Travel for Pennies

Are you a train enthusiast?  Does the idea of boarding a passenger car with a steam engine sound more exciting than another museum or architectural wonder?  If so, and if you’re in Melbourne, you may want to seek out Puffing Billy, the last surviving narrow-gauge steam railway that once connected Melbourne to the surrounding countryside in the early part of the 1900s.  The effort to restore and maintain Puffing Billy was carried out by volunteers.  And anyone who makes the effort to travel to this particular train is in for a treat.  The train departs on a regular schedule from Belgrave Station, passing through dells and over wooden trestle bridges, finding their way to the Emerald Lake Park.  At night, the trains also act as luxury diners, for the romantic at heart.  You can even charter the train, if you like.

Most likely, though, you’ll want to try a day trip, which you can book either at the desk of a hostel or the concierge of a Melbourne luxury hotel.  A typical tour fee will include the following: a pick-up as well as a return from and to your accommodation, breakfast and morning tea, the train ride, lunch, as well as the fee to enter the Healesville Sanctuary for animals.  You’ll be taken to the Dandenongs mountain range where an Australian style of breakfast will be set up in a picnic area, which will include biscuits and Vegemite, billy tea and lamingtons. You might even see local birds, such as rosellas and lorikeets.  Next, you’ll be on your way to Puffing Billy.

The 100-year-old working steam train will travel on wooden tracks past residential and forest areas to Menze’s Creek, where a tour bus will take you through the Yarro Valley vineyards, stopping at a winery for lunch.  Afterwards, you’ll have time to purchase some of the local wines and pick up souvenirs.  Once back aboard, the train will take you to Healesville Sanctuary, the last stop, where you’ll be able to see a wide range of Australian wildlife — echidnas, koalas, tasmanian devils, platypuses, wombats, kangaroos and wallabies!  It’s a great trip and a tour no one should miss.

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Tags: Lamingtons, Melbourne luxury hotel, Puffing Billy

When looking at a new space for work or for living, it’s important to have a sense of belonging, to feel connected to the building as well the neighborhood that holds it.  Human beings are immensely adaptable, but we’re also creatures of habit, and we are intuitively attuned to our surroundings in knowable as well as inexplicable ways.  Canada’s neighborhoods are some of the finest in the world, with a spirit of civic responsibility that most neighborhoods hope to strive for. It’s a testament to our character that we’ve made a place for ourselves with a wonderful sense of community, and a very high quality of life.  This comes from a genuine connection to place.

Even when contemporary living means moving around more often than the past generation, there’s still a necessary sense of belonging for a home or a business to function smoothly and efficiently.  This is where the excellent business record of TransGlobe Property Management comes into play.  With over 15 years of service to Canada’s neighborhoods, and with thousands of rental and commercial properties, they have the experience in the place, and this helps the residents and businesses to adapt to a new environment with ease and security.  Canada has wonderful opportunities for business as well as building a beautiful life for people and their families, and during a move, it’s nice to have a helping hand.

Usually, choosing a new location for a business doesn’t involve a lot of room for selections.  There’s usually a pre-determined area we have to relocate to, and within a finite amount of time, and it can certainly be a little worrisome.  With TransGlobe Property Management, the entire transition is much easier.  But more importantly, perhaps, is that because there are literally thousands of properties to choose from, the capacity for selection enters into the picture again.  Where once it may have seemed a terrible hassle, now it becomes an open door, with some fantastic choices in front of you, and that’s a wonderful way to begin a new chapter of a new adventure.

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Tags: environment, open door, TransGlobe Property Management

India is a fantastic place to explore, and there are some wonderful opportunities here to get away from the world you know, and totally immerse yourself in new experience.  It’s one of the most fascinating countries on the planet, with an amazing history, and a dizzying array of cultures and traditions, and Delhi is one of its more exciting metropolises.  The whole spectrum of human behavior can be observed here on any given day, and sometimes in any given hour.  The city holds a multiplicity of attractions for visitors of all ages, and it’s a very welcoming place for tourists.  With its excellent variety of restaurants and four-star hotels, Delhi can be enormously hospitable, and it has a reputation for offering a new adventure for anyone.

It’s a very good idea to have some kind of luxury to fall into while you’re here, because the city is an amazing place that can also be overwhelming.  Even the most relaxed itinerary can have some room available for doing nothing and letting yourself be pampered, in order to replenish your energy and see more of this exciting place.  Accommodations can offer you a perfect respite, so you’ll be refreshed whenever you need it.  There is simply no end to the possibilities for adventure here. They are infinite, the possibilities are endless, and they only come to any kind of fruition in a cosmic dance that has no end, and it is no coincidence that Sarada Hoffman was awarded the Rukmini Devi Medal for Excellence in the Arts from the Center for Contemporary Culture here in Delhi.

She was one of Rukmini Devi’s students, and has had many students herself, and for this perhaps Chinna Sarada could be mentioned in the list of India’s most influential people.  Rukmini Devi was the founder of Kalakshetra, and was responsible for bringing dignity back to the Bharat Natyam.  She was also very outspoken for animal rights, and was herself a devout vegetarian all of her life.  Chinna Sarada was one of the few to absorb her wisdom first hand, and although she is very humble, is also extremely wise herself, having grown up in a Theosophist family, and being exposed to many important sacred texts, and her life is a tribute to the fascinating mix of art and science.

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Tags: Chinna Sarada, four-star hotels Delhi, Rukmini Devi Medal for Excellence in the Arts

Whenever anyone mentions British food, people tend to think of steak and kidney pie or shepherd’s pie, or fish and chips, something either flaky or dull, or something greasy and dripping, and the same was once true for Australia, but then a kind of renaissance occurred Down Under, and in places like Melbourne and Sydney, the cuisine is now varied and inventive and of the highest quality.  If you’re traveling, and you check yourself into one of the luxury hotels Melbourne has to offer, then you’ll discover the boiled beef and meat pies, the rolls of sausage and sandwiches consisting of bread and Vegemite have competition.  Now you’re more likely to find such items as kangaroo fillet, seared, with beetroot greens, wilted, and roasted onion, in establishments that range from a cafe on the beachside to a fine dining restaurant.  Places which serve just chips and burgers at least put together focaccias, King Island fresh cheeses, and fruits of an exotic nature.

Why the change?  One, the richness of excellent produce and unique food native to Australia, as well as, the many international dishes that immigrants have brought, literally, to the table.  In the past, Australia dined on an English diet — salted meats, baked or roasted.  The settlers were used to tinned beef and a substance called damper, which was a very basic bread: flour, water, and a little salt.  Nothing seemed to change much over time.  Even as late as the 1960s, Australian meals were a bit strange, including such dishes as Pavlova fruit and cream in a meringue pie shell, or Lamingtons which are chocolate and coconut-coated cubes of sponge.  And Vegemite, which for those who haven’t tasted it, is a black and salted spread of yeast.

Presently, Aussies recognize the quality of the ingredients around them: Australia is literally a kind of Garden of Eden for food (not meaning to imply that all they have are apples).  The Australian menu favors seafood, specialized farms grow poultry and gourmet beef, and Australian cheeses, olives, and wine, may in fact be far superior to the usual imports from France, Greece, and Italy.

In Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, you’ll find the area is well-noted for specific produce, such as Gippsland beef, chicken cornfed, Malle squab, and Meredith lamb.  Other regions have different specialties, such as New South Wales (Hunter Valley wines, Illabo milk-fed lamb, and Sydney rock oysters), or South Australia (Baroosa Valley wine, olive oil, tuna, Coffin Bay scallops), and Tasmania (trout, salmon, oysters, cheeses, King Island cream, and raspberries).

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Tags: Lamingtons, luxury hotels Melbourne, Pavlova

Nestled in the heart of Spain, Sevilla is one of the most exciting and luscious cities in all of Europe.  The real heartbeat of Spanish culture can be felt here, where its glorious history is still felt all over the city.  It’s also visible in the art and architecture, and everyone who comes here is reminded of why they learned to love travel in the first place.  Like many big cities these days, it’s not absolutely necessary to know the language here, but it certainly helps.  It will help you find your way around for sure, but more importantly, it can help you to have the conversations that occur on another level, below the common courtesies, and this is where real information gets exchanged.   Insider opinions and tips, and all the wonderful things that can happen in a margin, are always found in the original language.

If you don’t have Spanish, then it’s a perfect opportunity to learn, and open doors to another culture.  There are many doors that will open here whatever languages you speak, however, since there is such an amazing sensibility about Sevilla.  Spain hotels generally are famous for hospitality and style, and here is where these notions seemed to have originated.  It’s always a spectacular display here, and one of the most welcoming places in the world.  In fact, one of the recent Bienales here went under the banner of Hospitality and Tolerance.

This was at the 2004 edition of the Bienal Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo de Seville, or BIACS, which is one of the most splendid art displays in this part of the world.  This event is devoted to the promotion and exhibition of local and international art, like most Biennales, but is also heavily weighted toward encouraging dialogue and participation, so that the 70,000 plus participants can take part in an ongoing global art conversation.  In each Biennale, there are many different platforms for viewing new works of exciting inspiration, and also possibilities to interact, both with the work and with the arts community.  There is definitely a tendency toward experimentation here, and a sublime sense of style, as it should be.

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Tags: Hospitality and Tolerance, Sevilla Spain hotels

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, more popularly and commonly known as Lady Bird Johnson, was born in December of 1912 in Karnack, Texas. She was an incredible woman who was devoted to the conservation of much of the nation’s natural resources and also a strong advocate for the beautification of the country’s cities and highways. She made major efforts to advance these causes and visited cities across the country to contribute to them. She was the First Lady of the United States from November of 1963 to January of 1969, during the period in which in husband Lyndon B. Johnson served as President.

Johnson’s conservational and beatification efforts took her across the country but also throughout her own home state of Texas. Austin, Texas is fortunate to be located at the junction of four significant ecological systems. This creates an extremely diverse ecological makeup for the city and accounts for some of its beautiful wildflowers. Lady Bird Johnson appreciated this and loved the bluebonnets, which blossomed every spring. Tourists who visit the city and stay in one of the Austin luxury hotels are fortunate to fly into such a vibrantly colored city. Johnson loved it so much herself that she contributed to the flower’s planting in and around the city of Austin. Interestingly, it was a small beetle that is responsible for her famous nickname. When she was just a child her nurse noticed that she seemed to be as innocent and pure as the ladybird, which was the local name for what is commonly known as the ladybug. This quickly became her nickname and it replaced her actual first name for the rest of her life. Most of the population then and now know her only as Ladybird Johnson, which serves as a beautiful testament to her nature conservation and protection efforts.

Johnson’s work and achievements continued long after her residence in the White house and the death of LBJ, which happened in 1973. In those later years she became an inventive businesswoman with a strong entrepreneurial streak. During her life she received the highest national honors a civilian is able to achieve. She was awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

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Tags: Austin luxury hotels, bluebonnets, ladybug

The incredibly romantic history of Spain comes to a head in Barcelona, one of the most romantic places on the planet.  It has an amazing energy that has attracted some of the best minds in the country for centuries.  The heart of the Spanish renaissance can still be felt, and even seen, in contemporary Barcelona, but there is always a distinct sense of the ulta-modern that guides everything that happens here.  Spanish style is absolutely exquisite, and its seen in the architecture, the art, and the fashion here, all reflecting a tendency toward luxury.  Barcelona hotels are some of the loveliest in the world, in order to complete the perfect romantic picture.

Waking up to a sense of wonder about the world, engaged in its beautiful natural forms to a point where it’s always inspiring, asking you to create great works of art, is a lovely way to begin a day.  Enjoying the gorgeous meals that are prepared by master chefs schooled in the best of international cuisine is another way to taste the modern world in its most sumptuous forms.  Getting involved in the local cultural scene is even more rewarding, becoming part of the creative energy that makes the city so splendid.  Many people do come here with the idea of getting inspiration, and decide that the inspiration is a combination of the people and the place, and the only way to keep it is to move here.  This was the case with Julia Schonlau, a Berlin-based artist who now lives and works here.

Her spectacular graphics speak of a simplicity of line and color that are absolutely out of this world.  Minimal and extremely powerful, they have the simpleness of children’s drawings, executed with a magnificent eye for design.  She’s worked a lot with one of the edgier art-displaying and producing and conspiring organizations, Rojo, and has shown some of her works here, with a great local and international reception.  She designs art for hanging on walls, painted on the walls themselves, and painted objects, and all have enormous wit and intensity that make her worth watching.  The future is bright.

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Tags: Julia Schonlau, luxury Barcelona hotels, Rojo

Maintaining your vehicle is the single most important way that you can ensure the life and the performance of that vehicle.  Many people do take the time for the engine maintenance such as regular oil changes, tune-ups, checking the hoses and the belts, flushing the radiator and making certain that the transmission and the brake fluids are in check.  But one the areas wherein people can over look, and do quite regularly is the condition of the tires.  It is not until a tire blows out or shreds that many people realize that they had been driving around with their tires in horrible conditions for months.

This happens frequently on long road trips, or when one is driving at top speeds on a highway or a freeway.  On road trips, this is a huge inconvenience, and in both circumstances the results can be disastrous.  And should a disaster not happen right away, worn tires affect the handling of your vehicle, pulling the car to one side or the other, or a greater chance of hydroplaning when the roads are wet.  When tires are worn, this also greatly affects the gas mileage of your car.  The best way to avoid these situations all together is by properly inspection and realizing when it is time to buy new tires.  Some people choose to replace their tires each time the warranty expires, which may not always be necessary depending on the tires, but can serve to put one’s mind at ease should a tire become damaged.

If the tires are under warranty, the replacement tire is usually free.  If the tread is worn, and most definitely if the threads are visible through the tread, it becomes necessary to replace the tires immediately.  Should a full set of four tires present financial hardship, two tires may be purchased at a time, with the new tires being mounted on the rear axle of the vehicle.  Tires on a car are like feet on animal, if they are not in good shape, they will not get you where you need to go.

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Tags: buy new tires, flushing the radiator, new tires

Years ago I was a strict vegetarian.  This created a bit of an uncomfortable situation at family functions and barbecues.  Not only was there not much to eat for me, my family was not yet familiar with the vegetarianism, they were all brought up on meat and potatoes, especially when it came to grilling.  They acted as though there was something wrong with someone who did not eat meat.

Over the years however, as the health benefits of eating less meat are becoming more known, and more people are choosing to either cut down on their meat intake or do away with it all together, creativity and vegetarian products have made the back yard family barbecue a little less of a hassle, and a little more tasty as well.  Now, there are many pre-made vegetarian items that cook up perfectly on the cal flame grills or the backyard BBQ pits.

There are so many soy burgers and vegetables on the market that the choices can be overwhelming, as well as the ever present tofu hot-dogs.  Many families are also choosing to go meat free for the holidays, and the recipes for chicken and turkey substitutes is amazing, as well as the sausage substitutes and meatless corn-dogs, and yes they do taste delicious.  These items were at one time only available at the health food stores, but most all the commercial grocery stores have jumped on the bandwagon when it comes to making it easier for consumers to find healthy options.

Many of the meat substitutes can be treated, marinated and prepared in the same way traditional meat recipes are.  Tofu takes on the flavor of any sauce used in preparation, and the same hamburger fixings sit atop a vegi-burger just fine.  Add to that a variety of vegetable recipes and family gatherings during the holidays have become much more of an eclectic culinary experience.

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Tags: cal flame grills, chicken and turkey substitutes, meat substitutes

A trip to Baltimore will open your eyes.  Not only the city itself, that’s a given, but to the rich cultural and historical heritage and to the modern and progressive present.  One of the aspects of a culture is defined by their museums, and Baltimore has many to choose from.  Most of the major museums and attraction are located close to and surrounding the city’s Inner Harbor.  In this one area of Baltimore, restaurant variety is out of this world, as well as galleries, theatres, shopping locations and entertainment venues.  There is energy here, culture, various flavors of the city and excitement.

For those involved in the world of art, the Baltimore Museum of Art is a great place to begin.  The collection is vast as this is the largest museum in the state of Maryland.  Self taught and self inspired artists are represented by the American Visionary Art Museum.  They have the largest collection of this sort in the country.  If you are traveling with children, one of the museums that caters especially to the young ones is the Port Discovery Children’s Museum. An exhibit running from January 17 through February 5 of 2010 is titled “Joshua’s Journey”.  This outlines the historic Chisholm Trail through the eyes of an African American teenager.  The educational exhibits are made to entertain along the way.  This is a tale of a cowboy, the kind of story that is filled with adventure and history, the kind of story that kid’s will love.

The Great Blacks in Wax Museum offers insight into the history and the culture of Baltimore, for while slavery was legal in Baltimore, the city was known throughout the region as having the most free people of color.  At that time, that was progressive.  There are more than one hundred life sized wax figures in the museum, each with a story to tell.  Baltimore is rich with stories, each one resonating with members of different cultural backgrounds.  There will be a museum that either speaks directly to you, or one that introduces you to your neighbor.  So take a look around Baltimore, you will be delighted.

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Tags: Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore restaurant, Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Port Discovery Children's Museum