Arts and Entertainment

Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island that is off the coast of Cambodia. I wonder if it will someday be contentious. It is the largest island in Vietnam and on the fast track for tourism development. In fact, they would like it to, one day, rival Thailand’s Phuket Island as an island getaway. I have known about it for several years and finally decided to visit this year.

We found that taking the train to New York and then a cab to the JFK airport is a way to save on airfare. Our round-trip ticket to SE Asia was $586. The same trip departing from Syracuse costs between $1,000 and $1,500 per person. The train and cab for the two of us costs about $350. Besides the impressive savings we flew ANA (All Nippon Airways) which has more amenities

Too much snow, too much cold, too much ice? Have you had enough of winter? And there is more to come? There are places where it is easy to forget about the winter. Plan a pool party – great for kids and adults alike. The newly opened Holiday Inn Express in Oswego has a pool party package. They have a heated indoor pool and whirlpool. The four-hour pool package includes use of the Banquet Room (bring your own food or order delivery).

John and I often spend the last couple days of a trip treating ourselves by staying at someplace special. We decided to stay at a pousada. The pousadas of Portugal are a group of unique places to stay. On our last trip we stayed at several and I will never forget looking out the window of my room in Pouasda of Palmela, a medieval castle. I know how Repunzel must have felt.

While we were in Lisbon, John and I decided to take a half-day trip out of the city. We had visited Sintra years ago but I was so impressed with Pena Castle that we decided to take the Sintra daytrip instead of the trips that went to the beach and/or Fatima. They were too long. Sintra is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered the most romantic town in Portugal. The guide provided an interesting documentary on the way as we passed various sites including the impressive 11-mile Livres Aqueduct.

John and I were in Portugal in 1997, but we didn’t visit Lisbon. At that time, we rented a car and drove up the coast to Fatima and didn’t want the hassle of driving in the city. This time, we stayed in Lisbon for a week – no rental car. We used our frequent flyer miles for our air tickets and our IHG points to stay at the Holiday Inn Lisbon Continental. It was centrally located across from the large Parque Eduardo VII.

John and I have been to Hudson, Ohio, several times because our daughter and her family live there. I thought I knew a fair amount about John Brown. We had been to his burial site North Elba, NY, near the ski jump in Lake Placid. For a time, Brown settled in the black community, which was created on land provided by the philanthropic and anti-slavery proponent Gerrit Smith.

There are two very different Ostias. One is referred to as Ostia Antica, an archeological site. It is in the suburb of the city of Ostia, which is on a beach and where the people from Rome go to escape the heat. What a perfect blend – history and beach just 30 minutes from Rome’s international airport. John and I stayed at Hotel Sirenetta on the lido where the prices were reasonable enough so we could reserve a room with a balcony facing the Tyrrhenian Sea.