Bad Travel Move: Bringing “Tear Gas” to the UK

Posted on July 31, 2012 by sglaser

It’s official — they seized “tear gas” from me.

Even pre-911, this was a really bad idea. I brought pepper spray to Europe in the spring of 1995. It was an extra rookie move since I didn’t even think much about it at the time. In an age when a bottle of more than three ounces of shampoo or a tube of toothpaste will be confiscated before you even get to your departure gate, it is pretty ludicrous when telling this story today.

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The Friday Travel Ahh…

Posted on July 27, 2012 by sglaser

As anyone who travels knows, there are missteps, mishaps and misadventures, but then there are those perfect moments when we say: “yeah, this is why I travel.” I’m choosing Fridays to be the Travel Ahh… day.

In honor of the Olympics kicking off in London today, here is a photo of my friend Debbie at Trafalgar Square. London was the first stop of our 1987 summer trip to Europe (without parents!)

Iconic as a central meeting place in London, Trafalgar Square also seems an appropriate symbol for a day when so many countries and cultures will come together. Speaking of coming together, strangely, only two pigeons appear in the photo when actually there were heaps of them all over the square that day.

Avoid the Oops — Not Trying the Food

Posted on July 26, 2012 by sglaser

Time to suck it up!

Steph’s note: The adventures of travel are unpredictable and Travel Oops is all about celebrating the unexpected results. However, there are some travel oopses that you definitely want to avoid. Here is advice about the Avoidable Travel Oops.

The Avoidable Travel Oops: Offending your hosts because you don’t want to eat the food they offer.

Most travelers have had a dilemma like this: you don’t recognize what is on your plate; it smells like feet; it may even slither or crawl on the plate or it is of a hideous texture that induces immediate gagging. What do you do? Refusing to eat the food, in most cases, is an insult. Telling your host you are full may backfire since you might not get anything else to eat, and let’s be honest, it’s a pretty bogus excuse anyway.

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In Paris: “I’ll Have Cheese of the Head, S’il Vous Plaît”

Posted on July 24, 2012 by sglaser

How could France produce the beautiful Eiffel Tower and serve something so atrocious like head cheese?
© Debbie Bacharach

“Well, I know fromage means cheese,” my mom stated as she, my dad, sister and I tried to read a menu at a restaurant in Paris. The menu, understandably, was completely in French. None of us could speak the language, but my mom could recognize some words.

“I’m not sure why it’s listed in the earlier part of the menu. Usually, in France, cheese is served as dessert,” she wondered. Oh, well — whether at the front or the back of the menu, cheese was a great start. How could you go wrong with cheese?

“I’m also not sure what the phrase after fromage means,” my mom added. Our waiter came by and waited patiently as we stumbled through our order. Ultimately, we felt reassured that, at least, cheese would arrive.

By the way, the phrase on the menu after “fromage” was “de tete.” We would find out later the translation was “of head.” We were ordering head cheese. Basically, flesh and other bits from the head of a farm animal set in a jellied mold.

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The Friday Travel Ahh….

Posted on July 21, 2012 by sglaser

When you are in between the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, you feel like you’re in an icon sandwich, at least I did. The two are such famous images worldwide. I took this photo as my family and I left the harbour on a ferry to Manly Beach. It was our goodbye to Sydney and to Australia, in a way, because the next day, we were leaving the country we had called home for one year. It was such a spectacular farewell. It was really more like a “see you later.”

Ballistic Bali Belly, a Squat Toilet and the Perfect Sunset

Posted on July 19, 2012 by sglaser

The sunset we almost didn’t see.
© Stephanie Glaser

I knew it would happen. We were in Southeast Asia; it was inevitable. I just didn’t think that our encounter with a squat toilet would take place at Bali’s spectacular Tanah Lot right as the sun moved in for an incredible and blazing appearance.

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In Western Australia: Yoda, can you help me find my purse?

Posted on July 17, 2012 by sglaser

The Pinnacles at dusk.
© Stephanie Glaser

Finding a needle in a haystack is difficult, no doubt, but so is finding something you left behind a Pinnacle. Pinnacles are found in the desert of the Nambung National Park, one of the most incredible places I’ve ever visited. It is located, strangely enough, only 17 kilometers from the coastal town of Cervantes in Western Australia. The Pinnacles Desert is a golden yellow landscape marked by thousands of limestone formations that look like Bugles corn chips sticking out of the sand.

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The Friday Travel Ahh…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by sglaser

This series of photos is of my husband Kurt and some new friends he made while we were in St. Maarten. He saw some local boys doing jumps off a pier into the water. Pretty soon Kurt was jumping off the pier with them and then decided to launch them himself. I don’t know who had more fun.

In Spain: Asking for Directions in Dutchlish

Posted on July 12, 2012 by sglaser

Asking for directions in a large city in a foreign country is stressful. Usually, you are lost in the first place, and if the country’s citizens, understandably, don’t speak English, much effort is involved in the inquiry. Additionally, the streets of many older cities in the world were not developed with the grid system in mind.

This is the case, certainly, in Sevilla, Spain. The streets wind around and often, it seems, their names change randomly.

My mom, Judy, and I visited Sevilla during Semana Santa, Holy Week — the biggest religious celebration of the year. It was challenging to navigate since the city was so crowded. Also, impressive religious processions with large wooden floats, containing religious relics, would flood many of the streets. Consequently, you’d have to go down another street, which may have another procession coming through.

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Leaving our kid with a stranger in Bali (But it’s Putu!)

Posted on July 10, 2012 by sglaser

Steph’s note: This story is more of a Travel Oops when I tell it in the United States, and I see people’s reactions. It still doesn’t seem truly like an oops to me.

Everybody on the island of Bali treated Kurt, my kids Eddie and Kasey, and me like VIPs — Brangelina even. Asian tourists often asked to take photos of the kids, who are blonde and blue-eyed, or even pose for pictures with them. We happily consented.

There were no strangers in Bali. We made friends with everyone we met and even flew kites with local boys at a beach in Sanur. Each driver we hired to take us sightseeing instantly became our best friend. Putu, a young, skinny man who had spiky black hair and wore a mint green button down shirt, was our favorite.

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