Island paradise: Turks & Caicos

A recent public relations press trip took me to Turks & Caicos - my first time in this gorgeous island nation, located just southeast of The Bahamas. I stayed on Providenciales, at The Somerset on Grace Bay, an all-suite hotel located directly on Grace Bay Beach, which is considered one of the top 10 beaches in the world.

And it's easy to see why! On our first night, we were welcomed with The Somerset's weekly Beach BBQ. The party included a buffet featuring chicken, ribs, salads and desert - and tables were set up down on the white sand.

There was even a bonfire, rum bar and a DJ that encouraged everyone to get up and dance after dinner!

I tried to squeeze in a bit of exercise on my trip - rotating between The Somerset's gym, snorkling down the beach, and swimming laps in the pool. It really was a pretty active beach vacation; we spent our afternoons enjoying the resort's water sports - ocean paddle-boarding, kayaking, sailing, and more. The ocean was so calm, perfect for all of the little kids splashing around in the clear turquoise water.

We also explored Provo, visiting Da Conch Shack for some cracked conch and conch salad (my favorite), the world's only conch farm, and the island's cultural center for an overview of the destination's history.

And my suite? All I can say is that the kitchen was bigger than my entire New York City apartment. The accommodations start at a sprawling 1,400 square feet - HUGE!

I must get back to Turks & Caicos soon. It would be great for a weekend getaway, with such short, direct flights from New York. Forget the east coast beaches, I want to relax on Grace Bay Beach.

Dulce de leche and lost in translation

I explored Paraguay and Argentina for 10 days in May, sampling every steak and baked good dripping with dulce de leche along the way. This was by no means a relaxing vacation (aside for a half-day of pampering in Asuncion), but a fabulous whirlwind trip filled with sightseeing, shopping, a birthday celebration, late nights and early mornings. I was lucky enough to be in Paraguay for the 200th anniversary of independence (bicentenario), which meant concerts and fireworks every night and that the city was decorated in their patriotic red, white and blue. A few highlights:

Family Fiascos: Germany - Part III

I arrived in Germany with a VERY limited, VERY rusty German vocabulary learned at the Stoll residence over the years. Their family used to speak in German with the Au Pair du jour at the dinner table and I'd picked up a couple of key phrases over the years. However, I quickly learned that almost everyone in Germany speaks English.

[And when in doubt...throw in a "Prost!"]

After three hours reading about technology and science at the bland Deutsches Museum, Craig and I decided it was time to check out the world-famous beer hall, Hofbrauhaus.







Over the course of our time in the beer hall, we sat with Germans from Colon (who, despite a severe language barrier, taught us their national anthem and declared that I was destined to marry their son), two ladies from Southern Spain who told me I spoke flawless Castillian Spanish (!!!) and a spirited group of American backpackers who invited us back to their hostel bar for after-hours.



Apparently, I caught the eye of an older gentleman from Istanbul who asked me to dance. He spun me around to the cheers of the band and the bar patrons, then sat me back down, providing me with an "open invitation to visit Istanbul."


The following night, we asked a local waitress for nightlife recommendations. After some thinking, she gave us directions to Milchbar in Kunstpark Ost (an open park, formerly a factory ground, in the middle of nowhere that is home to about 30 different nightclubs). This dance club was seriously embracing the 80's, and I felt right at home. We danced until dawn and then enjoyed some freshly-baked bavarian pretzels in the market near our hotel.

Always smart to ask the locals.

Family Fiascos: Germany - Part II

We ran across the airport, [politely] cut the entire line at security and delivered ourselves to the terminal with two minutes to spare...only to find out that the flight was delayed by an hour. Well, at least we got a workout.

And what does one do with an hour to kill at 6am in Barajas Airport? Duty-free shopping, of course. I decided I wanted a new perfume. Totally reasonable thought for a Friday morning at dawn. Craig and I ran around the store, testing out each and every scent they had to offer (the employees must have loved us). Around 6:25 a.m., I settled on a classic: Prada. I pretended that the numbers shown were U.S. dollars, not Euros, and handed over my American Express.

Finally, we boarded the plane and arrived in Munich just a couple of hours later -- famished and in need of a serious nap. We collapsed into chairs at a cafe across from our hotel and I inhaled a rich bowl of cream of asparagus soup and half a basket of Bavarian pretzels with mustard.

After lunch and a quick power nap, we left the hotel to wander around Munich.

[of course, more to come...]