Inyaka

Believe it or not, Cairo is one of those places that should really be on everyone’s must see list of travel destinations. It is rather like a Russian nesting doll, in that there is a succession of magical worlds to discover, many nestled within another and another. Cairo is charming, it contradicts itself; it is beautiful, noisy, crowded, and mysterious. It is everything you would expect from a place that is seven thousand years old.

Central Cairo is a particular must see, although it is still fairly young. There are museums, theatres, art galleries, and much, much more.

For a taste of history, Old Cairo is absolutely necessary. It is the link connecting the Islamic period with the Pharaonic period.

Alsace is another place off the beaten path. It is located in the eastern part of France, and shares its borders with Germany in the east as well as the Lorraine region in the west. It is considered the smallest region in the country, and it is absolutely gorgeous, nestled in between the Rhine and the Vosges mountains.

Because of the climate and setting, Alsace is also ideal for growing grapes and making wine; the environment is incredibly fertile.

It has many trademarks, not the least of which include: lovely villages and streets with charming, half timbered houses; beautiful mountain scenery; many castles, quite a few in ruins, which can make for some very historical exploring.

The personality of Alsace is individual; it is neither solely French nor solely German, but instead exists somewhere in the middle. That may be the reason it is considered to be one of the friendliest regions in all of France.

When most people think of visiting France, Paris is the first destination that comes to mind. The city is unquestionably a beautiful, exciting one, but there are many other fun destinations in the country, such as the Cote d’Azur.

It comprises some of the Mediterranean coast on the south eastern side of France, and it is well known for its many resorts. It is rich, luxurious, and definitely sophisticated.

Don’t worry, though, if you catch it in the off season, the prices can be a bit more reasonable, and trust me when I say that resorts are not the only thing the Cote d’Azur has to offer, not by any means.

That is why you need to go off the beaten path. Nice, Cannes, and Saint Tropez are great, but they are not the only things there.

Now that we have talked a little bit about finding the perfect location for you, let’s go ahead and talk about booking the actually bed and breakfast.  For example, if you have any diet issues or are allergic to anything, you want to make sure that the breakfast that they are going to be serving is something that you can eat.  Also – a lot of bed and breakfast places allow pets or even have pets of their own, if you have an allergy, you want to make sure that you ask.

Smoke is also a concern to some people.  While many bigger hotel chains are going smoke-free, bed and breakfast inns are not always the same thing, so make sure that you keep that in mind.  Also, if you are bringing your children, some B&Bs do not allow children.

All of these things are very, very important and should be addressed before you book your reservation!

When you think about it – what is different about a B&Ber versus a regular traveler?  Well, B&Bers are generally people who are looking for more of a relaxed place to be and they truly like to take in everything about the bed and breakfast.  However, did you know that there are tons of different tips that can really help you appreciate your bed and breakfast?  That is what we are going to talk about in the next few blogs!

One of the first things that you, as the B&Ber need to do is make sure that you ask a heck of a lot of questions about the bed and breakfast before you book.  You want to make sure that you are choosing something that not only looks amazing, but also that suits all of your needs. 

Choosing a bed and breakfast that might be a little on the modern side only works for some people.  There are other bed and breakfasts that actually are historic and if you love history, that would work for you.

Greece is rife with hauntings. In fact, many of the oldest record stories of ghosts and hauntings originate in Greece.

There are thus a number of haunted locations in this gorgeous country. In Athens, the Maroussi Cemetary is said to be haunted by a little girl named Anna, who cries and appears to passing cars. There, the Pentelicus Mountain and the Davelis Cave within it is also home to strange phenomena.

The Island of Santorini is said to be a burial ground for those who were suspected of being vampires.

Mount Olympus is home to Mytikas Peak, where many visitors report that they are overcome by the very spirits of the gods who once congregated there.

At Mount Parnassus, one can visit the Oracle of Delphi. It is rife with ghosts, spirits, and even knowledge offered by the dead.

In light of the spirit of the last few posts, I have to decided to chronicle some of the hottest, most haunted vacation spots located all around the world, for those holiday makers with a more adventurous, macabre bent.

First off, we have St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is hope of the Myrtles Plantation.

It is absolutely steeped in haunted romanticism, evocative of the old South, which is filled with many ghosts.

The plantation in particular houses many of them, such as General David Bradford, also known as “Whiskey Dave.” In building his home, he did so right atop a burial ground for the Tunica Indians.

A follow up involves what may be one of the earliest recordings of Munchausen’s-by-proxy: a slave girl paid back her owner for cutting off her ear by baking a birthday cake laced with oleander for one of his daughters.

In a state where ghosts and hauntings run rampant, the Myrtles Plantation is one of the richest examples.

When you think about it, what is the best place in the world to be when it is Halloween?  Well – a haunted house, if you can’t be in a haunted house specifically, what about a haunted B&B?  That is my thought and in the last post, we explored on of the top B&B’s that is haunted and now, we are going to tale a look at another one nestled in Valparaiso, IN!

The Inn at Aberdeen is actually the Inn that is featured in the book Haunted Hoosier trails.  There are so many different ghosts tucked away in this one – this one inn, it truly is amazing.  Guests have reported seeing a little girl ghost that has been known to mess with the guest’s stuff.  This little girl ghost also has been known to turn on the fireplace in their rooms.

The Indiana ghost trackers investigated this particular inn and reported that the original owners died with her two children.  Imagine – a haunted inn on Halloween, what could be better?

By far – Halloween is the best time to go on vacation.  Not only is this particular holiday fun but the landscape of where you go is awesome.  Now – check this out, did you know that there are actually haunted places … hotels, bed and breakfasts and even particular rooms that you can go stay in?  Well, there are and we are going to explore a couple of them.  The first is Strawberry Creek Inn B&B.

This particular B&B is has gone through many, many different incarnations.  From a restaurant all the way to a home for troubled boys and now – it is a bed and breakfast.  A local clairvoyant actually spotted six different spirits in this house and honestly, it is scary!  Guests have reported everything from a freezing cold room all the way to a little spirit girl asking if the guest was her mommy.

Pictures have flown off of the walls and sometimes doors are held shut – all of this happens and if it is something you are into, that might – might be a great place for you to stay!

To be perfectly honest, if you are a gay individual and you want to travel with your partner, it can be difficult for you to find a place that is going to be friendly for you.  When you are on vacation with your partner, you should be able to feel free and be free – go out and kiss, hold hands and just enjoy being together.  That is not something that you can do everywhere; however we are going to outline some of the top destinations for gay travel.

Firstly, Provincetown in Massachusetts is the top pick for all gay travelers.  Not only will you get to get out and be yourself, but there will be a ton of other gay couples – all over the place.  There are beautiful beaches, great guest houses, gay-owned restaurants and all sorts of night clubs that feature the best gay entertainments.

Winter is the off-season for this place, however it is definitely one of the best places to go in the winter – or the summer, it just depends on what you want!