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

Okay, I know our blog is supposed to showcase how to travel affordably and see the world without breaking the bank. But, a Diva can dream occasionally, right? I dream that some day my eight hour trek across the Atlantic won’t be cramped in the middle seat between Ms. Talk-a-lot and Mr. Snore-too-loud. SOME DAY I’ll have my very own ’section’ and be able to change my seat into a bed…an office… a movie theater…a lounge…whatever I want! Some day, I tell ya.

Although I have dreams of traveling with the first class treatment in the future, it’s a reality today for passengers who travel on Eos Airlines. In operation since 2005, Eos Airlines provides flights between New York’s JFK Airport and London’s Stansted Airport. With only 48 seats on the aircraft and each seat having 21 sq. ft of personal space, Eos boasts that it has 40% more room than traditional business class cabins. This personal space does come with a price tag, however. Ranging from $2950 for weekend travel to $6500 for last minute bookings, Eos Airlines isn’t for the average Joe (or Joanna), but its fares are considered to be quite reasonable for ‘Joe, CEO’.

More travelers will have the opportunity to fly with Eos as the airline is scheduled to add new routes in places such as Newark (this Spring) and Paris (this Fall). Also, Eos is offering a promotional package to those who book a flight by April 11, 2008. If you purchase a ticket with a fare of $4000 or more, you can receive your choice of an iPod Classic or frequent flyer points. Purchasing a ticket with a fare less than $4000 will give you an iPod nano or points. Question though….if you’re dishing out $4K for a plane ticket, are you really too strapped to buy an iPod in the first place?? I mean, really. But it’s nice for them to offer, I guess.






A roundtrip ticket on Eos Airlines may not fit this JetSet Diva’s budget right now, but it’s our duty to share cool travel stories with our reading community. If anyone has flown with Eos or ever gets the chance to…tell us about your experience. For now, I’ll just keep on dreamin’ and say, “That’s fly”…

Ever had an early morning flight out of London? Ever wished you could sleep near your gate without getting a backache from sitting all night in those horrible airport seats? Well, try out a stay at YOTEL.

Conveniently located inside the terminals of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, YOTEL has all you need for a good night’s rest before your flight or a comfy nap during long layovers. For as low as £25 per hour, you can book a mini-sized “room” which includes a bed, bath, and even amenities such as wifi and flat-screen tvs.

YOTEL is a part of the YO! Company brand. I remember YO!Sushi and it’s conveyor belt concept from my London days back in 2000. Well, its appears that over the years the company expanded its brand in numerous areas, including hospitality. YO! Co. founder, Simon Woodroffe was inspired by the Japanese Capsule Hotel concept during a visit to the country in 2002. After a few years of planning, YOTEL opened in both London airports in 2007, and is scheduled to open this summer in the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.




I sure wish these babies were around when I was stranded at Gatwick for 24 hours. The Le Meridien (now The Sofitel) was connected to the airport, but put a real hurtin’ on this college girl’s wallet. Hey…Divas can’t deal with backaches! Next time…I think I’ll YOTEL it.