Category Archives: spain

October 10, 2012 · 2:43 pm

lola’s 5 airport essentials

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a few of my travel musts

ready for take off

if you are a frequent traveler like me, you probably have spent more than your fair share of time trekking through airports. barring the few times you may have seen me running through the airport like a crazed maniac to catch my flight, (I’M LOOKING AT YOU, ZURICH) these experiences don’t tend to be too bad. this is usually because a number of things go right AND many of them are because of my planning. in light of this, i decided to put together a check-list of airport essentials, that you might wish to put into your repertoire, whether it’s before leaving home or while you’re at the airport.

i always bring things to veg out with like books & magazines

number one: bring something to do while you are waiting at the airport and sitting for hours on the plane. for some, this may be just using your smart phone to play one of your many games like words with friends, solitaire or angry birds. BUT keep in mind, if the airplane doesn’t have WiFi, you’ll need other things to distract you. i bring music, magazines & a book to keep the boredom at bay. AND being a writer, i always have a notepad handy just in case i have a funny travel moment to document or find my creativity thousands of feet up in the air. actually, i usually do a lot of writing during my travels!

no matter where you are – grab some H2O

number two: buy a bottle of water once you’re through security. it’s extremely frustrating if you bring a big bottle of water to the airport with you, thinking you’re really sensible and prepared, only to have it confiscated the minute you go to security. i typically have this issue in between connecting flights. makes me SO crazy to pay for drinks only to have them taken!!! so to save any embarrassment, buy your water once you have gone through this ordeal and are on your way to the gate AND be sure to drink it before boarding your next flight or you’ll get it taken like i have a hundred times.

things lola always travels with – baubles, iPhone, flip flops, pashmina & moolah

number three: after all the long haul traveling i’ve recently done, i’m thinking compression socks are a REALLY good idea. i’ve never seen my feet & ankles so swollen than after my flight home from Asia and then to Spain. i also think that bringing a scarf, pashmina or blanket of your own is a MUST. you never know when an airplane is going to be frigid or that your fellow passenger will have a nasty cold that you’d like to cover your face from!

lola’s favorite jet lag remedy

number four: depending on where you are going, it’s always a good idea to bring on board any medications you’ll be needing while traveling and away. if i’m doing a timezone change of 3 zones or more, i always take No Jet Lag. BIG FAN of this jet lag remedy although there was NO HELPING me for my recent visit to Spain. jet lag definitely won the battle on that trip! some people need eye drops because the air on the flight is so dry. whatever your case may be definitely don’t take the chance of checking important prescription medications!!

carrying on the essentials for the ‘just in case’ clause

number five: lately, i’ve been taking some clothes in a carry on for a day or two of survival – just in case my bag didn’t make one of its connections. luckily, it has always arrived BUT this mode of operation gives me peace of mind. i also think any precious valuables should travel with you onboard. if it’s possible that your checked baggage is going to get ransacked by some kind of mystery security – i for one don’t want to trust that they won’t take my precious trinkets. FINALLY, probably the most important thing to remember to bring with you (BESIDES YOUR PLANE TICKET & PASSPORT – duh) is a sense of humor. air travel is full of obstacles that could make you MAD. better to laugh it off than to burst a blood vessel or worse, when dealing with all the unknown frustrations that air travel gives us all!

what helps you get by during your travels & is on your airport essentials list?

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October 5, 2012 · 7:53 am

Costa Brava Cocktails

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plus a little food porn

pleeeease don’t cut lola off!

so you may be wondering a couple of things. one, what exactly did all these alcoholic beverages look like in Costa Brava?! i know how you love my photos of cocktails and boozy stories. don’t worry, i didn’t disappoint in my visit to Spain. i pretty much only have photos of myself enjoying the local spirits! please take a gander.

let’s just start at the beginning with local beer

then it was cava cava cava

first of maaaaannnny gin & tonics

lola interrupts this amazing cocktails photo essay for a G&T break

beer with a faux soldier – i heart his eye patch

sangria the size of my head

still more G&T cocktails – ughhhh

catalan sangria made with cava

no lunch is complete without rose

AND WAIT FOR IT…

no dinner is complete without gin & tonics

the other thing i’m sure you’re thinking is why only a little food porn? i mean Spain is full of great food! well, while there was plenty of jamon for all to enjoy, lola pretty much stuck to a liquid diet. why? because i’m a dumb ass. of the food i did try, the cheese and ham were incredible.

leg of jamon anyone?

HANG ON what’s that? wine & cheese packaged together. me encanta!

AND i cannot say enough great things about the lunch and dinner i had on my blog trip in Costa Brava. delicious seafood – like the best i ever had AND wonderful paella. TO. DIE. FOR. thank you Costa Brava tourism board for making our incredible arrangements with Club Giverola & Es Blanc for the wonderful meals. they were pretty much all i ate while in Spain!

stuffed scallops, clams & mussels – Y.U.M.

XO – lola

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October 4, 2012 · 12:57 pm

TBEX – Girona, Spain

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the good, the bad and the ugly

ooo lala – kick off party at the castle

here we are. another Travel Bloggers Exchange aka TBEX has come and gone and all the “lessons learned and friends made” posts are coming out. i can say i did learn a thing or two and made a few new friends. yeah, it was THE BOMB.

BUT that’s not what you wanna hear now is it? you want the juice, the scoop, the dirt, the scuttlebutt. well, you came to the right blog. ‘where in the world is lola?’ has the gossip AND it’s completely ridiculous how many bloggers got accosted by this one crazy blogger. YEP, i’m talking about ME!

if you recall, last TBEX conference i claimed to have stage fright. well you no longer have to wonder how i made out! (AND NOT LITERALLY perverts) i’d say this TBEX lola jumped right past that stage fright, much to some fellow travel bloggers dismay. here’s the breakdown:

GOOD

cava was overflowing at the castle

learning, networking, partying. it was all that and more compared to my last TBEX in Colorado. i truly enjoyed the sessions and got more out of this TBEX that i will now apply to marketing my brand & making my blog better. i also enjoyed the networking. many, many of my favorite European bloggers were in attendance and i was beyond *thrilled* to finally actually meet them. NOW let’s discuss the parties. yeah, those were GRRREAT. lola managed to suck down plenty o cava at the castle, convince the bar to let buy my own G&Ts at the beach soiree and drink everything under the sun on Saturday night between the Cathedral beer to The River sangria to more G&Ts out at La Planeta – the club we ended up every night.

BAD

naughty lola buying drinks at the bar because the free ones weren’t good enough

flying in on Thursday and hitting the ground running with the kick off party. lola should really remember that cava (Spanish champagne) is not my friend. always gives me a terrible hangover. despite that and the jet lag, i managed to make it to all the sessions of day 1 of TBEX. cannot say the same for day 2. the exhaustion of everything FINALLY caught up with me. needless to say, this nearly killed lola and ruined my time.

flying in and rushing from one thing to the next also didn’t allow time to actually tour Girona. it’s a shame because i cannot share any stories about what is supposed to be a lovely city. (Girona’s auditorium is FAB) thank goodness i stayed on an extra couple of days and was able to visit a bit of Costa Brava. otherwise, i could have been anywhere for this conference! lesson learned: build in time on both sides of the conference to actually experience the location you are in. that’s my job & i like doing it. i felt a little short-changed from my time in Spain.

UGLY 

one of the gabillion gin & tonics i enjoyed in Spain. it really should have been BIGGER!!

this is what you really came here to read. i have no one is to blame but myself. i didn’t exercise much self-control in department of drinking. free booze = it’s hard to limit yourself. and, given that i’m really not a shy wall flower, the booze just further emboldened me to say more than a hello to a few of those “blogging heroes” i mentioned from the last TBEX. all i can say is LO SIENTO. yep, i introduced myself to the infamous Gary Arndt by referring to his blog all wrong. and when i had my first run-in with Nomadic Matt…let’s just say i feel badly for his ear. Johnny Jet, you are lucky you were on your honeymoon of a lifetime because you would have gotten #lolafied too.

lola loves LiveShareTravel!

thankfully, i don’t think i was offensive to most. two of my favorite things said to me were from Terry Lee of LiveShareTravel. 1) he said lola was like Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous. 100% correct. you get my character completely 2) Terry also said “Sarah and I agree that if you didn’t exist we’d have to invent you.” BEST COMPLIMENT EVER!

oh Will i heart you too!

then there was Will Peach. you know the dude i love to hate or whatever that phrase is. yes, this TBEX he didn’t have 5 things he’d rather be doing. he came, he saw, he kicked ass. BUT when it came to meeting me, well…i think there may still have been at least 5 things he’d rather be doing.

hobo lola

AND a heart-felt thank you to Stephen Otto of Walks of Italy. you’re a friend & a gentleman for scooping me up and sending me off in a cab. too bad i was locked out of my lovely flipkey apartment for over an hour “resting” on the stoop like a hobo. i’d like to say that my roommates slept through me buzzing them but we all know the truth is i was probably buzzing the wrong buzzer. bad lola!

i often say that i don’t need a babysitter but this visit to Spain may suggest otherwise. i’m happily accepting applications should you wish to accompany me in my crazy traveling escapades.

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September 26, 2012 · 10:04 pm

chilling in Costa Brava – Spain

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hola Costa Brava!

Costa Brava has been a popular destination for vacationers seeking sun, sand and value for money vacations since the early 1960s. its appeal is not surprising as the region has a wide range of attractions and types of holidays to offer its visitors like fine beaches, resorts packed with loads of activities and easy access to the rugged scenery of the Pyrénées. a great way to save time when considering the vacation options available is to consult websites like Holiday Hypermarket and Dealchecker which enable you to quickly compare packages from the major tour operators. this way, you can be sure that you are getting the best deal. here are a few reasons you might want to consider Costa Brava, Spain for your next vacation.

the beautiful rugged coastline – Costa Brava

Costa Brava Climate

if sunshine is a priority on your vacation then you will love Costa Brava. in the summer months there is an average of nine hours of sunshine a day and even in the winter you can still look forward to around five hours. temperatures are hot in the summertime but not unbearably so – the average is around 80 degrees. sounds perfecto to lola!

a lovely cove beach – Costa Brava

Costa Brava Beaches

the equable climate means that Costa Brava, Spain makes an ideal choice for a holiday by the sea and, luckily, it hosts some of the finest beaches in Spain. AND we all know how lola loves some fun in the sun! the town of Lloret de Mar, for example, has no less than five beaches, the main beach being a consistent winner of the Blue Flag award for its facilities and cleanliness. in sharp contrast to Lloret, there are countless small villages, each with its own tiny cove, offering the chance to escape from the hustle & bustle of the larger resort towns. these are particularly special – if you ask me! one of the best known of these is the lovely Cadaqués with its cobbled streets and white houses.

the fabled medieval city of Tossa del Mar – Costa Brava

Costa Brava Culture

although Costa Brava is a great choice for the traditional beach vacation, it also has much to offer those wishing to learn more about the history and culture of the region. a popular attraction is the Old Town in Tossa del Mar, a well-preserved fortified castle dating from the 14th century. much of the original architecture is still in evidence including turrets and towers complete with parapets. most of the larger towns have museums whose exhibits reflect the history and culture of the area. i particularly enjoyed my time in Tossa del Mar and look forward to sharing more of that in a future post.

like most other regions of Spain, Costa Brava has a program of local festivals which maintain the traditions of the area. for example, the Fireworks Contest held in Blanes draws visitors from all over the world. (gorgeous locale – by the way!) not to be missed, if you enjoy the music of Spain is the annual Night of the Musicians in Cassà de la Selva where local musicians gather for an evening of music played on traditional Catalan instruments.

as a vacation destination, Costa Brava has many attractions. amazing beaches, lively resorts and quiet, unspoilt villages await the chance to welcome their visitors. perhaps you should consider adding the area to your short list of places to go on your next vacation? i know i’ll be returning to explorar más!

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May 14, 2012 · 10:27 am

a lola twist on leah’s trois European Go with Oh cities!

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bring it, Europa!

OK so Leah has announced her four FABU choices for our European tour! Florence, Paris, Prague & Barcelona. Leah also described some of the things she’s looking forward to seeing and experiencing in these wonderful places. i know i don’t have to tell you what i’d like to do while in Paris – i wrote all about my dream trip there in my ‘Go with Oh’ entry.

BUT…aren’t you just the least bit curious what lola would do while tagging along with Leah in Florence, Prague & Barcelona? NO, i don’t have every detail worked out but i have started investigating and looking for some fun & different things i can do while there. you  see, while i will be going to most of the typical tourist sites and must-dos with Leah, i’ve actually already been to all four cities and so i want to find some really fantastic stuff to do that i haven’t seen or done before. might even be must-don’ts!

here’s what i have cooked up so far and, YES, i’m still using some of my favorite movies as inspiration for ideas.

Prague

did you know that parts of Mission Impossible 4 were filmed in Prague? how about some action-packed fun in a spy-like form for lola & leah? you know, climbing the side of the Prague Castle with little more than our harnesses, ropes & carabiners – mine will be ALL pink! naw…this is my glam European tour, not my get injured doing stupid stunts tour! so let’s just do the Prague Segway Movie Tour instead. less dangerous…i think anyway!

zoom zoom to the boom boom

the company that offers the tour provides ‘behind-the-scenes’ information and trivia about Prague and the films made there like James Bond, Amadeus & Mission Impossible. every segway also has a built-in DVD screen showing clips of each movie. hope that won’t distract me too much from keeping my eyes on the sidewalk! the company trains you on how to operate the segway so there’s no prior experience needed. PHEW! besides seeing stunning movie locations, it’ll be an easy & fun way to see many of the city’s famous sights like the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square & Old Town Square.

marionette me!

Prague is theatrical in other ways as well. besides the traditional theatre and music that surrounds the city, puppetry & marionette shows are easily found in Prague. i don’t necessarily want to go to a marionette show (i think it might be a little freaky) BUT i do want to search out a place to get a customized lola marionette made! you know how i like little mini-lola clones. it just so happens that Czechs are also known for their marionette-making skills. AND what a fantastic souvenir that will make! i also think it’d be super fun to do a photo session of myself being a life-size marionette. i need to seek out a perfect location and photographer willing to put up with me with “no strings attached” HA!

let me be your puppet, baby!

AND, like leah referenced, we will be drinking loads of Czech beer. i’ll probably need a few cold ones after the segway tour and before my marionette photo shoot! did you know that the Czech Republic has the highest per-capita beer consumption in the world?! i think the best way to discover all the varieties offered is to book a beer tasting tour perhaps even in the form of a pub crawl.

Czech Budweiser is much tastier in Praha

Florence

you know that scene in Under The Tuscan Sun where the seductive yet nutty blonde actress reenacts the fountain scene from La Dolce Vita? yeah, i wanna do that in some random fountain in a quiet square in Florence. YES, i’ve already thought about how it’ll be getting colder in Florence and i’m sure i will not look nearly as glamorous doing it BUT i’m not letting silly temperatures and vanity stop me! it will be SO AWESOME.

la dolce vita goodness

i know i can be a bit wild at times but it’s usually egged on by a wee bit of alcohol so i may need to drink some vino before pulling off my splashy fountain scene. trying as many “cult wines” as i can find might be the ticket! doesn’t that sound like sexy trouble! although, it seems i will need a vecchio amante danaroso (aka sugar daddy) because these cult wines are considered high quality and therefore are quite pricey. good thing i just learned i have a connection in the wine industry who works with Italian vineyards! maybe he’ll be my vecchio amante danaroso! AND, hopefully, seeking out these harder-to-find vintages might cut down on our time spent drinking all day. Toscana wine is home to some of the world’s most notable wine regions such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino & Vino Nobile di Montepulciano so there will be lots and lots of choices!

my kind of “cult”

as you can see, between “cult wines” and fountain stunts, i wanna break some rules in Florence! leah already knows this…and i’m sorry, i just can’t help it. i wanna get my hands on the MOST HANDSOME MAN ever created. DAVID! well maybe just my boa for a quick pic. not sure how i’ll be able to pull this off but if i do, god it’ll be great. one for the lola history books!

mmm…i’m at a loss for words

Barcelona

i’d like to have an experience in Barcelona with a handsome Spanish artist akin to Javier Bardem in Vicki Cristina Barcelona but without the crazy ex-wife Penelope Cruz character. AND don’t get any ideas that leah & i will both be falling for the same dude! we are good friends but we don’t like to share that much! really i just want to hear this dashing Spaniard speak to me in Spanish while touring his art studio! ahhh romantic! hey we ARE visiting three of the ‘romance language’ countries after all. perhaps, i’ll throw in having him sketch a nude of lola. now that’s something i have never had done! HECK, i may have to find one of those cheap Barcelona hotels just for privacy sake. this kind of thing is definitely not a public matter!

desnudo lola

i will not be eating much leading up to this nude sketching session in order to look my svelte-best so i’ll be starving afterward. this would be a perfect time to go explore the Mercat Santa Caterina in el born. apparently, the mosaical structure looks more like an olympic stadium than a market but once inside you will find amazing sights and smells of an astonishing assortment of fruit, cured meats, cheeses and fresh fish from the Mediterranean among many other feasts for the senses. sounds food-gasmic! leah and i can pick up some items to make a few meals while in Barcelona and perhaps even have a dinner party with the ‘Go with Oh’ staff located there.

mercat santa caterina

goodness knows, we will need plenty of sustenance because i want us to take Flamenco dancing lessons while there too. BOY that doesn’t look easy! but it’ll be totally worth it, though, because we get to wear those cool frilly dresses (usually in leah’s favorite color – RED) and dance in a seductive way! i can’t wait to wave that fan all around and swing up my ruffles! totally a lola-approved experience, i must say!

ooo la-la sexy Spain!

so, there it is. i think these ideas sound SO fantastic but i’ll definitely need a few more in each place. if you have any fun and different must-do’s OR, better yet, must-don’ts (because they are a little naughty) please feel free to share with me!

XO – lola

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