Le REX Hotel

by Adrienne Wilson on

A lucky little poot of a friend of mine gets whisked away to France for the Jazz in Marciac festival to play with Wynton Marsalis and does me the favor of sending this link to Le REX Hôtel where he is presently camping out. Hisssss… Boo! Puh! No, no, what I mean is I’m happy for him. Really! With the link he states that the hotel is some thing rather amazing and from that point I found myself whisked away with the link.

Le REX Hôtel looks like one of those ultra design pads with neon glowing lights, see-through bathrooms, and extremely chic furniture from the bedroom to the lobby. If I were strolling along the outside the exterior would certainly have me wondering what the interior was like. Located at 10, cours Gambetta in Tarbes (the heart of the Pyrenees) other amenities and room features include sound-proof rooms, flat-screen TV, satellite channels, ADSL & WiFi, minibar, around the clock room service and shoe-shining service just to give you an idea.

Although virtually traveling to the place wasn’t so bad, I’d definitely say it seems worth checking out online and checking in if/when/while in France.

Word for the Travel Wise (08/03/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Whoa! Now here’s a cool affair to attend if you have the time, money and desire to travel Mongolia. Apparently 2006 is the 800th anniversary of Great Mongolian State and Mongolians are planning several events to help visitors follow in the footsteps of the great Genghis Khan. The trip looks to be made on horseback and details about the historical expedition can be found at Discover Mongolia. You better act fast though if you’re really interested in something like this – trip dates are only slated for August 13-22, 2006 and September 3-12, 2006. As Neil mentioned sometime ago, there is no better way to explore Mongolia than on horseback. All-in-all it seems like a win-win situation for anyone who actually makes the journey over.

Today’s word is a Mongolian word used in Mongolia:

mori – horse

Mongolian is an Altaic language and spoken by over two million people throughout Mongolia (where it has official language status) and by up to three million people in northern China. Wikipedia doesn’t offer much for increasing your Mongolian vocabulary, but it has great background information. Learning Mongolian online will be tough without an understanding of their alphabet or script used. Omniglot is the perfect place to begin to start learning the alphabet. For quick reference use LP’s Mongolian Phrasebook on your trip.

Word for the Travel Wise (08/02/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Sad as it sounds – summer is almost over and if you wait too long you’ll blink, miss it and will have gone without a holiday abroad. If you’re still thinking up an escape plan for the little ones and yourself before the season ends or an enchanting getaway for you and your special someone, I tell all to check out the Campo Maior Flower Festival. The event takes place the first week of September in Campo Maior, Portugal and the town decorates the area with vibrant papers and flowers. Absolutely beautiful and fun for all – especially your young explorers!

Today’s word is a Portuguese word used in Portugal:

crianças – (kree-ang-sash) children

Easy Portuguese online offers a small dictionary of useful words, useful phrases, and a couple of short lessons to get you started. Most have audio clips including our word for the day found here. Portuguese Language dot net has excellent historical info on the language and numerous tools to help you get motivated and be successful at learning the 6th most spoken language. For Portuguese heard in Portugal you can download mp3 audio from BBC, which I’m sure there are several similarities between the two countries. Those interested in classroom study abroad can click here for more info at Franco Americano.

Past Portuguese words: xixi, bronzeador, lanchonete, esquerda

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of June 25

by Adrienne Wilson on

Looks like another Friday has snuck up on us which means it’s time to list some of our favorite posts this week on Gadling. If you missed them before, here they are now:

5. Summer Hot Spots of the Rich and Famous:
Following the every move of movie and music stars has never been a personal past time of mine and while I choose to believe that most people are in the same category of caring less, I know I’m wrong. More people than I could ever possibly count will click into People.com, including some of our very dear Gadling readers to spy on the likes of famous folk on their glittery vaca’s in the Maldives. Thank Karen for the inspiration to do something great with your own summer days.

4. Most Expensive Cities:
Those of your traveling on a super tight budget will want to check out Neil’s blurb on the most expensive cities according to the U.S. based Mercer Human Resource Consulting, who just released their updated list. Last year Moscow was fourth on that very list and this year it gets tops for most expensive city. Apparently the folks there feel just a bit differently.

3. Air Conditioned Shirt:
Alrighty – Leave it to one of our fellow human beings to think up a gear item like the air conditioned shirt. Never in all my years would I have thought to see a shirt with a built in fan, but Erik has uncovered this unique piece of cooling cloth and makes a good point of how handy it could become in the Amazon.

2. Sounds to Sail to the Islands:
My longing to go to the islands and eclectic taste in music either from the islands or by an artists with roots in the area mentioned, lead me to creating this small guide for people looking to escape to a warm locale surrounded by water. Check out my list of good summer tunes and places to go after listening to them.

1. Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Series:
Most of you know that I’m allergic to scuba diving and such now, but I can’t knock a good post when I see one and for underwater enthusiasts this is a must see. Erik directs our attention to Lonely Planet guide’s latest quest to update and publish five volumes of its Diving & Snorkeling series. Peep the post for a list of the upcoming releases.

Sounds to Sail to the Islands

by Adrienne Wilson on

Sit listening to my music collection on party shuffle  for an hour and you’ll find I’m all for jarring sound transitions. Follow me closely here. Music is about movement. It’s about the flowing, swaying, and gyrating movement of bodies rocking harmoniously on packed dancehall floors in places with little ventilation. Sometimes it’s sudden and spur of the moment while others it’s calculated. Most of us find music takes away in the comfort of our homes allowing our limbs the freedom to burst out in the most unlikely body gestures and some will set adrift to discover music exotic places. I’m for the later idea.

Here’s a few of my own top music picks to help you skip to the islands this summer including concert and festival happenings around the area:

5. Sail to: Portugal’s Azores islands, Europe
When: July & August – several music events happening throughout the islands.
Song: Island of Wonder – Nelly Furtado (album: Folklore)

4. Sail to: Barbados, West Indies
When: July & August – for the island’s popular five-week Crop Over festival with origins tracing back to the 1780’s.
Song: A Girl Like Me – Rihanna (album: A Girl Like Me)

3. Sail to: Oahu, Hawaii
When: August 4-5, 2006 – 13th Annual Hawaiian International Jazz Festival.
Song: Moana Chimes – Jon Brion (album: Punch Drunk Love sdtk)

2. Sail to: Ibiza, Spain
When: July & August – Clubs and clubs galore! Dance in the day or dance at night. If you’re a bit on the mellow side, lay out in the sun at Playa de Ses Salines where DJ is sure to be spinning a record or more.
Song: Wake Up With Me – Be Noir (album: Undiscovered Ibiza)

1. Sail to: Jamaica, West Indies
When: August 3-6, 2006 – The world’s greatest Reggae festival, Reggae Sunsplash, returns and the roster looks as promising as ever.  What better island to be jammin’ on than Jamaica?
Song: Sun is Shining – Bob Marley & the Wailers (album: Kaya)