tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122990932009-09-25T23:15:04.931ZWelcome to TravelNotes from The Savvy Traveler! We have introduced this site to make it easier to post our thoughts and experiences as things come up. We hope you will find some things of interest as we share our thoughts and personal experiences on travel. We also welcome your feedback and questions, so enjoy the site and thanks for stopping by!Jasmine Partners LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03783434015585821610noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-77656258844927611002009-09-04T14:42:00.003Z2009-09-04T20:07:08.719Z

In July we ventured into the northern part of Ireland with friends to see the Donegal-Sligo area for the first time. We are big fans of Ireland in general, and we still can't understand what took us so long to get up there, but it was definitely worth the wait.The entire area is a wealth of beauty and history, and our stay at the Ard na Breatha Guesthouse (B&B) and Restaurant not only proved to

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-45048472034686450642009-07-28T10:13:00.003Z2009-07-28T10:24:03.656Z

We recently stayed at the Mercure Albrighton Hall & Spa, near Shrewsbury, and it was a really nice experience.We were welcomed by a friendly staff upon arrival who attended to our every need. The rooms were large and airy, and the facilities were very cordial all around. Our meals were excellent and again served in an efficient and friendly atmosphere. The hotel is actually a 300+ old stately

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-38355783911434808932009-07-25T22:01:00.004Z2009-07-25T22:13:09.401Z

The Royal Academy of the Arts has once again created a dynamite exhibition. "J. W Waterhouse - The Modern Pre-Raphaelite" is a sight to behold. The color, the romance, the poetry and sheer beauty of this exhibition are difficult to put into words. We have not seen as comprehensive and well organized collection of the Pre-Raphaelite work since the Academy displayed Andrew Lloyd Webber's

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-22866851707898416992009-06-27T23:49:00.006Z2009-06-28T00:00:17.827Z

Join us in Ireland the 2nd week of July for the Foynes International Aviation Festival, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first passenger flight across the Atlantic.We will also be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of Foynes Flying Boat Museum. The museum is located in Foynes, County Limerick, just 35km out the N69 from Limerick City. It is a lovely area and the museum, home

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-54614173399111637632009-06-25T11:33:00.003Z2009-06-27T08:57:01.014Z

If you are looking for a respite in Spain, Marbella could be the place for you. Having last visited there 10 years ago, we were anxious to see how it had changed. Going to our favorite hotel site, Booking.com we wanted a place conveniently located with some charm and personality. La Vllla Marbella filled the bill. What a beautiful find in the historic old town. A hallmark of these little

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-28459788977462578122009-06-25T09:12:00.004Z2009-06-25T10:10:26.020Z

We have always enjoyed our trips to Andalusia, Spain. The 3 great cities of Andalusia are Seville, Granada and Cordoba. Of all the cities we have toured in Spain, Seville has always been a favorite, so in the back of our minds, Granada and Cordoba were calling for equal time. Staying in Marbella, we booked a tour to Granada through The Savvy Traveler.Granada is the home to the Alhambra Palace

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-7102638750039629082009-06-23T12:20:00.001Z2009-06-23T12:21:57.175Z

US-based "Clear", a security vetting service in use in a number of major US airports, has announced that it is ceasing operations:"At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear's parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations."Blogger, Grant Martin, said, "It's always sad to see a

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-40533826581977648162009-06-13T23:15:00.003Z2009-06-13T23:45:53.362Z

We've just returned from London tonight where we spent an amazing afternoon touring the Benjamin Franklin House. This fledgling museum was home to Benjamin Franklin for his entire 16 years in London. Because of Mr. Franklin's critical role as a diplomat, it has been referred to as America's First Embassy in Great Britain.Benjamin Franklin was always one of my personal historical heroes. I

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-40067380757441310692009-06-12T20:48:00.000Z2009-06-12T20:49:38.531Z

We're back in England and happy to be once again touring around this beautiful country. Our first post upon our return documents a visit last week into Jane Austen country.One of England’s literary giants is a perky little lady named Jane Austen. For anyone fond of her work, a trip covering her haunts is a special treat. This year marks the bicentenary year of her arrival in Chawton Village.

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-34351418433579782952009-04-14T19:21:00.002Z2009-04-14T19:32:55.236Z

I don't know about you, but one of the joys of travel to me is being able to photograph the places I love to visit. That's why I am excited by Nikon's latest announcement about their new D5000, due to emerge any day.This new 12.3Mpx camera signals Nikon's recognition of the increasing importance of video to the amateur photographer community. In addition to new video features, this is their

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-61280393018882253272009-03-09T23:34:00.004Z2009-03-10T00:21:15.538Z

We're just coming to the close of a fast one month visit back to the UK, and unfortunately most of this trip was spent visiting business contacts in a cold and too often snowy Germany. But we decided to treat ourselves to a theatre evening tonight, after waiting most of the afternoon at the embassy to get some more pages clamped into our fully-stamped passports.We had been wanting to see the

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-30300580739698641672008-10-12T02:53:00.002Z2008-10-12T03:00:09.501Z

The Regina is every bit a 4-Star property, located in the heart of Barcelona just a few steps from the Placa de Catalunya, Barcelona's main square. The rooms were somewhat larger than the typical European property and well fitted out with flat screen TV and a dazzling array of lighting controls. Everything was quite modern and comfortable, and the staff were helpful and friendly.Breakfast was

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-32456843830450550362008-08-19T17:19:00.004Z2008-08-19T17:27:28.674Z

British Orientalist Painting is the title of the current exhibit at the Tate Britain. This exhibit is of great significance for two reasons. One is the incredible art on view there. Some of Fredric Leighton's best work, as well as other mid to late 19th century British artists who toured and painted the Middle East at that time. The second reason is the insight into the lives of the people

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-85283373847474772192008-08-19T10:45:00.005Z2008-08-19T11:19:37.191Z

We're back! And once again we're touring around the UK to see the most interesting spots....Laycock Village & Abbey -- Dryham ParkThere aren't too many places where you can experience an entire preserved town complete with abbey manor house, community church, pubs, B&Bs, and shops, some of which date back to the 13th century. It's the England we all dream about from the novels and films we have

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-43454827729529523132008-04-14T22:21:00.002Z2008-08-19T15:49:08.529Z

London is special but it can get hectic. When you are ready for that relaxing day in the countryside why not make it extra special and do it on the nostalgic Orient-Express. You will take a step back it time from the moment you see the historic train pull into Victoria station. Even the names of the cars evoke another age - Audrey, Cygnus, Ibis, Ione, Lucille, Minerva, Perseus, Phoenix, Vera

Arlene Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15280462372369871494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-568310608781388522008-04-06T11:56:00.007Z2008-04-09T13:27:26.702Z

A Historic City, The Round Table , Exquisite Country Homes and GardensThere are English cities that exude history, you can feel yourself in time travel mode and imagine the people, places and historic events that unfolded there years ago. Winchester is such a city. As you walk through the town you get a sense of place and time. This is the city where William the Conqueror built one of his

Arlene Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15280462372369871494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-26629075088866954662008-04-02T10:59:00.003Z2008-04-02T11:07:40.448Z

Lovers of history, biology, gardening and architecture will enjoy a trip to Charles Darwin's house, Down House in Kent. It was here that Darwin wrote that masterpiece "The Origin of Species" that rocked the world and continues to do so today. This is an English Heritage property and they have restored the house to the way Darwin left it when he died. It not only gives you a glimpse into the

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-91911527587219014222008-04-02T10:12:00.005Z2008-04-02T10:57:30.357Z

This past weekend we discovered one of those truly historic and atmospheric places that typifies one's romantic vision of England. It was a National Trust property called Ightham Mote. Dating back to, can you believe it 1320, this is a moated manor house. It has been lovingly restored and reflects the best of what the National Trust is all about. A gift from American Charles Robinson, the

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-72698385322000766382008-03-30T09:07:00.005Z2008-03-31T08:44:08.096Z

Only days after the Queen opened the new British Airways Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow airport, it became apparent that all was not well. The new terminal was hailed as what was to become the pride of British aviation for this early part of the century, however now it has sadly turned into nothing less than a huge debacle and an embarrassment for the both British Airways and the British

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-82941681174640565472008-03-27T11:01:00.005Z2008-03-27T11:19:18.440Z

NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON20th Feb - 18th May, 2008 If you are visiting London between now and May 18th don't miss an excellent exhibition at the National Gallery. It is highlighting the works of the premiere artist of 18th century Rome.Batoni is widely known as a portrait artist, but as this exhibition demonstrates, he was also known throughout Europe for his religious and mythological painting

Arlene Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15280462372369871494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-91074166327754365332008-03-26T22:57:00.002Z2008-03-27T00:10:26.225Z

We have seen many interesting events in the UK, and even in and around The Royal Bourough, but today's state visit by French President Nicholas Sarkozy has to be near the top of the list. The town was all but closed to traffic, of course, so we took the bus from the Park-Ride at Legoland, just down the road from Ascot. Upon arrival we found crowds of people already lining the parade

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-68031194089108205982008-03-26T22:02:00.004Z2008-03-26T22:42:52.476Z

We went into London earlier this week for lunch with friends, and to see a wonderful and highly recommended performance of "Buddy", currently playing at the Duchess Theatre on the West End. It was terrific, as one would expect from the reviews. Hopefully you will have an opportunity to see it soon.For a change things went really well with our rail journey. Reports that much of the Easter

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-45710019589267653292008-03-24T20:46:00.003Z2008-03-24T21:15:16.903Z

We hopped off to Prague last week for a few days of R & R, that stands for research and relaxation. Research, as we wanted to look for the origin of a 19th century painting we bought in Italy a few years ago. The antique dealer we bought if from said it came from an estate in Hungary. Upon further study, we saw the piece resembled the Nazarene era in central Europe and looked remarkably like

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-19594394118098894772008-03-22T23:00:00.002Z2008-03-22T23:40:33.137Z

Having just returned from a quick trip to Prague (more coming), where we flew on one of British Airways' older B-737's, I felt compelled to take note of a sign of the continuing decline in the refinement of airline travel.  On the way down from London I happened to notice that there was an unfilled hole in the back of the seat in front of me.  Then I saw that all the seats had these holes, and I

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299093.post-86344765846476793702008-03-15T22:31:00.009Z2008-05-26T00:07:07.428Z

On a more upbeat note from the peace demonstration (see previous post), our Ides of March outing was more than saved when we were fortunate enough to get seats at a pre-opening performance of Jersey Boys playing at the Prince Edward. This play about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons has achieved rave reviews from La Jolla, California where it was first staged, all the way to Broadway. We sat

David Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09380516861146013177noreply@blogger.com0