Sunday Drive: Tuscany Suggestions

by Jamie Rhein on

Okay, it’s Sunday and still in the days before the calendar says that summer is officially over. Being that it’s still summer, and it’s a drippy grey day in Columbus, I’m thinking if I were to go on a drive today, where would be a terrific place to go. Someplace that looks golden. Italy came to mind. Here’s are suggestions I found at Foder’s Travel Guide under the link, “Tuscany scenic drives and wine tasting.’ From what I read, this is a perfect time of year to head to the hills.

(This photo by timory2 was taken last September and is called Tuscany: driving along the highway at sunset.)

The road between San Quirico d’Orcia and Montepulciano was one of the recommendations made by Stu Dudely. (the second post) It seems he has been to Tuscany several times, so he is a person whose advice is worth checking out. Other people who have followed his tips have recently left comments thanking him for his suggestions. His suggestions center around the more quaint and low-keyed towns and villages of the region and he waxes poetic in his decriptions of the freshly plowed fields, the castles, vineyands, olive growvs and farm houses that this journey meanders through. Wine tasting, of course is part of the pleasure.

Along with giving suggestions of what to see, Stu lists where to stay. One mention as stay worthy is Relais La Sarincina in Pienza. This is a small scale hotel. For upscale, I came across this one. Villa San Giovanni one place to consider wanting to feel like royalty is what you are after. It was once a palace, now turned into a hotel.

If you go on a drive in Tuscany, know what the driving rules are. Here are some tips to help you take in the countryside safely.

Monty Python Day: Reenact the Holy Grail

by Jamie Rhein on

Neil wrote a post about the best swear words in various languages, some perfect for lobbing insults. How about this bit of dialogue? Sound familiar?

“ French Soldier: I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.”

“Sir Galahad: Is there someone else up there we can talk to?
French Soldier: No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.”

(Quotes from IMDb: Memorable Quotes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

The first time my friends and I saw the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we recounted this particular scene afterwards just to laugh some more. I’m not quite sure why “I fart in your general direction,” is so funny, but the scene is still a hoot. And I’m not the only one who still thinks so.

Today, 500 lucky people who snagged a ticket are at Doune Castle in Scotland to reenact scenes from the movie as part of Monty Python Day. The 1300s castle is a real one and not just a set. The rest of the year, it’s open for people to tour the rooms and imagine life back in when it was occupied by Robert Stewart, the Duke of Albany. However, on Monty Python Day, it’s turned over to silliness.

The tickets are already sold out, so it’s too late to go this year’s event, but keep this in mind as a September thing to do next year. This year is the event’s third. Since the movie is what mostly brings tourists to this Scottish location, I bet that Monty Python Day will continue to flourish. To tide you over until you can get there, here’s the insult scene (starting before Sir Galahad and his men reach the castle) posted on You Tube. I wonder if at the event today any animals came hurling over the wall? Thanks to Marilyn Terrell at Intelligent Traveler for pointing out this fun and frolic happening.

Madeline L’Engle and a Wrinkle in Time in Albany, Oregon

by Jamie Rhein on

I wanted to find Wrinkle in Time tours or Madeleine L’Engle tours because she died this week and her Newberry Award winning book A Wrinkle in Time is perhaps one of the best examples of travel writing there is. Okay, maybe that’s stretching it, but seriously, isn’t traveling through time and space a travel theme that appears over and over again?

At any rate, I was hoping to find a travel angle so I could pay Madeleine L’Engle a fitting tribute. That book is my all time favorite–a treasure–something beyond just a good read–a book that as a writer, and as a person on this planet with all its troubles and triumphs, I am inspired by. I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the theme of good overcoming evil. Or that in there is a place in the world for oddballs, and that listening to your internal compass is a worthy travel guide. Or is it that it’s just so perfectly written?

I couldn’t find a Wrinkle in Time tour that has anything to do with the book or with Madeleine L’Engle, but I did find an article on the historic town Albany, Oregon with a heading, “A Wrinkle in Time.”

Albany, Oregon is featured as a weekend getaway destination on Via, a AAA companion publication. Here’s what makes Albany worth going to: 700 historic buildings (the most in one place in Oregon); covered bridges (8 of them on a driving tour), tree shaded streets for strolling, and eating and shopping establishments that are geared towards retaining the flavor of small town charm. If you go there, think of Madeleine, even though, she has nothing to do with the place. The photo is of one of the covered bridges in Albany. Think of it as a metaphor for crossing over from one place to another, the known to the unknown–like traveling through space and time–like in A Wrinkle in Time. Just trying to make a connection here.

Paris Raises $42 million to keep out McDonald’s and other Pop Ilk

by Neil Woodburn on

Every few months we revisit the “cultural invasion” theme here at Gadling. You know the one: an angry populace somewhere on the other side of the planet fighting against the arrival of a Starbucks or McDonald’s and the subsequent death of local culture which will arise as a result.

This week, we cruise on over to Paris, France (big surprise!) where local Parisians are battling the onslaught of foreign pop culture in their own special way. The concern here is for the future of the bohemian Left Bank. This swath of bookstores and cafes is practically hallowed ground in the French capital; the arrival of a McDonald’s would be almost sacrilegious.

To prevent this from happening, the local city council has established a fund of more than $42 million to prevent large corporations from muscling in. The money is to subsidize the sale of any building in the area so that only bookstores, cinemas, and other bohemian ventures can purchase the property and move in. Large companies will simply be barred from the market.

I rather like this idea! I’m not sure it’s legal, but I fully support the cause nonetheless. Viva la bookstore! Death to Ronald McDonald! Or, something like that.

Unusual Hotels: From Large Dogs to You Name It.

by Jamie Rhein on

For a fun romp through the world’s most unusual hotels, check out Unusual Hotels of the World, an on-line travel guide for the truly wacky and wonderful places to stay. This is a slick, slick Web site that reminds me of the thrill of opening presents or watching the mystery prizes of a game show unfold. I meant to do a quick look-see, but instead moved my cursor over the catagories to uncover the wonders of the world for some evening entertainment. (I had taken my daughter and a friend of hers to a movie earlier, so I’m not a total social reject.)

There are 20 different hotel categories represented by icons. The desert category has a camel; clouds represent fantasy; prison bars represent prisons (!) and a circle inside a circle that is a bit off, is one-of-a kind, etc. Finding out what the symbols represent kept me engaged. Ecotourism, kids and romance are some of the others. Then, move your cursor over a symbol, and a picture of a hotel in that category appears with a brief description. When you click on that, other properties appear. By clicking on those, you can find out specific details about each hotel. A thermometer graphic shows their ratings from “Different” to “WOW” Some hotels are under multiple categories.


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For example, at the “One of a Kind “category, the huge beagle in this photo appeared. It measures high on the WOW factor which means its more than just wacky, perhaps into something that is wild and wonderful. The dog with the deck in the photo is Dog Bark Park Inn, a B&B created by artists Dennis and Frances Sullivan in Cottonwood, Idaho. They also carve dogs out of pine in the folk art tradition, so along with staying in the hotel, you can watch them work and take a dog home with you.

If staying in a dog doesn’t interest you, there are pages and pages of other options. The creators of the Unusual Hotels of the World guide, Simon and Steve have a cache of contributors who reside in various parts of the world, penning about travel as they scout out locations worthy of inclusion. The homepage highlights the latest additions. As a note, the hotels price ranges, like their themes, vary. Some are major bucks. Others are doable if you are on a tight budget.