5 Ways To Save Big For Travel Abroad

September 5, 2018 by 33 Comments

I've always wanted to travel and see more of this big, beautiful world, but for many years traveling outside the United States seemed like just a dream, something other folks did but I would never be able to afford.   After I retired, Wanderlust really set in. The one place I had always wanted to visit more than any place else was Italy. With more free time on my hands, I started researching … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Best Travel Deals, Egypt, Germany, Holland & Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Travel



Where I Find the Best Travel Deals & Some Amazing Deals Available Right Now

June 6, 2018 by 29 Comments

Recently I shared a post where I highlighted a few items I always take when I travel abroad. If you missed that post, you'll find it here: 5 Essentials for Traveling Internationally. I love the comments you leave on posts--always learn new things from you with each and every post. The interactions and discussions in the comments are wonderful, appreciate those so much. On that particular post linked … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Best Travel Deals, Egypt, Germany, Holland & Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Travel, United States Tagged With: , , , ,



My 5 Essentials for Traveling Internationally

May 8, 2018 by 30 Comments

It's that time of year when a lot of us are thinking more about vacation and travel. Recently, a friend and I scheduled a trip for fall. (Read more about that here: Pyramids, Mummies and Cruising the Nile.) When I travel, sometimes there's very little time to prepare if I've jumped on one of the "last-minute-travel-deals" that some travel companies offer, but in the case of the fall trip, there's plenty … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Best Travel Deals, Egypt, Germany, Holland & Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Travel Tagged With: ,



5 Items I Always Take When Traveling Internationally

April 11, 2017 by 31 Comments

I discovered something new on this last international trip. I discovered that I much prefer taking the longer 8-9 hour flights during the daytime, instead of at night. This was the first trip I've been on where the longest flight took place during the day time. I always thought I'd be bored to death on a long flight, but I purchased the in-flight WiFi and that, along with some interesting reading, made the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Fashion & Beauty, Favorite Fashions & Home Goods, Holland & Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Travel Tagged With: , ,



The One Part of Travel I Always Dread and a New Tactic for Managing It

March 4, 2017 by 47 Comments

Email Update: I just noticed today that the company I use to send out emails for BNOTP, has been using the wrong return email address. It's been changed to the correct one which is [email protected] . So please add that address to your "approved contacts" or your email addresses. That will help to ensure that you'll receive email updates when a new post is up here on the blog. If you're one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Gift Ideas & Awesome Finds, Holland & Belgium, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Travel, United States Tagged With: , , , ,



How I Got Approved For Global Entry in 20 Days

January 24, 2017 by 49 Comments

When I booked a trip to Morocco recently, the agent who helped me asked if I had already applied for Global Entry. She was the second person to mention Global Entry to me that week. I took that has a sign and decided to apply.   I completed the application online on January 4, 2017 and today, just twenty days later, I received Global Entry Approval and a Global Entry number, aka, Known … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Best Travel Deals, Holland & Belgium, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Travel Tagged With: , ,



Decorating and Dressing in Blue & White

May 6, 2016 by 24 Comments

I'm a big fan of blue and white, just find it so beautiful. I've used a lot of that color in my guest room.     Well, no one does blue and white better than the Dutch! When I was touring this outdoor village that I shared in this post: Zuiderzee Museum, I got a wonderful surprise when I walked into one of the buildings there.   The entrance of the building and this room … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Repairs and Fixes, Favorite Fashions & Home Goods, Holland & Belgium, Travel Tagged With: , ,



Take A Tour of a Historic Dutch Home on the Zuiderzee in Enkhuizen

May 4, 2016 by 36 Comments

Please note: If you see any political ads running anywhere on the blog, please ignore them. All political ads are supposed to be blocked, but a few are somehow getting through the filters. I have someone working on it, so hopefully they will get them stopped soon. Yesterday we visited the pharmacy in the Zuiderzee Village Museum in Enkhuizen. Today I'm taking you further into this fishing village and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holland & Belgium, Travel Tagged With: , ,



Whimsical & Just a Little Weird: The Strangest Thing I Saw in Holland

May 3, 2016 by 52 Comments

Whew, yesterday was a long day. It's pretty much a full-day endeavor getting back home from Europe. Thankfully the plane ride was a direct flight. Funny thing on the plane, my seat mate was a guy who was a dead ringer for Scott Kelly, the astronaut who just spent a full year in space on the International Space Station. If he hadn't had an accent (I think it was Dutch) I definitely would have believed it to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holland & Belgium, Travel Tagged With: , , , , ,



A Canal Ride in Bruges, Belgium

April 27, 2016 by 43 Comments

Take a little ride with me through one of the many canals in Bruges, Belgium. Click on the photo below to ride, or click here: A Canal Ride in Bruges, Belgium.   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holland & Belgium, Travel Tagged With: , ,



Ferris Wheels and Windmills, A Visit to Amsterdam and Kinderdijk

April 24, 2016 by 51 Comments

Welcome to the 378th Metamorphosis Monday! Early Saturday morning, as I was flying into Amsterdam, I looked out the window of the plane and did a double take. Do you see them down there?   Lots and lots of windmills, smack dab in the middle of the ocean. How is that even possible, windmills in the middle of the ocean? I thought I'd see windmills on this trip, just had no idea I'd see … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holland & Belgium, Travel



Packing for The Netherlands & Going With a Go-Pro

April 19, 2016 by 79 Comments

Packing is definitely my least favorite thing about travel. It feels a bit overwhelming, trying to decide what to take to a far-a-way place you've never been, especially when the trip is occurring during the changing of the seasons. Per The Weather Chanel, the weather is going to be quite chilly during the time I'm away. I'm leaving sunny weather that's in 70's for a place where the high each day is in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Holland & Belgium, Travel