source: forbes traveler

But, Mardi Gras is only one of many festive Carnivals taking place all of the world this week. Street parties, parades, and people donned in vibrant colors, feathers and beads are a part of Carnival celebrations from Aruba to Trinidad and Tobago to Rio de Janiero.

It seems like every year I’m wishing I was celebrating Carnival, but because the dates vary year-to-year, it always sneaks up on me and I miss it. However, I’ve discovered that Carnival isn’t just celebrated in February, but its held throughout the year around the world.

For instance, Carnival is being celebrated February 23-24 in Aruba, Trinidad/Tobago, Rio de Janiero, New Orleans, Dominica, and Guyana. But, I can still catch Carnival celebrations in Jamaica, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Cayman Islands during the month of April. St. Lucia in June; Barbados in August; and St. Kitts, St. Croix and the Bahamas in December and January. Go here for a listing of more 2009 Carnival dates.

Carnival and Rio go hand-in-hand. If this is the spot where you want to celebrate Carnival next time, you can get your trip planning started early. We’ve got you covered, with a a list of Rio Carnival Dates from 2009 to 2030. Talk about pre-planning!

Carnival isn’t just a Caribbean or South American celebration, Carnivals take place in Venice, Germany, Canada, and the U.S (hey, even ATL celebrates Carnival!). Forbes Traveler has some great photos of how various countries celebrate Carnival. Check it out.

Trinidad

But now I have no excuse to experience the mother of all parties. I’m grabbing my beads and going to shake my “tailfeather”….somewhere…somehow…sometime soon. Question…where should I go for the most ‘unique’ Carnival experience? I know this question will be open for debate…but we welcome it!

JetSetters, have you experienced Carnival? If so, tell us where and your best experience. If you’re like me and you haven’t, where you’d like to celebrate Carnival if given the opportunity?

Share your thoughts.

A girl from Detroit and one from St. Louis were randomly paired together as roommates freshman year in college at Xavier University of Louisiana, KD Hall Room 511, and 11 years later (11 YEARS!) Janelle and I are still friends! There is this social networking site, XU Gold, where Alumni hook up and she sent me a message – Synopsis: I am going to Germany and I want to be the next JetSet Diva of the Month. I got the pictures from the trip before I actually read the message so, I’m calling her to see if she will accept such an HONOR as being named the JetSet Diva of the Month and she’s calling to tell me about the trip and so it…!
I get to wrtie about my friend, Dr. J, our JetSet Diva of the Month.


Please read her ‘virtual interview’.






Recently you visited Germany and The Netherlands. What made you decide to visit?
My husband recently started a new job, [and] the headquarters are based in Kelve, Germany. We were invited to come for the company annual Christmas party.

Did you see any great cultural differences between Europe and the USA?
The Germans tend to eat more organic food that is grown on farm land near their homes. They also, eat more pork than beef or red meat. There are trails that cross the country side for walking and bike riding. One could walk from town to town if he/she desired. In the Netherlands, the main difference is that marijuana is legal.

What are some of the other places you have visited domestically and internationally? Which is your favorite location and why?
Domestically I have traveled to Hampton, Baltimore, Chicago, Nashville, Little Rock, New York, and Boston just to name a few. Internationally, I have visited Windsor, Canada, Los Cabos, Mexico, Bahamas and Jamaica. My favorite place was Negril, Jamaica. The weather was awesome and the water was warm with great spots of snorkeling.

We hear you are expecting! Do you have any tips for Traveling Mommy-to-Be Divas?
I would highly recommend some compression socks; they help prevent swelling of your ankles and feet. Also, I would suggest comfortable clothing to wear on the plane. Lastly, get up and walk around everyone hour as well as use the restroom frequently

What is your dream destination?
Italy


What are your next vacation plans?
We have a baby on the way, so traveling will be on hold for a little while.

Any words of travel wisdom you would like to share?
When going to Europe use the ATM for money, don’t exchange because you will lose money, the USA dollar is worth less.

Give us your best shot(s) (a photo from your travels) and the story behind it.

Visiting at a outdoor Christmas Market. Christmas Markets are huge in Germany. Most of the items are hand made by the vendors. In the background that is a 900 year old castle.

My husband Jimmie and I in the Netherlands standing in front of a 1000 year old church; the entire walk way was cobblestone. There were tons of outdoor shops, strip malls, cafes and restaurants, they went on for miles.

Area shot of shops and restaurants in the Netherlands.

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Want to share your travel experiences? Join our online community…and you just might be featured in our JetSet Diva or JetSetter (we’ve got love for the guys too!) of the Month column.

Madrid
I like to think of Madrid as the “heart of Spain”, geographically and figuratively. According to Frommers.com, the mayor of Madrid launched a new 7-year city program in 2005 aimed at transforming the capital into a world-class cosmopolitan center, with improved Metro and rail transport and the expansion of new barrios, or districts, especially in the north of the city. With this revitalization, there are numerous hotels in Madrid Norte available in the area.

If you’re like us and can’t wait to get back to Europe…add Portugal and Spain to the top of your list.

From Gnocchi in Argentina to Acaraje in Brazil, some of our favorite bloggers have food on there minds, and share with us some delightful tastes from their travels that will have you yearning for a bite! I’m getting hungry just writing about this!

- The Blissful Gutton shares some wonderful tales and mouth-watering photos of the culinary delights she partook in Argentina
- Farsighted Fly Girl tells us why a black-eye pea fritter known as Acaraje is a must have in Brazil.
- American Expat now living in Italy, Miss Expatria, takes a walk down food memory lane, as she reminisces on the memories certain food items conjure up.
- Journey Chic gives us a great gazpacho to enjoy before Fall sets in.
- In her blog, Why Travel to France, an American Expat now living in France gives us a glimpse of an array French pumpkins and squash, and show us that Harvest time is right around the corner.

Hope you enjoy this delicious buffet of tasty travel experiences!

I had to make the most of these cheap flights…especially on a very slim, college student’s budget. I got the chance to visit places like Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Weisbaden, Germany for less than $100 roundtrip on easyJet and Ryanair, respectively. You couldn’t beat that! Although that was over eight years ago, and in an extremely different economic climate (Dirt cheap flights are now up to £5 on Ryanair…darn inflation) , there are still some affordable flights departing from the U.K. that can be found. Like Travelocity and Expedia here in the U.S, Directline UK is a cool search engine to use to find great flight deals from numerous budget airlines in the U.K.

Needless to say, my childhood memories of songs like “My Favorite Things”, “So Long, Farewell”, and of course “Sound of Music”, came flashing back when I read a news story about one of the real-life daughter’s visit back to Austria to celebrate the opening of Hotel Villa Trapp.

The Sound of Music was based on a true story about Baron Georg von Trapp and his family who end up fleeing Austria to avoid the Nazi regime in the late 1930s. As depicted in the movie, the family always sang and played instruments, and fled to America to tour as ‘The Trapp Family Singers’. Most of the family still lives in Vermont today.

When the von Trapp family left their life behind in Austria, they left a villa in Salzburg, which was eventually seized by a Nazi security chief. After the war, missionaries gained possession of the home.

The Villa has now been converted into a hotel, Hotel Villa Trapp, and is scheduled to open to the public in October.This landmark is sure to draw many visitors to Salzburg, Sound of Music fans and those who want to learn more history about the real von Trapp family.

If you decide to stay at the Hotel Villa Trapp, and want to see more, Salzburg Panorama Tours offers Sound of Music Tours. You can check out the city tour of Salzburg, as well as a visit locations featured in the movie such as Mirabell Gardens, Residence Palace, and Rock Riding School. For a more off the beaten path tour, check out The Hills Are Alive Tours.


If you can’t get to Austria, you can get a little Sound of Music in the U.S. at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. You can stay at The Villas at Trapp Family Lodge where the website boasts, “the 2,400-acre resort with sweeping mountain views provides accommodations in an Austrian-style Main Lodge with 96 rooms and suites, 100 2-bedroom Guest Houses and 16 luxurious 3-bedroom Villas. Talented chefs prepare European specialties in The Dining Room, The Lounge and the Austrian Tea Room, complemented by nightly entertainment. First-class facilities are available for meetings and weddings.”

Whether it’s in Austria or Vermont…If you’re a fan of the movie like me, add a little music to your travel plans.

The articles not only highlight hand gestures, but also cultural practices, from driving to socializing, that are acceptable and those that are not. Because we always want to have good manners no matter where we go. In the June issue, Etiquette 101 highlights some do’s and don’ts of Mediterranean culture.

It’s all Greek to me…
Get this straight before you go…“yes” means “no” and “no” means “yes”. At least when it comes to head nodding.

As shown in the drawing above (sorry if my scan is kind of blurry), raising the head means “no” and lowering it mean “yes”. Watch how you gesture “five”…or you might just tell a vendor to go to a very “hot” place instead.

Hitting the road in Italy…
Just try not to get hit… whether your a driver or pedestrian. I never want to be the guy in scene #5.

source: concreteloop

Tennis superstars, Serena and Venus Williams, attended the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association tour Pre-Wimbeldon party at Kensington Roof Gardens this Thursday.

Roof Gardens is owned by British mogul and Virgin president, Sir Richard Branson. Located in central London near Kensington High Street, the property maintains 1.5 acres of themed gardens and has remarkable views of London’s skyline. The roof gardens is also considered a historical site, and is open to the public for visitation, except when private events are held and on club nights. It is strongly recommended to check availability first.

Visit the gardens by day, then come back and party at the Roof Gardens’ nightclub later on.
Club hours: Fridays and Saturdays. 10pm – 3am.
Admission: October – April, Friday: £15 & Saturday: £20. May – September, Friday: £20 & Saturday: £25.

To avoid the queue (going back to my London days) on club nights, you can join the club at various membership levels such as: Fly Higher, High Flyer, Long Haul, and they even have a Jet Set level. My kind of club!

source: n.e.r.d blog

Super producer, artist, and clothing line designer, Pharrell and fellow members of his group N.E.R.D, held an instore Meet and Greet album signing at The Hideout clothing store this past Wednesday. The Hideout is located on Upper James Street between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.














Also on Wednesday, Will Smith and co-star, Charlize Theron, walked the red carpet at the premiere of their new movie, Hancock, in Leicester Square. Next time there’s a London premiere in Leicester Square, go red carpet watching with this web cam, or check out a movie yourself at the the Odeon cinema, where most UK movie premieres are held.

source:concreteloop

Because of language barriers, we travelers sometimes have to use our hands to help get our point across. The article Etiquette 101: Hand Gestures reveals which gestures will do just that…and which are sure to offend the person your communicating with. We don’t want that to happen, so keep on reading…

In the future, Two JetSet Divas plan to occasionally highlight gestures from a specific country (the good, the bad, and the ugly) or the meanings around the world for gestures we use here in the U.S.




We’ll start with some common gestures:

Thumbs Up

America – Generally means “Cool” or “That’s good!”. Tilt the hand a little and it could mean “hitchhiking”.
Nigeria, Greece, Southern Italy, and parts of Russia and the Middle East – Considered an obscene gesture.
Austria, France, Germany – Means the number one.
Japan – Means the number five. So, you might think you said “That’s good” and end up ordering five more!




Okay

America – Generally means “A-OK”.
France – Means “zero” or “nothing”.
Denmark and Italy – Could mean an insult.
Brazil, Paraguay, Guatemala – Obscene gesture.

Peace sign

America – Generally means “peace”. If reversed (palm in), the gesture can mean “peace out” or “I’m gone”.
U.K. and Australia – If reversed (palm in), gesture is considered obscene.






Here’s a nice, yet complex chart of gestures from the Conde Nast article. The next time you trek around the globe, make sure you use your hands wisely.

source: Global Business Etiquette