Category: Travel

Weekend Getaway: New Hope, PA

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
IMG_3702.JPG
Image by Oleg Dulin via Flickr

If you visit Lambertville, NJ, you owe it to yourself to make the five minute walk across the bridge to New Hope, PA.

New Hope is a vibrant arts community of about 2,500 residents. A number of restaurants, antique shops and art galleries line its main street. And on weekends, according to one local, businessmen turned bikers, ride their expensive machines over to drink mojitos.

Bohemian New Hope has been a gay friendly community since the 1950s. When we arrived last week, we walked right into the middle of a boisterous Pride celebration, complete with outdoor concert, costumes and Ms. Gay New Jersey.

The Bucks County Playhouse which opened in 1939, became famous as the venue where plays destined for Broadway were fine tuned. The playhouse closed last year but is expected to be reopened under new ownership.

New Hope is less than an hour from Philadelphia and about 90 minutes from New York City. It’s my kind of town.

Delaware River near New Hope and Lambertville
The Delaware River forms a natural border between Lambertville and New Hope

Where to Shop:

Where to Eat:

Where to Sleep:

Getting There:

From the Philadelphia area, follow Interstate 95 N, Exit 51 New Hope/Yardley. Follow signs to New Hope.

Enjoy!

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Weekend Getaway: Lambertville, Antiques Capital of NJ

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

“We discovered this new place that I know you’ll love,” Zoraya said to me. “It’s just as quaint as Cape May, with beautiful historic houses and lots of antique stores — and a lot closer. Let’s pick a weekend and drive down to Lambertville.”

I had never heard of Lambertville before but she had my attention when she said quaint, historic houses and antique stores.

Lambertville, NJ train station
Train station, Lambertville

Lambertville is situated on the Delaware River in Hunterdon County, New Jersey and is an easy hour or so drive from Manhattan. The small community, less than 2 square miles, it is home to about 4,000 residents. Its many 18th and 19th century houses give it an old-world appeal.

We were bubbling with excitement like under-aged schoolgirls who had just gotten the keys to the family car as we planned our daylong jaunt. We had hoped for a sunny day but the clouds couldn’t dampen our spirits.

Arriving in Lambertville, we browsed several stores and were tempted by antique silverware, vintage Gucci and Coach bags, an old world lace dress (that I could see myself wearing as I sipped lemonade and nibbled on finger sandwiches), jewelry, vintage perfume bottles.

I could have bought much more than the notebook, lavender sachets, soaps and clothes I came away with but just looking at the chandeliers, lamps, garden furniture, furniture, books, postcards, etc., I began to feel my brain shutting down from visual overloaded.  When that happens, I can’t see anything else no matter how beautiful. We decided to pause for lunch. But I plan to return later in the spring and fall – I’m sure the foliage here will be spectacular.

Here’s a taste of what Lambertville has to offer –

Where to Stay

Getting There

From Manhattan: NJ Turnpike South to 78 W, then 287 South to 202 S to Flemington, then Route 202 to Lambertville.

So if you’re in the Northeast and feel the need to get away for a day, think of Lambertville. It’s worth the drive.

Next post: New Hope, PA

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Re/discovering Myself Through Travel

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

One of the unintended benefits of traveling, for me, is discovering something new about myself or rediscovering some personal quality that time and life had made me forget.

On my last trip to London, I stayed with my sister and her family. While it was a holiday for me, it wasn’t for them so I knew I’d be navigating the city on my own.

It wasn’t like that on my first trip. I stayed with my favorite female cousin who worked, but I didn’t venture out much. Fresh from completing school in Barcelona, I can still remember the energetic and confident 20-something I was then but I can’t remember why I stayed in so much. I missed out on a lot and it wasn’t because it rained everyday except the day before I left.

In the 20+ years between these two trips — the third doesn’t count as the 4 days were consumed by preparations for my sister’s wedding — I’ve logged several thousand miles of both solo and group travels.

This time, rather than letting myself feel alone or worry that I’d get lost — my friends say I’m directionally challenged, I call it exploring alternate paths —  I felt the free and confident person that I am return. And I got even more confident as each day went by and I found my way even when I returned late at night or wandered far afield.

Like the day I did the London Eye. I wandered the Southbank aimlessly, stopped for something to eat then rejoined the sea of people who seemed to be out for a Sunday stroll and enjoying the unusually warm day. I had no idea where I was but I wasn’t bothered. I knew I’d find the underground and my way back — and I did.

After a week of finding my way around in London, I was excited to tackle Paris, where except for a friend from New York, whom I saw once, I was totally alone. My aloneness emboldened me. Could it have been because I speak some French? Probably. But the first night in the hotel, I put a chair behind the door, just in case.

Everyday, I picked the places that I had to see then spent the rest of the time wandering around, discovering quaint streets, flower stalls, boutiques and ‘real’ pharmacies along the way. By the time I made my way back to the metro, it would be way past midnight.

The trip was a big boost to my confidence, especially at a time when I was feeling more than a little unsure of my footing.

I’m eager to start the next trip to see what else I discover about myself.

What do your travels reveal to you?

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A Sunday Drive Through the English Countryside

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

When I was growing up, we’d go for long drives on Sunday afternoons. Each Sunday was a new adventure that most times involved ice cream. I still have fond memories of those times.

Though the scenery was different, our Sunday drive through the English countryside it took me back to that time.

Rapeseed field seen on a drive thru the countryside
Rapeseed

Instead of the fields of sugar cane that I would have seen in the part of Jamaica I lived, I saw fields of rapeseed. At first, I thought rapeseed were flowers. They’re not, though.

Rapeseed field seen on a Sunday drive
Rapeseed field

Rapeseed is used to make vegetable oil and in 2000, according to Wikipedia, it was the third largest source of vegetable oil in the world.

It’s hard to ignore field after field of yellow rapeseed. They capture the imagination even from a distance.

Rapeseed field on a Sunday drive
Rapeseed field

I felt in love with thatched houses when I saw them in Southern Africa and was surprised to see them in England. Apparently, there are more thatched cottages in the UK than the rest of of Europe. I wished I could have taken a photo of each one. I tried.

Thatched cottage seen on a Sunday drive
Thatched cottage
Thatched cottage seen on a Sunday drive
Thatched cottage
Thatched cottage seen on a Sunday drive
Thatched cottage, side view

You know you’re in the country when you see pig sties.

Pig sties seen on a Sunday drive
Pig sties like none I’d ever seen

It was difficult, at first, to imagine what these semi-circles that seemed as if they were planted in the ground were for. But as we got closer, I noticed a few pigs. These aren’t any pig sties I’m used to seeing.

It’s anyone’s guess what’s planted in that field in the back.

All too soon, the drive came to an end. But it left me quite refreshed and energized and gave me new Sunday afternoon drive memories.

How do you like to spend your Sunday afternoons?

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Stonehenge – Sacred Stone Circle

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I don’t remember when I first learned about Stonehenge but from the beginning, I’ve wanted to see it. As soon as I knew I would be going to London, I started searching for a tour. I opted for a private tour that would take me inside the stone circle at sunset. (There are also sunrise tours and other tours that don’t go inside the circle.)

Once I booked, it was hard to contain my excitement.

After a scenic drive through some of England’s most picturesque villages and towns, we arrived at Stonehenge around 6 p.m., just as the sun began its descent over the horizon.

I was struck by the size of the monuments. They looked smaller than what I had imagined they would have been after seeing them so many times on television. But they were no less impressive.

Since our group of 52 was too large, we separated into two – the first group entering the circle shortly after we arrived, the second about 45 minutes later.

Stonehenge is believed to have been built as a burial site around 2500 BC. Since there’s no written record of how it was constructed, speculation and theories abound.

However it was built and whatever the reason, it is still an incredibly impressive site, despite several missing and / or damaged stones.

The site feels peaceful, the surrounding area lush and green with fields of canola (rapeseed) in the distance.

When I see places like Stonehenge, I can’t help wondering what will be left of the structures we’ve built and what future generations will think of us.

What do you think?

The Heelstone
Yellow field of canola
Stone circle at Stonehenge
Artist’s rendition of what Stonehenge looked like

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Are Airline Seat Sizes Shrinking?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
SAA row 15
Image by mralan via Flickr

Like most travelers, whenever I plan a trip, the first thing I think about is the cost of the ticket. Depending on how long my flight will be, I also think about snacks I’ll take.

The size of the airline seat never crosses my mind.

I consider myself average in weight and size – 5’6″ and approximately 165 pounds. Yet, lately, I’ve noticed that even on international flights, I just fit the size of the seat.

Now, I might have gained a few pounds in the last year but not enough so I just barely fit.

So if it’s not my size, I can only conclude it’s the seat. And I have to wonder: Are airline seat sizes shrinking?

On my last flight, on Virgin Atlantic, I had to get out of my seat in order to reach the remote control that was housed in the armrest.

And once I pulled out my tray, it was practically in my stomach. When the person in the seat in front of me decided to recline his seat, I had to do the same as there was hardly room left for me to manoeuver.

Needless to say, it was one of my most uncomfortable flights in recent memory. I felt better standing or walking the aisle. But even that’s problematic – the aisles seem to be getting narrower and narrower and except for space near the washrooms, there’s no place to stand. I was stuck in my uncomfortable seat.

If I have a problem, what about someone larger? Or taller?

According to what I’ve read on Wikipedia, economy class airline seats are about 17″-18″ (43-46 cm) armrest to armrest. That’s just enough room for a small person or a child.

As for legroom or seat pitch, in most economy class seats it’s between 30″-32″ (76-81 cm). I’m not a very tall person but my knees were pretty close to the seat in front of me. (Of course, I could have upgraded to an aisle seat. For an additional fee, of course.)

I think the airlines have deliberately made seats smaller so they can carry more passengers and make more money.

Unfortunately, for the moment, there little we can do that won’t cost extra. Before you fly next time, think about your seat and check your airline’s seat plan on Seat Guru‘s list of more than 700 airlines.

Happy travels!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Wildlife

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I took these photos last year in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. The experience of watching wildlife in their natural habitat was life changing.

I knew that animals are intelligent, compassionate and caring but watching them interacting with each other or with other species and taking care of their young was heartwarming.

Zebras and Impalas

Zebras are incredibly beautiful up close. And almost every time we saw them, impalas were not far away.

Giraffe

Despite their height, giraffes are stately and gentle animals.

Lioness at rest

We watched this lioness for about 20 minutes. She was so full after a kill the previous night, she hardly moved.

Buffalo and elephant

As we watched this herd of buffalo — there could easily have been 100 of them — we noticed several herds of elephants approaching. Despite their size — they’re the largest land animals in the world — they’re incredibly quiet. You hardly ever hear them coming!

Elephant

We were watching a baby elephant on one side of the road and didn’t see her mother standing a few feet away. I was so shocked, I’m glad I didn’t scream or fumble the camera.

Enjoy!

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Eye Over London

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

My sister kept saying that she’d wait for me to arrive so we could take our 84 year old aunt on the London Eye. But by the time I got to London, our aunt was beginning to have difficulty getting around.

Maybe it was a good thing as it took more than 45 minutes from the time I picked up my ticket to the time I climbed aboard the ‘pod.’

But it was worth it. This is what I saw:

Passenger pods

One of the 32 oval pods that take passengers high above London.

Houses of Parliament seen from the London Eye
Hungerford Bridge
Waterloo bridge
House of Parliament with Big Ben
Haven't been able to identify this building
County Hall
South Bank view

I think our aunt would have loved this.

The ride on the London Eye was smooth, the view breathtaking. Just before each pod returned to home base, it discharged passengers and took on new ones. Each ride took about 30 minutes.

Some facts about the London Eye:

  • Designed by husband wife team of David Marks and Julia Barfield
  • It was opened in March, 2000
  • Hosts 3.5 million visitors annually
  • At 443 feet (135 meters), it is the 4th tallest structure in London
  • It is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel

If you’re not afraid of heights, next time you’re in London, make sure you check out the London Eye.

Enjoy the view!


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Lacock, a Proper English Village

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Established in 1232, the village of Lacock was given to the National Trust in 1944 by Matilda Talbot. It is best known as the location for the television series and movies, such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Harry Potter.

I can see why.

Lacock house
Detail
Roof detail

Houses are made of natural stone.

I didn’t notice until our tour guide, David, pointed out that there was no electricity in Lacock. No electricity, no electrical wires snaking through the air.

Lacock Garden
Lacock garden
Flowers
Lacock Church
Detail
Bicycle outside King Johns Hunting Lodge

When King John (1167-1216) hunted in the forest outside of Lacock, he stayed at his hunting lodge. The lodge is now a tea room, restaurant and bed and breakfast.

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Soulful Sundays: Phoebe Snow – RIP

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Phoebe Snow - photo courtesy of nme.com

RIP Phoebe Snow.

This song, Poetry Man, reminds me of my days at university, sitting in the backyard in late spring/early summer drinking wine and having lazy conversations.

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Phoebe’s voice is languid and unbelievably rich.

Enjoy!

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