Plan for the Best

I'm a Planner. It's the positive manifestation of my Worrier/Fatalist personality. Since I worry so much about things going wrong, I do all the advance planning I can to minimize the possibility. Never more than when I am planning a vacation.

If you've read any previous travel posts on this blog, you may be aware that I will occasionally lose my shit while traveling. Friends, that is after planning; imagine the horror if I didn't do so much pre-trip research? I'd like to share the best of what I've learned, because it really does make a difference.

1. DO NOT check luggage. Unless you are moving to the other end of the earth for the rest of your life, you can get all you need into a carry-on. I've demonstrated that in a past post. I will say, if you must check luggage, at least have a carry-on of emergency requirements- a change of clothes, toiletries, etc. Honestly, the feeling of landing and deplaning in Europe, and walking directly to the train or bus to get to my destination cannot compare to hanging around the baggage carousel, silently, then vocally, praying that your luggage will somehow turn up. This is especially true if you will be changing flights. I do always check luggage on the way home, though. I'll buy a cheap tote bag and fill it with my purchases, check it, and keep my carry on with me. Since I'm heading back home to all my stuff, if it takes the airline a few days to get my luggage back to me, I'm no worse off.

2. Google Maps/Street View. My new best friend. You can "walk" around your vacation destination and get a feel for landmarks, streets, and even what your hotel looks like from the outside. This can be very helpful when you're arriving, tired and dying to drop off your bags and get a drink. When we arrived in Paris last September, at the Gare du Nord, we got a subway to the stop nearest our hotel in Montparnasse, Vavin. When we got to street level, I immediately recognized the buildings, and new how to get to the hotel. We were in the lobby in about 2 minutes, with none of that standing, spinning 360 degrees, trying to find a street sign. The BF was very impressed. He had actually used Google Maps and Street View to "drive" the confusing route through Umbria to the little hill town we'd stayed in before coming to France. He was so pleased with himself he even took mini-detours to show us shops he'd found along the way. We got to the villa quite painlessly. We then drove from Cinque Terre in Italy to Aix-en-Provence, France, with the help of Google. Because I'd checked out the streets, I knew exactly what the exterior of our hotel's garden walls looked like, so it was a breeze finding that one too.

Even before the advent of Google Maps and Street View, I have always studied maps before a trip. It really helps you orient yourself, and then you feel comfortable ducking down side streets, knowing you'll eventually come across a landmark and be able to get back to where you were. This also helps me spend less time with an actual map on the street looking like a lost tourist, and therefore a potential crime victim. I can walk with purpose, looking at the world around me, not a map.

3. Get a guide book you can trust, and that suits your style. If you care mostly about museums, or if you care mostly about food (hello!), you can find a book that suits your specific needs. I like books that have a sections like "what to do if you have 2 days, 3 days, or a week". You can read ahead and see what appeals to you. Don't just do the "Top 10" if they aren't what you want. I've been to Paris a few times, and I've never been to the Louvre. I'll be back in Paris in a few months, and I have no plans to go this time either. I love art, and will go to some other museums, like the Musee d'Orsay, but the Louvre is more like a mountain to climb or a project to complete, and although it's an incredible museum, I'm just never in the mood to do battle with the tourist hordes to see famous paintings behind glass and tall people. I will, however, try several new patisseries I have read about :)

4. Do what you can from home. I've been to the Uffizi and the Accademia in Florence twice each, and though the Uffizi does get crazy busy, I've never waited a moment, because I always pre-book my tickets from home. When you get there, you'll invariably see a line up, but you walk right past, go in and give them your pre-booked print out, and you're in! I would advise to go very early to the Accademia- Florence is a pretty compact city, if you're staying there, so getting up a bit early doesn't have to be too painful. You can enjoy the magnificent David, and be on your way to the rest of Florence's sights by 9:30 AM. I also book train tickets and restaurants, if I want to go somewhere specific. For this upcoming trip, we'll be doing a day in Champagne, so I'll get the train tickets, and possibly book some tours, a few weeks before we go. So much easier.

5. Wear comfortable, but NICE shoes. No running shoes, unless you are running for exercise. This mostly applies to European cities. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but if you are wearing running shoes, a baseball hat, and a t-shirt with writing on it (add a fanny pack for fun!), you are the cliche tourist. There are so many brands of comfortable shoes that look nice- Tom's espadrilles are comfortable, Clark's, Rockport, Cole Haan- you can get lovely shoes that will stand up to miles and miles of walking on cobblestone, but you will look appropriate to duck into a cute bistro or a store. I frankly insist on this. And as for these fanny packs, I don't get why women don't just carry purses. The crime rate in most, if not all, European cities is lower than most American cities, and I somehow doubt an American visiting Washington DC would trade her purse for a fanny pack, so why in Europe? Look at the locals- they all use purses! Yes, I know there are muggers and pickpockets who are very skilled, so keep your bag close to you, keep it zipped up, and give the stink-eye to anyone who gets close to you. To me, a fanny pack says to a potential pickpocket "tourist with cash!". If I were a pickpocket, that's who I'd target.

In case you think all this planning sucks the spontaneity out of your trip, fear not. There will always be surprises around every corner. I may have used Google to discover that there was a patisserie on rue Delambre, but I had to go inside to discover melty little cakes in chocolate and caramel!

Happy vacation planning! I hope you have a wonderful trip, but I will worry about you... ;)

Queen Conch

Last year, while hunting for shells, I inadvertently pulled a live baby conch from its briny home in the Caribbean sea off Eleuthera, Bahamas, and tossed it in a plastic bag. As we drove away, Peter noticed the sound of it trying to escape its plastic prison- fairly creepy, I must say. Apparently it is illegal to harvest baby conchs, so at our next stop we tossed my little friend back into the ocean. I hope he had the chance to grow up and become a delicious salad.

At Queen Conch, on Harbour Island, we met a lovely couple who have been making impossibly fresh conch salads for, as the chef said, "12 or 15 years, I can't remember. Started with just a piece of plywood."

The restaurant isn't fancy, and it isn't a restaurant. It's a stand, with a few seats in the front, in the shade, where you can watch the salads being prepared, and a nice deck out back with several tables overlooking the sea.

Fun Lori Fact: As usual, I had to go to the bathroom, and since QC is more akin to a hot dog stand than a restaurant, I wasn't sure what my next move would be. I asked the lady making salad, and she said "go to the liquor store across the street and ask if you can use the bathroom". When I gotta go, I gotta go, so I did just that. They were very accommodating, and led me to the staff bathroom, complete with a sign on the door, inside, that said "We Watchin' You, Sucka!". Totally didn't care. There was no soap or towels, but I had Kleenex and Purell, so everything was fine.

Peter also made a trip to the liquor store, but to get us drinks to go with our salad. You can't drink on public streets in the Bahamas, except you can, if your beer is in a paper bag. Peter goes in and comes back with 3 beers in little bags. "Um, are we having company?" I asked. "I asked for two, but they said they were 3 for $4.99, and didn't tell me how much two cost". I don't think this development annoyed him one bit!

You wait a while for your salad, unless you're smart and come by early. To order, you write your name, what you want, and when you want it on the legal pad on the counter. A perfectly acceptable system!

We watched as the ingredients for 6 servings were prepared- onions, red and green peppers, tomatoes, garlic all chopped by hand. And, of course, conch so fresh the pile of huge shells sits in shallow water just behind the stand. Limes are sliced and squeezed over all. Home made hot sauce was sprinkled in, according to your order. We went with Medium. Mild is for wimps, but something told me that Hot would kill me. Then, he adds whatever else people want. When regulars came by, the chef shouted out "Tim, you want hot peppers?" or "How about some sweet orange today?" and the extra ingredients would be added.

The salad was heaven. Not a thing in there that's bad for you, as fresh as can be, and made completely by hand, outside, under a plywood roof, about 10 feet from the sea.

What more could anyone want, but to go back for more some day?