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Labor Day parade in Madrid, Spain

Labor Day, otherwise known as Dia de Trabajo in Spain is an annual national holiday  to “celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers.”

It originates from the labor union movement in Canada around 1872, though celebrated as a federal holiday in Spain on May 1st.

To commemorate this day, the Spanish close stores and government buildings to participate in parades and protests against large corporations.

Why not experience Labor Day the “Spanish way” this year?  Make a trip out of it this upcoming May. 

Travelzoo is offering a great deal on a 6-night stay in Barcelona.  Besides participating in the Labor Day festivities, I recommend checking out the Pablo Picasso Museum and the popular Las Ramblas Street.  Remember to be mindful of those ladrones or pick-pockets.

After voicing your own opinions of large corporations or marching in a parade, how about taking a train ride to Madrid, the capital of Spain?

Madrid, the largest city in Spain, offers a great variety of museums and art galleries to fill your days with endless history facts and beautiful artwork. I suggest checking out Euro Railways for train tickets to Madrid from Barcelona. Travel time can range from 3 to 9 hours.

You can get a sleeper cart and travel by night, but watch out for prices.  They increase as you decrease your travel time and reserve seats.

I found a great hotel deal at the Ada Palace.  Stay for 3 nights for 412 Euros, approximately 556.03 United States Dollars (USD). The interior looks beautiful and they offer a continental breakfast.

While traveling around Madrid, I suggest walking through the botanical gardens (close to your hotel), visiting the Royal Palace and The Real Madrid Museum, which offers an amazing display of every cup Real Madrid (Madrid’s Fútbol team) has won. If you are a fan of soccer, or football (as those Europeans say), I would highly recommend this museum.

And whatever you do, don’t forget to sip on a glass of Spain’s amazing champagne sangria.

I hope everyone had a great Easter and that you were able to celebrate it in the way that pleases you the most. I am posting this weeks edition of ‘Travel Deals to Satisfy your Wandering Mind’ early because I am traveling to San Francisco tomorrow morning. This trip is purely pleasure and will consist of hiking, visiting many vineyards, and exploring the city of steep rolling hills. The weather looks promising and it should be an adventurous, relaxing mini-vacation.

I have found a few travel deals this week that I feel may satisfy your passion for traveling far from home.

Have you ever dreamed of going to Asia? I found a deal through Travelzoo where you can go for as cheap as $990!

I have never traveled to Hong Kong, let alone Asia, but along with a million other places, it is on my list to explore. I don’t know if it is the lack of knowing or understanding their culture, their amazing advancement in today’s technology, or the ‘city life’ they have to offer, but I am drawn to it and want to learn more. I advise you to put Hong Kong on your list of places to go. If the language barrier scares you, pick up a Rosetta stone for Chinese. If the city scares you, then maybe it is not your place to go. But I can promise you multiple things, it will offer you a great culture experience, a step out of your own comfort zone and an opportunity to learn a bit more about yourself, what’s so bad about that?

Still want to research and examine more about this playground we call the world? Well, how about a trip to Egypt? I found another great deal, but instead of walking around and finding places to go yourself, the cruise ship you will be sailing on will take you to the pyramids of Egypt and you will cruise on the Nile River!

I recently went on a cruise to the Caribbean and have previously been on one to Alaska. These deals not only offer all food accommodations and sleeping, but there are always great events, shows, live music and 24 hour service on the cruise ship. This is a great way to travel if you want a mix of ultimate relaxation and exploration.

I recommend bringing a few books if you enjoy reading on vacation and what better way to embrace your Egyptian experience then by reading a book by an Egyptian native, André Aciman? He has written a few books, but the one I highly suggest is Out of Egypt: A Memoir.

This memoir introduces us to not only André, but also the people that shaped his life and helped him become who he is now, an author living in Manhattan, NY. Looking for a lighter read? How about The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This book is a light read but will keep you on your toes and turning the page.

Have a great week, keep traveling, dreaming and planning. Embrace the moment.

Celebrating this Easter traveling and spending time with my family, I hope you do the same.

Stay tuned for travel deals next week.

Happy Sunday to my frequent readers, if you are looking for a weekend getaway this upcoming Easter, I have come across some great deals for the whole family.

Feel like going to the state’s capital and joining in on the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House? This practice has occurred since 1878 during the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes. After a law passed prohibiting children from egg rolling on Capitol grounds, President Hayes accepted children to carry on the tradition at the White House. Today the tradition also includes a visit from the Easter Bunny and storytelling. This momentous tradition continues to bring 100’s of children and families together. Flights from Atlanta are as low as $139.

Is Washington, D.C. not far enough for a weekend getaway and Easter celebration? How about enjoying your chocolates from the Easter bunny while sipping on a little sangria in Spain? Flights to the Port of Spain are as low as $339.

Spain celebrates Easter through street processions. The processions are organized and occur every evening from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. They consist of music and people carrying statues of saints or biblical scenes on platforms where onlookers and participants can mourn these saints. On Easter Sunday, they celebrate with feasts, light and color, church bells can be heard throughout the day, a sense of rejoicing spreads throughout the country. You will be likely to capture and participate in these processions and the rejoicing at the Port of Spain. If you are unfamiliar with the Port of Spain and want to buff up on a little history, I recommend reading The Loss of Eldorado by V.S. Naipaul. Phillip Cartelli puts together a great summary of his own adventures to the Port of Spain.

How about a cheap flight to New York City where you can participate in the enormous Easter egg hunt in Central park or walk around with a crazy hat or bonnet on 5^th avenue? Flights are less than $150. New York City offers a variety of celebration from the traditional hunts to an annual parade.

After the kids or yourself have finished searching for those colorful eggs, how about a little author education. John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath lived in NYC more than half of his life. Walk the streets a bit and try to understand his own words, “New York is the world with every vice and blemish and beauty and there’s privacy thrown in. What more could you ask?” Explore New York City with an open, nonjudgmental, fresh eye. Feel the central park air, see the sun creeping around the skyscrapers, experience New York City.

I hope these travel deals will land you in a great spot this upcoming Easter.

And a few words of advice:

I was watching the Rachel Ray show the other morning and she had a special guest informing viewers of the skyrocketing prices of flights, as well as the hidden fees that airlines are incorporating. For instance, luggage, food and picking your seats in advance will all cost you extra money.

If you are traveling with friends or family, it will cost you an additional amount to pick your seats so you are all sitting together. Currently, AirTran charges $20 just to sit in an exit row, each way! Aisle, middle and window seats all cost anywhere from 5-15 dollars, depending on the airline. Baggage fees are anywhere from 10-25 dollars, depending on the airline. Looking for a small meal on your voyage? I hope you have a credit card or cash, because a bag of pretzels containing approximately 10 small pretzels probably won’t satisfy your appetite.

Don’t get discouraged with all these fees; you just have to be prepared. Weigh your luggage, book together and eat a big meal before you even get to the airport. Traveling is an amazing experience; don’t let the fees get you down.

Happy Easter. Keep exploring.

Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a chance to take some time to explore the depths of your surroundings this past week either through a book, a week long vacation or through a beloved hobby. I am optimistic that you took some time for yourself and stepped back from the ‘hustle and bustle’ the tasks of everyday life often consume us with.

I have been spending my Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea, my yorkshire terrier by my side and a blanket thrown over my shoulders searching for trips of interest. I hope you enjoy what I have found.

Still feel like celebrating your Irish roots even though Saint Patrick’s Day has come and gone? Well, I did some research and found some great travel deals to Ireland, the land of the Irish! Lets be honest, do the Irish ever really stop celebrating?

Stay in Ireland for 6 nights at 4-star hotels with a rental car to explore as you please.

Check out the historic castles, the beautiful hillsides that Ireland is so famous for, hit up the Guinness Brewery in Dublin or even the Jameson Distillery. Spend 2 nights in Dublin, 2 nights in Mayo and 2 nights in Limerick.

This is a great trip and way to explore the extent of your heritage. “You’ve got to go there, to know there,” said Zora Neale Hurston referring to Ireland’s famous poet, William Butler Yeats.

As we embrace the conclusion of winter and spring temperatures begin to creep into our days, how is that I still wake up to snowflakes hitting my window when the previous day was 60 degrees? If you are still currently attending college, or are caught up in your 9-5 days… it is okay to need a break, a break from the fickle temperatures and a break from the pasty white person that stares at you in a mirror.

Depending on where your departure city is, flights to Florida are as low as 49 dollars! Take a trip to Key West, Florida where you can embrace your relaxation and solitude and if you are a fan of Ernest Hemingway take a tour of his home at 907 Whitehead Street. Either way, this great price on a round-trip flight will assure you a nice base tan, a week of work-free, sun-shining days. Enjoy.

As I searched for travel deals, I came across a deal to visit my hometown: Burlington VT. Although I mentioned earlier that the weather has been fickle, you have the chance to pick your weekend getaway. I have lived in Vermont most of my life, excluding my college years spent in Boston, MA. Burlington is truly a beautiful, charismatic, enticing town. I suggest this weekend getaway to everyone that is considering a New England trip.

I highly recommend (if the weather co-insides) taking a walk along our waterfront bike path where the views of Lake Champlain are breathtaking. I run and bike on this path multiple times a week and often find myself being thankful for the blessings that I have. It is a beautiful place to reflect, read and write.

There are a few local authors that will be appearing at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, VT. (About 10 minutes from Burlington) If your trip correlates to these authors publicly speaking, I advise checking them out. Local authors scheduled to make an appearance: Carrie Jones, March 24^th. Eugenie Doyle, March 28^th. Chris Bohjalian, April 1^st. Jeffery Hollender, April 15^th. Plus much more.

Continue exploring and continue traveling, it will allow you to breathe easier.

Traveling can be fun and easy for business or pleasure, but in this economy, tenacious travelers must do a little digging if they want to get the most for their dollar. I am here weekly to keep the unstoppable seekers up-to-date with the best, get the most, money-saving travel deals.

James Bond and I have become great friends. I have just embarked upon a quest of watching the famous movies after being cursed by a friend because I had not seen them. Not only do I have questions about Dr. No and Pierce Brosnan vs Sean Connery, but, when did this movie phenomenon begin and who was the master creator of James Bond? Ian Fleming wrote his first novel in 1953, Casino Royale, this book introduced Mr. James Bond. Mr. Fleming resided at 22 Ebury Street in London, England and for those as interested in this master creator as I have become, I have found some great travel deals and tours to and from London:

If you are looking for the ultimate trip, and would like to continue exploring, I found a package that offers tours of Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Cavalry Museum, the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels and much more. All tours include lunch!

The “Total London Experience”

As I plan trips around the world an attribute that I look for while choosing a destination is architecture. I am a stickler for an amazing façade, beautiful colors and intricate craftsmanship and Bangkok has it all. Bangkok’s architecture offers creative organization and originality in every structure, such as The Grand Palace or The Oriental, “it’s surroundings creep into my consciousness, comforting my body and mind.”

If you are interested in exploring the charm and elegance of Bangkok, I have found some great travel deals. Round trip tickets as low as $1094, including tax and fuel surcharge. Book before May 31^st!

However, if this is not enough and you want to see more of Thailand, there is a great deal on special passes that entitle you to travel to three cities for only 209.00 USD.

Always dreamed of going on a trip where everything was planned; flights and hotels were booked, dinners were reserved and you could see as much as possible? Well I have found the perfect opportunity for you:

Visit Istanbul, Canakkale, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Antalya and Cappadocia in 15 days with a guided bi-lingual tour guide. This package includes a round trip to flight to Turkey with a major airline, a bi-lingual tour guide, 13 nights of accommodations, breakfast and 11 dinners, admission to all sites and private deluxe motor coach. Amazing deal! Book before March 26^th and save $400 per couple.

This is an exquisite opportunity to see Turkey and to explore the depths of the hills, maybe you may be caught up in your own déjà vu much like Inka Plegsa-Quischotte experienced while capturing the sun’s shadows on ancient buildings.

Stay tuned… more to come next week. Safe travels.

As I traveled through Europe I found myself standing on the stone street of Carrer Moncada awaiting the doors to open of the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Museum in Barcelona, Spain. The line began to expand as the light trickled from the sky fell upon our heads; my roommate and I discussed our previous day traveling the streets of La Rambla viewing the amazing street performers and our thoughts on Paella, the famous Spanish dish.

The modern design structure that accommodates many creations by Picasso seemed miles away through crowd of tourists, however it was not long before the formation began to move and the walls of the museum enveloped us and our minds.

Upon entering the museum I gained a contemporary, leisurely feel and instantly felt comfortable among the many strangers who had also traveled to view the works of a brilliant artist. We were greeted by a brief synopsis of Picasso’s life and an insight into his creations. Picasso’s work was separated through the eras in his life and styles of work. The museum was conveniently divided into segregated rooms dismissing any feeling of an uneasy concentration.

As I entered each room I felt content about the amount of paintings; the division of the works made it possible to tackle and fully look at each and every work with appreciation.

I took my time and gazed upon each work,  and I began to notice the amazing amount of paint strokes that still prominently sit upon the canvas. It was as if Picasso had just taken the bristles off the canvas, as if he had just made his final stroke upon the canvas through the withstanding color. How did he know it was his last stroke? How did he know that was the last sweep upon the canvas? These were the questions that absorbed my mind as I looked closely at each painting and wondered the thoughts that crept through his reasoning.

Seeing the indents of the bristles made each painting come alive, they helped portray a sense of the pristine. Each sighting of bristles made me feel as if Picasso were standing behind me with a paintbrush in his hand dripping with paint.

As I entered each era a different ambiance took over my state of mind. The Blue Era often felt dreary, the Cubism Era often presented confusion and thought and the Rose Era felt carefree and joyous. One of my favorite paintings by Picasso, which I was delighted to witness, is titled ‘The Tragedy.’  It was composed during the time of the Blue Era. This painting resembles despair and an indefinite occurrence that lurks upon each individual. I stood close to the painting to understand their despair, and listened for a whisper that could explain the thoughts and feelings Picasso had while creating this work, there were no whispers, only my own thoughts about the composition and ideas as to what the infinite tragedy could be. When I see this painting I see three people searching for answers and lost in their own questions, I see them turning their back upon what is behind them, yet shutting off the one that stands before them. I see three people caught in a contradiction and lost in where to go.

I chose to go to the Pablo Ruiz Picasso museum because of my own curiosity. I had the privilege of briefly learning about him through various art classes but never thoroughly had the chance to dive into the entirety of his life.

Picasso was a man of exploration; he entered into art through realism but found the lines too constrictive and incorporated his own vision and definition of art.

The feeling you get from a beautiful view.

It was like a drug; addicted to the view that only made us want to persevere and never stop. It was breathtaking, amazing, and indefinable. It was the motivation to start something new and to let go of something old. It was a view of the unreachable. It was a breath, a smile, a sigh, a vision, all of something new. It was hard, grueling, painful, sweat, and pulsing. It was claming, soothing and the sounds of waves against rocks. It was a new perfection. It was a view of the larger things in life that are often never seen or understood. It was a chance; a chance to forget, a chance to push, and a chance to continue when it hurt.

It was worth it. It was freedom. It was a bird soaring through the air. It was crisp. It was an opportunity to see everything for what it truly stands for in our lives. It was alive; it woke us from our lives, our reality and put us into reality. Everything became so small, so indifferent and so useless. The fights, the tears, the anger, the worry, the aching, the dread, the pain; the emotions that fulfill our lives quickly floated away with each exhale. The beauty before us erased the want to ever allow the little things to become enormous barriers. Its tranquility became us, seeped into our skin and touched our souls while its calmness and beauty enveloped our hearts and memory.

Was it this place, or what we saw?

It was beyond the beauty of the shadow of the sun setting along the mountains. The addiction of the view pushed us, and the want to see it all pulled us to our destination. It was my everything. It was my realization. It was my savior. Each step turned into a new realization, a step with my right and I realized that it is only possible to deal with obstacles that stand in my way. Step with my left and I understood that in order to get to a destination, all I can do is get there. If an obstacle falls in the way, I must deal with it to continue. It was the fact that I can only overcome a rock when it stands in front of me and I can only deal with a hill when it lies before me. Obstacles are unfailingly present but to overcome and surpass them, is to stare into their soul. It showed me inevitably that all obstacles, large or small, will constantly exist and arise, however not to fret, worry or be concerned, only when they stand in my path do I or should I recognize it as a real issue.

It was an addiction. It was peaceful; it was a feeling upon our hearts that has been absent a whole lifetime. It was unreal and unimaginable. It was us living and walking through the discovery of our unknown.

It was everything.