pavilion in Epcot (then called EPCOT Center). All of that was new at the time and I hadn’t really seen any films about foreign countries. I wasn’t much of a watcher of stuff back then. That is, unless it was cartoons or football. But, this film was amazing. It started a love of foreign adventure that I never realized until I was in my forties.

One of the things that I saw in the film was an island that looked like it had a castle on it. I didn’t know what it was but it was magical. At least it looked that way. I mont saint michel 1was mesmerized by it. I told myself: I will get there someday. Oh yes! I will get there someday. We went back to WDW for Christmas in 1989 and at 19 saw it again. This is way before Google or Wikipedia. I still didn’t know what it was and I truly didn’t think to ask one of the young French cast members about it. Again in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012. It should be obvious that I like going to WDW. Anywhat!

I was watching one of the travel shows (such as Rick Steves, Rudy Maxa, etc.) and it was showing monasteries around Europe. I saw this remarkable and longed for island fortress and it had the name on the screen. I had truly forgotten about it until I saw it here sometime in 2012 (probably recouping from heart surgery) and a rush of excitement slapped me in the face. I knew what it was! I knew its name! Its name: Mont Saint-Michel (St. Michael’s Mount). I reiterated to myself: I will get there someday. Oh yes! I will get there someday.

Fast forward to 2013 when a FAM (that’s a familiarization trip) to Europe came my way this included finishing in Paris. I was able to add a few extra days there and was able to take The BCPF, as well. Whilst scheduling what was going to happen, I inquired about Mont Saint-Michel and there was a day excursion to the attraction. I jumped on it. It was a fourteen hour round-trip day excursion, too. We were on a bus for four hours both ways and then spent time at the visitors center a few miles away from the island where we had a fancy omelet and other local delicacies. We then jumped on a shuttle and went to the island.

I stood at the base of the island and, I’m not afraid to say, cried. I had waited just about all my life to see this; something I swore I’d see and visit. It was a long and not-so-easy trek up the stairs to the top. We had a tour guide that spoke to us in French, Italian, Spanish and English through a transmitter/receiver system (she seemed to never skip a beat in switching between the languages).

Mont Saint-Michel, a wonder of Gothic architecture, was first built upon in the 8th Century AD and is located in the Normandy region of northern France, at the mouth of the Couesnon River. The structure as it stands now started in the 10th century and was completed in the 16th century. It’s almost 250 acres and boasts a population of around 44 residents in addition to the 11 practicing monks that are permanent occupants of the monastery (those are number accurate to the time of our visit in 2013). There are hotels, shops, restaurants and museums on this magnificent mountain. At the top of the monastery is a beautiful cloister with a medieval garden that looks out over the water as well as other parts of the structure and is where the monks actually meditate.

There’s landings and platforms that allow for glorious views of the bay. At the very top, there’s a spire with a statue of St. Michael at the peak. It also still operates as an active church. There are crypts and choirs, tunnels and chambers. Architecture here is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. And, I mean ever.

mont saint michel 2One of the most unique aspects of this “island” is that when it’s low tide, you can walk on the sea bed. This was an important facet over the millennial history of the edifice. Pilgrims would cross via foot at low tide from the mainland. If they waited too long, they’d be stranded on either side of the bay until the next low tide or until they hired a boat. At the same time, it helped in the fortification of the compound. It would create a difficult target because ships would have to wait until high tide, giving the inhabitants of the island time to prepare. Or, if at low tide, the opposition could trek across the seabed but would have to be quick or get stuck on the island and at the mercy of its people. It wasn’t always a church/monastery, it also served as a prison (because of its fortification and the reverse) and it withstood two English sieges due to the reinforcement.

When we were there, the causeway was being removed in favor of a bridge that would allow the mount to return to an island. That didn’t take away from the glory that is Mont Saint-Michel. I hope to return another day to see this again. How about you, Dear Reader? Have you been there? Do you want to go see it; experience it? I can certainly send you there. I can assure you that you’ve never seen anything like it. Contact me to ask me how you can get there. I’ll help you. All of France is definitely worth being in. But, this, even to a non-spiritual person, was very spiritual.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“An ageless symbol of France, Mont Saint-Michel. Proud, full of grace and symmetry. Rooted firmly to the ground, yet dedicated to the spirit.” – Impressions de France, Epcot, Walt Disney World