We are passionate about travel for so many reasons, but had no idea how many of our fellow Baby Boomers and empty nesters were on the same page.
It’s crazy!
99% of Boomers are going to travel this year… ninety-nine percent!
We almost spit-took coffee all over our keyboard when we saw that number.
Click in and look what your fellow Boomers are up to – and our thoughts about the many surprises we found – and let us know about your upcoming travel adventures… CLICK IN HERE >>
We are passionate about travel for so many reasons, but had no idea how many of our fellow Baby Boomers and empty nesters were on the same page.
It’s crazy!
99% of Boomers are going to travel this year… ninety-nine percent! We almost spit-took coffee all over our keyboard when we saw that number.
55% of survey respondents said cost was not a factor when planning their vacation. This is a sharp contrast to Millennials and Gen Xers, more than half of those respondents said cost was a barrier for leisure travel.
Baby Boomers tend to have a bit more money than their younger counterparts (70% of our nation’s disposable income is held by Boomers – makes sense, we’ve worked hard for a long time!). But your GypsyNesters seem to be tighter with a dime than the majority. We go out of our way to find travel discounts whenever we can.
43% of respondents said they must have free Wifi in their hotel and 86% said they must have complimentary Wifi in their vacation rental home.
Wifi is very important to The GypsyNesters while traveling, but we didn’t know how across the board this was for Boomers. When we are traveling, we’re so addicted to internet that we sometimes choose where we eat based on whether or not they have free wifi (and, trust us, that’s no way to decide on a restaurant!).
We’ve also been known to stand outside a building with our tablet and glom on to random signals. No matter where we are in the world, our first criteria in a hotel is that they have good wifi. (And then, there is always that awkward request at check-in where we ask for the room closest to the wireless router.) We’re a little nutty that way.
What Warms Our Hearts:
68% of Boomers say that when they’re on vacation, they do more smiling and laughing.
YOUR TURN: Were you surprised by any of these stats too? What’s most important to you about travel? Now that we KNOW you’ll be traveling soon – tell us about your next trip!
We looked up the many definitions of “twerp” – including some seriously weird ones – trying to find how this fabulous city got its name.
Turns out the weirdest definition by far is the answer!
Join us in the land of severed hands, giants, odd stone lions, and incredible beer…CONTINUE READING >>
Before visiting Antwerp a thought struck us — maybe the city had something to do with the term twerp.
Our investigation revealed several suggested ideas that we could try to pin on Antwerp.
Perhaps it came from T. W. Earp back in the early twentieth century, or the Low German word for dwarf, Twarg.
Or, according to Kurt Vonnegut, a twerp is someone who shoves false teeth up his rear end to bite the buttons off of the back seats of taxi cabs. Funny, but we found that one pretty unlikely.
We did not find a single reference to the city in Belgium, and didn’t see any reason why there would be, since there is nothing twerpy about Antwerp.
Our Antwerpen adventure began at the Steen, a medieval gate in the ancient city wall.
The Steen, which means stone, is a part of the original thirteenth century fortifications of Antwerp.
The name refers to the foundations, but the defenses were upgraded up until the eighteen hundreds.
They Might be Giants!
Just before entering through the gate, we met the first of the two legendary giants that are said to have terrorized the city through the ages, the Lange Wapper.
While tales of this shapeshifting nuisance go back as far as anyone can remember, the statue depicting Lange Wapper annoying two townsfolk who look to have consumed a bit too much Belgian beer was placed relatively recently, in 1963.
The Castrated Keystone
The keystone of the gate is said to be the oldest artifact in Antwerp, a Roman fertility figure whose manhood has seriously suffered over the centuries.
In the Middle Ages, the city placed the already ancient carving over the entrance as a show of masculinity, but soon women were snatching off bits of his endowment and feeding it to their husbands in hopes of improving their love lives.
Later the Jesuits completely castrated the poor little idol as a statement against the pagan nature of the entire ordeal.
Ouch!
A House of Meat
Once inside the wall, we headed directly into the historic center of the city.
The first building to catch our eyes was the Vleeshuis, or Meat House, which was built in 1504 as the meeting hall for the butcher’s guild.
The claim is that the masonry was made to resemble stacks of bacon by using layers of white stones and red bricks.
We’re thinking that this was perhaps a happy coincidence and took that information with a grain of salt pork.
Oddly, we were craving bacon for the rest of our stay.
Politics as Usual
As we moved into the city center, we found the guild houses that played a big part in Antwerp’s development. These groups of merchants and tradesmen met in ornate buildings surrounding the main square, and were instrumental in the politics of the city for hundreds of years.
Each building is topped with golden statues signifying the business that the guild represented.
They chose to build near City Hall because they petitioned the council for favorable rulings for their businesses.
It struck us that these must have been some of the world’s earliest lobbyists.
The impressive Renaissance-style City Hall was built as a symbol of Antwerp’s power in the city’s golden age.
However, by the time it was completed in 1565, time was running short for this prosperity.
Ten years later Spain took over and the heyday was over.
Lucky for us, the remarkable structure survived.
The Tale of the Severed Hand
It’s not every day we see a statue chucking a severed hand!
The square is also where we met the second of Antwerp’s legendary giants, Antigoon.
It seems that he had the habit of extracting a toll from anyone wishing to cross the river, or cutting off the hand of those who refused and tossing it into the water.
Finally, after years of Antigoon’s antics, a young Roman soldier named Brabo stepped up, slayed the giant.
Turnabout is fair play: Brabo then chopped off Antigoon’s hand and chucked it into the river.
According to the tale, that was how Antwerp got its name, from the Dutch words for hand (hand) and to throw (werpen).
The square in front of the city hall is dominated by an enormous statue depicting Brabo standing on top of Antigoon and holding the severed hand over his head, ready to fling into the river.
There’s also the hand itself further down the road.
No word on whether the Roman hero called the giant a ‘twerp while removing his appendage.
There’s Something About Mary
One square over, we came to the Cathedral of Our Lady.
Actually, at over four hundred feet tall, we couldn’t help but see the church, or at least the tower, all day.
It is the tallest structure in the city, and shall remain so by law.
Construction began in 1352, and ended in 1521, but that one hundred and ninety years wasn’t long enough for the church to be officially completed.
We adored this wonderfully playful version of the usually stoic Madonna.
Inside, we found an unusual conglomeration of styles because the church has served as both Catholic and Protestant over the years – often suffering serious damage in the process of converting.
Restorations are continuing, and we were very pleased to find that the altarpieces, The Raising of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross by Belgium’s best-known artist, Peter Paul Rubens, have been returned to their rightful place in the cathedral.
Loved this guy too – our guide told us that the artist didn’t know what a lion looked like. So he just jammed.
Our guide regaled us with the legend of the giant Lange Wapper and how the wily people of Antwerp thwarted his bizarre mischief. Apparently, one of the shapeshifter’s pranks was to disguise himself as an infant, sneak into homes, and steal breast milk from nursing mothers.
Knowing that Lange Wapper hated the town’s patron saint, Mary, the townspeople affixed statues of Mary on the outside of their buildings for protection.
Everywhere we stepped in the old city we saw these wonderful works of art. The Marys must have worked their magic because we never caught a glimpse of Lange Wapper inside the city gate.
Trains and Diamonds
After lunch we waded deeper into the city.
Lucky for us Antwerp’s a great walking city, so we didn’t need any taxi-seat-button-biting dentures in our bums to go check out the rest.
A leisurely stroll to the Centraal Station took us along the Meir, the city’s main shopping boulevard.
The fantastic domed depot was constructed at the turn of the twentieth century and pays tribute to Belgium’s pioneering history of rail travel.
The country proudly claims to have had the first railroads on the European continent.
The area is also famous for diamond merchants, with about half of all of the diamonds sold in the world passing through at one time or another.
Needless to say these transactions are not public, but there are certainly plenty of jewelry stores along the promenade.
After our walk we were more interested in another of a girl’s best friends, the fabulous Belgian beer.
We grabbed a seat on the sidewalk at The Duke of Antwerp, and ordered a bit of one of the city’s famous brews, Martin’s pale ale.
Our Introduction to Belgian Beer. Hello Belgian Beer!
It didn’t take long to notice that beer is an integral part of life in Belgium.
Nearly two hundred breweries are brewing their brains out in this country that is only about the size of Maryland.
On our way back to the ship we stopped off again at the main square to try two more of those brands.
Our waiter recommended DeKoninck as the perfect example of a local libation, and Tongerlo, which has been awarded as the best beer in the world.
It was there that we observed that each brand of beer must be served in a glass unique to its style and name. Some looked similar to classic German beer steins, but others not so much.
Belgians deem this to be of prime importance, going so far as to refuse a beer if an establishment has the audacity to serve it in the wrong glassware.
We noticed that the DeKoninck was properly representing Antwerp because the logo on the glass featured a detached hand.
As far as the Tongerlo’s claim—it was very good, but we will need to do much more research on fermented beverages from around the world before we are anywhere near ready to declare it the best on the planet!
Here’s to hoping there are no twerps along the way.
For years we had our very own backyard tropical paradise in the Virgin Islands, so now when the gloom and chill gets us wondering if spring will ever arrive, we can’t help but long for those sun drenched days again.
There’s no better way to beat the winter blues than a visit to the tropics, especially a tropical getaway without spending an arm and a leg…. CONTINUE READING >>
The following article was written by me on behalf of Choice Hotels and I was paid to write this post. However, the opinions are entirely my own.
For years we had our very own backyard tropical paradise. Life in the Virgin Islands meant warm, sunny days, crystal clear turquoise water, palms swaying in the breeze, and simply stepping out of our backdoor for a lime, coconut, or guava fresh off the tree.
It also meant that we would often hear from family and friends ready to come for a visit after a few months of clouds and cold made it seem like winter might never end up in the states. Who could blame them? There’s no better way to beat the winter blues than a visit to the tropics, and we were happy to play host so they could have a tropical getaway without spending an arm and a leg.
Now that we’re back on the mainland, when the gloom and chill gets us wondering if spring will ever arrive, we can’t help but long for those sun drenched days again. While we may not be able to play the host in our own backyard anymore, we can recommend an affordable alternative that is even better, Choice Hotels.
Believe it or not, even while living in paradise we liked to sneak off for a break now and then, and two of our favorite destinations were the islands of St. Maarten and Puerto Rico. Both were near our home on St. Croix, and both offer unique experiences beyond their beautiful tropical beaches.
Beautiful St. Maarten
We loved St. Maarten because it was like getting two vacations for the price of one, since the island is split into two jurisdictions, French and Dutch. We liked to eat on the French side, with its myriad of choices for gourmet dining, and stay on the Dutch side, with its lively casinos and nightlife alongside incredible white sand beaches.
One of those beaches, Maho Beach, is about the coolest, and craziest, we have ever come across. The sandy strip is famous for up-close encounters with the airplanes landing at Princess Juliana International Airport, because the runway begins only a few feet from the water. We had to see it to believe it.
The rush of watching jumbo jets roaring right above us was beyond intense. It’s exhilarating, and sometimes a bit terrifying, to have these monstrous machines pass only a few feet overhead. Our natural inclination was to duck, or dive headlong into the sea, but we braved it out and after a few landings almost got used to it. Almost.
One thing’s for sure, there is no place else like it, and the Alegria, An Ascend Hotel Collection Member is only footsteps away. We could feel right at home in this peaceful refuge with ocean view rooms and a seaside pool, or step out onto any of the more laid back beaches nearby for a more relaxing adventure.
When suppertime rolled around we liked to head over to the French part of the island, especially the village of Grand Case. This little seaside settlement brings a real touch of Europe to the tropics. Step into almost any restaurant for a meal that rivals the best in Paris, and get the bonus of waves caressing the shore just beyond your table.
Talk about dinner and a show!
Caribbean Urban
For a more urban setting, we found a few days in San Juan, Puerto Rico to be another great escape.
A visit to historic Old San Juan is like a trip back in time.
Founded by Ponce de León in 1508, this was the hub of Caribbean activity for centuries. Much of the original town has been preserved along the harbor.
The enduring old city’s narrow, cobblestone streets are lined with eclectic little shops and cafes, but the highlight for us was the Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
This Spanish fortress stands guard over the waterfront, just as it has for almost five-hundred years.
Walking along the remarkably preserved ramparts, it’s easy to imagine magnificent clipper ships sailing in and out of the port with their cargos of gold and silver bound from the New World to Europe.
We could almost hear the thunder of cannons fending off an attack.
Of course San Juan has world class shopping and restaurants too, along with gorgeous beaches.
So when the snow flies for the umpteenth time this winter, and we find ourselves missing our old home, we are sure glad to know that making the right Choice for a Caribbean getaway without breaking the bank is only a click away.
Rather than dumping travelers into the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica offered a better solution – a pleasure pier.
Chase us around a place full of Americana kitsch at its finest, California style…CONTINUE READING >>
Route 66 ends at the Santa Monica Pier.
Have you ever wondered where Route 66 ends?
Rather than dumping travelers into the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica offered a better solution – a pleasure pier.
The pier is actually two piers side-by-side, one of which houses Pacific Park.
The longer Municipal Pier was built in 1908 mainly for strolling and fishing, but things started to really pick up when the Hippodrome was built in 1916 to house the now famous carousel.
The carousel is a true work of art. Its forty-six wooden animals have delighted riders for almost 100 years.
The rabbit always creeped Veronica out as a kid. Still does, actually.The view from the Santa Monica Pier.
Strolling along the longer Municipal Pier we were delighted by the campy throw-back feel of place, complete with old-school pastimes, street performers, wacky businesses and odes to the old Muscle Beach days.
That night, we walked over to The Lobster for an incredible seafood dinner.
When a restaurant is named The Lobster, it’s hardly necessary to look at a menu.
The drawn butter flowed like wine… as did the wine.
Established in 1923, The Lobster has been shelling out deliciousness to generations of pier goers.
It would have been wrong of us not partake in a tradition like that – who do we think we are?
We’re talking about the biggest freestanding mountain in the world, rising over nineteen thousand feet!
Fantastic waterfalls, wonderful people, fascinating legends, vile brew, an unusual apology and a very amicable Plan B awaited us on the slopes of Kilimanjaro…CONTINUE READING >>
A big thank you to Discover Corps for providing this adventure where we reached new heights!As always, all opinions are our own.
From the time we arrived in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro had been shrouded in clouds, so we got in the habit of looking in its direction every so often just in case we might catch a glimpse.
It took more than a week, but that routine reaped rewards when the summit briefly poked through while we were driving back to homebase one afternoon. That was just a teaser, making us want to see the mountain in all of its glory even more.
Our chance finally came a couple of days later, when a clear morning afforded us a full view for a brief moment. Within a few minutes it had disappeared again.
Nature is an uphill battle
That certainly helped to build our excitement for what was coming up the next day.
The entire Discover Corps team was all atwitter as the sun rose, because this was the day that we would get to set foot upon the massive mountain.
Not anywhere near the top mind you, we’re talking about the biggest freestanding mountain in the world, rising over nineteen thousand feet!
So about halfway was going to have to do.
We drove up to an elevation of about five thousand feet (a bit of cheating, we know!) to begin our trek.
Where the Water Falls
At that altitude the terrain is classic rainforest, and we were surrounded by misty precipitation.
Once we set out on foot we were quickly soaked as we followed the trail leading us to the first of three waterfalls we would visit on our hike.
Gingerly walking across a span of wet, slippery rocks allowed us to test the water and, even though we were within about a hundred miles of the equator, it was surprisingly cold.
Considering the accumulation of snow and ice above us as the mountain reached its peak, we probably should have expected that.
Climbing higher, we passed through secluded villages surrounded by the small, terraced farm fields that are typical of the Chagga people.
For centuries they have inhabited the southern and western slopes of the mountain, growing corn, beans, squash, coffee, and tons of bananas.
Levels are cut into the hillside and they reminded us of the ingenious Inca planting methods we learned about in South America.
We stopped at a little shop / bar to wolf down a well-deserved lunch and a conversation we had kicked around for several days picked up again.
We’d been asking our host, Mama Simba — and pretty much all the locals that we met — about a favorite traditional brew in Tanzania called mbege.
We love local brews and rarely pass on a chance to give them a go, but this one was turning out to be quite elusive.
A Seriously Terrible Brew
Mbege is type of beer made from millet and flavored with banana, but it is not sold in stores, only homemade.
Richard from homebase, who had joined us on our climb, felt like we might be able to find some in this village, so he headed out to scout. We adore Richard, he’s the man.
When he arrived back, he informed us that he could only find a similar beverage which the label proclaimed to be “Quality Banana Drink” and “Banana for my health.”
Popping it open, the bouquet was bad enough, but not even close to the taste.
After a sip we began to speculate on the recipe.
Our best guess was that they begin with a grimy bucket filled with giraffe urine (we surmised this from the pictures of giraffes and a bucket on the label), and add a burnt log (for a heavy, smoky flavor).
Let that steep for a few days.
Next add some old, rotten, black banana peels (for your health) and a dash of diesel fuel, and set aside again to ferment for a week or two.
Then the cocktail is ready to be strained through a dirty sock into used beer bottles (original user’s backwash is optional).
This step seemed to be less than precise because a good amount of sediment made it through to the bottle.
Serve lukewarm… oh, and we highly recommend keeping water handy to chase it down.
Lots of water.
When we told Mama Simba back at homebase about our find, her comment was, “People drink this and go crazy.”
We certainly could believe that.
Setting back out after lunch our guide, Alfred, regaled us with stories of his many triumphant assaults on the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Telling Tales
He has conquered the mountain more times than he can count, including trips guiding Sylvester Stallone, Ice Cube, Martina Hingis, and many other celebrities from around the world.
He also explained how burnt giraffe bones will draw the poison out of a snake bite, and how this method saved him from dying after a green mambo strike.
Then he demonstrated the bushman click language, which is his native tongue.
An attempt to show David how to speak it could be described as futile, at best. Hilarious, but futile.
After climbing nearly a thousand feet, we reached our third waterfall. This put us just a hop, skip, and a jump away from our destination, the Marangu Gate into Kilimanjaro National Park.
A Chagga Apology
Along the way Alfred gave us one more story.
He picked a leaf from a palm-like plant, tied it in a knot, and placed a one thousand shilling note inside the knot.
Local Chagga legend proclaims that if anyone offers this knot of goodness to someone they have wronged, the slighted party is expected to forgive and forget.
We couldn’t decide whether it was a lovely way to keep the peace, or an overly simple get-out-of-jail-free card.
Next thing we knew we were approaching the gate where most climbers begin their assault on the summit. And where we would end ours.
Just kidding!
The Race to the Top
Just inside the entrance to the National Park we noticed a few plaques, one of which especially caught our eye because of the dates on it.
Yohane Lauwo was listed as having lived from 1871 to 1996. One hundred and twenty five years!
In 1889, at just 18, he guided German adventurer, Hans Meyer, to the summit as the first European to climb Kilimanjaro.
It is possible that they were the first people from anywhere to reach the peak’s pinnacle. Climbing the mountain was taboo among the Chagga since God was thought to live up there.
Perhaps Mr. Lauwo was rewarded with his long life for breaking that taboo? We briefly mulled over giving a full ascent a shot. Alfred was game.
If you can’t climb it, drink it
We ran over some quick calculations:
Considering we put in a pretty good hike to get to this official starting point for the Marangu route, completing the climb would be a mere thirty-four kilometers to go and up over ten thousand feet.
That would not be happening.
But we found that the gift shop had the proper slogan for our sort of lower expectation expedition emblazed on a tee shirt, “If you can’t climb it… Drink it!”
Kilimanjaro had already become our favorite local beer, so we were more than happy to go that route instead.
A sentiment more fitting for our half-ass(ault) on the summit.
Mbege is type of beer made from millet and flavored with banana, but it is not sold in stores, only homemade.
