CropOver Season in Barbados is filled with beach limin', breakfast fetes, midnight concerts, beach parties, and booze cruises ...and that's before you even get on de road for the actual carnival parade! Throw in excellent meals from personal chefs and stunning sunsets and you have an awesome vacation on your hands!
Turkey...no wait Italy!
Exactly how DOES one prepare to take a two week vacation to ...anywhere?
So, it started with me walking into the office on a Tuesday and saying "hey maybe I should take a two week instead of a one week vacation". Ten minutes later vacation day #1 officially started. (Note: Due to investment banking regulations, every employee is required to take an annual 2-week vacation. And, due to tight team calendars filled with client visits, road shows, hedging programs, and well vacations... Sometimes you just gotta get it in where you can fit it in. Lucky for me, I have a Nomadic Soul.)
I stopped in at the Barnes & Noble down the block and grabbed guidebooks to Turkey, Greece and Vietnam. Then I basically spent the rest of the day running errands and cleaning my house. (note: you never want to come back from a 2 week vacation to a messy home) I had no idea what would happen to me overseas so I grabbed dinner on the Highline with my momma. As we watched the sunset with our Dos Caminos box dinners, I said a little prayer to the rain gods to keep the brewing thunderstorm at bay.
My mom makes a few phone calls and secures a sisterfriend of hers in Turkey to show me around the city and possibly put in some volunteer days for a non profit community development organization. Uhhmmm, mom it's vacation...but OK, sure ...why not? I am blessed. Share the blessings. After a short phone call, the woman says to call when I land and we will take it from there. Did my vacation just turn to work? Sure why not!
The next day I got up early, packed a bag (and not just any bag...my handy dandy carry fold over carry on Tumi which i love so much I may just marry it...I mean it's already invited on the honeymoon), grabbed a mani pedi, and cleaned some more since I made a mess looking for cargo shorts a converter.
That afternoon it was off to the airport to get on the standby list for Turkey (Luckily for me, my cousin is a flight attendant and I get to fly on a companion pass every now and again). I waited ...waited ...waited and FINALLY after the last paying passengers got on the plane...they called my name and gave me a boarding pass. I did a little jig in the aisle and as I made my way to the seat, I chatted up the passenger friends I'd made while sitting on the floor charging my phone at the only socket in the gate. One of my favorite newfound friends was a Turkish college student who offered o take me clubbing in Istanbul. As I unpacked my flight necessities - hoodie, noise cancellation headphones, fuzzy socks, chapstick, lotion, book, magazines, nosh- ...I got a tap on my shoulder. The flight attendant asked me to give up my FREE seat to a late PAYING passenger that made it to the gate JUST as they were closing the doors.
I WAS CRUSHED!! ...but not for long. I have a bag and I am in the airport. No way I'm going home. OK, Plan B. I talked my way into the Sky Lounge to quickly devise said Plan B. ..Ok, oK, OK!! There's a flight to Rome that departs in an hour and it's wide open. I get a First Class seat! I'll just figure out the details when I land.
Kiwi...more than fuzzy fruit and hobbits.
Waiheke Island Wineries
We got up early, ready to check out the tower for breakfast and walk the rim and then the plans changed... We decided to take a ferry to a nearby island for a full day wine tour. Absolutely superb! The scenery makes you catch your breath. The vinyards were down to earth without an ounce of snotty. And not a spit bucket in sight. They poured half glasses of each wine and usually shared at least 4-5 different grapes.
Between vineyards we also visited an olive farm and learned the process -all done by hand. That said, they may have to automate soon enough as they expect to finally be able to afford the mechanical rake (vs using backpacker day labor during the harvest season). I bought some olive oil to bring back. We stopped at another vineyard for lunch and they sold dipping sauces so of course I purchased a few jars of every favor (and you know I need no excuse to eat yummy bread)! For some reason, I was drawn to the non wine purchases. I even purchased the cutest little winebook that showcased vineyard dogs. I found my buddy Hanson from the lunchtime vineyard in there. Hanson is this sweet black lab that sat under my chair begging for anything and accepting ear rubs instead of food (his collar read: don't feed me no matter how much I beg). The last vineyard of the day had the most extensive tour in terms of explaining processing, techniques, history of island, etc. The tour is a must do if you only have 24hrs in Auckland.
After the tour, we headed back to the mainland. I had an aweful craving for sushi and couldn't wait to find a restaurant so stopped in a stripmall sushi spot. I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I walked in. There was no light on the fish ...which were wraped in tissue instead of plastic. (Hmmm side eye...what don't you want me to see?) But, too late to turn back, I was already on autopilot. Plus I was staaarrrrving! I had one roll and several pieces. Trash I tell ya! So on we go in search of real sushi. Why sushi? Because there are soooo many Asians up in this piece that they have to have good Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Indian (my tummy theory).
Finally, we happened upon this spot that was booked and could only give us a reservation for the next day. When I saw they had a room full of Japanese touristas I begged for a bar seat and said I'd wait to see if a spot opened up...my theory " somebody get those two greedy Americans out of our lobby they are scaring away the customers". Good idea cuz 5min later they sat us at the bar and we watched the chefs prepare the most amazing platters. Best sushi ever...outside of Japan of course.
Aruba: 40 Years and 4 Sisters
We were asked to plan a 40th Birthday getaway for four sisters. Their number one priority was "some long overdue bonding time". They preferred a beach condo vs an all-inclusive resort. Yet, they also requested a party scene. Rounding out the request list was: a little bit of adventure, lots of relaxing beach time, and a personal chef. Aruba offers it all AND it's not in the hurricane belt ...which is crucial when celebrating an August birthday in the Caribbean!