Belgium, Brussels: Chocolate & Beer

If you get the opportunity to visit Belgium, RUN -- don't walk! But don't forget to bring a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Those cobblestone streets aren't made for fashionable shoes that pinch the toesy or worse. If you still want to look good, wear those high heels, but make sure you stop at the hundreds of tasty breweries, pubs (aka cafes) along the way. The beer scene is simply amazing!

I'm blogging about Brussels pub crawl at Where in the World is Diana Today? Blog.

Instead of repeating the same blog, I'm going to add the pictures to this blog and link the two. Have fun, checking out my pics!

Cheers to Brussels! Diana

Scotland Pipers & Kilts

This is from my Where in the World is Diana Blog

Scotland, Pipers & Kilts
May 8th, 2008
SHOES: The urban legend is true -- the pipers go commando under those kilts! Okay that's a bit distracting, isn't it? Bring comfortable shoes to Scotland, as there's lots of walking. If you want to head out at night, the pubs are the place to be, and you can go with comfort or those incredible stilettos -- your call!

The flight is always the worst part of the journey, even more so when you’re flying across the pond to Scotland. But I’m here, and I arrived to an overcast (typical) day in Edinburgh after an overnight flight through Newark then to Edinburgh.
It’s been a whirlwind sort of trip, always heading to the next place with barely enough time to explore. Sunday (April 27) we began our journey with tea, coffee, mimosas and pastries at Rocco Forte’s The Balmoral. We were greeted by staff dressed in kilts — what a way to start the journey into Scotland. Checked in to this striking historic hotel, took a quick walkabout in downtown Edinburgh, near CityCentre. Lunch at The Dome, drinks on board the Royal Yacht Brittannia.
I knew I’d come home when our tour guide for the royal yacht, really more like a cruise ship, was named Viv Rowe, a grizzled little man retired from the Royal Navy, with a welcoming smile and the gift of gab — ah yes, I thought he must be a relative.
Dinner back at The Balmoral. A “piper” serenaded us and played a wee bit of pipes, culminating in the haggis and hummus ceremony. While the vision of sheep’s intestines and other innards is a bit off-putting, I did give it a sample. It tastes rather rich and spicy, and I much preferred the mashed potato part of the haggis “cake.” The traditional Scotch whisky was the perfect compliment, mostly to make you forget about what you were really eating.
I finally stumbled my way back to my room, partly due to not having slept for a day, and then perhaps a wee bit of the blame might be the Scotch whisky and wine…
More soon!
Diana

Girlfriend, it's all about the shoes!

As as a single female, often traveling alone, and with the continued restrictions on baggage (carry-on and checked), I always take more shoes than the "normal" traveller Let me explain...

I read this greeting card forever ago that features a woman on the front saying something like, "What separates women from animals?" Then you open it up, and it says, "Why it's our ability to accessorize, girl!"

Am I the only girl that often carries the second bag and fills it with shoes? I mean which shoes do you pack when you want to include all options on your trip -- without going over weight limits? I want my flip flops for the beach, yet what if I have a chance to rent a motorcycle? Well, then I'll need my biker boots. After a day riding the road with the wind in my face, what if I want to follow the day with fine-dining? Well, then I'll need my come-to-mama-high heels to compliment my flirty dress. Or perhaps I want to swing my clubs at a top ranked golf course, that means I have to pack my golf shoes! You see what I mean? There's so many challenges to traveling.

So talk to me, chicas! What's a girl to do if she can't pack a second suitcase with shoes? Maybe $25 isn't much (and is that EACH way???), but those extra bucks could go to another pair of shoes, right?

Until next time! Diana