A Taste of Memphis

There'll be more where this came from! But for now, here's a picture of Memphis' famous Beale Street.

Dream Destination: Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik's Old Town is perhaps best identified by its orange roofs. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

I’ve been dreaming of Dubrovnik, Croatia’s romantic, trapped-in-time city, since Jade and I began discussing our (as of yet unscheduled) eastern Europe tour. In spite of the fact that it’s inaccessible by train – our preferred mode of European transport – Dubrovnik is on my must-see list for the trip.

To add to my anticipation, my all-time favorite show, Game of Thrones, is filming part of season two in the medieval city. They’re also filming in two of my other Dream Destinations, Northern Ireland and Iceland. Oh, what I would give to be on that production crew…

Dubrovnik is a walled city on the Adriatic Sea, well-preserved since its medieval hey-day. (Poet Lord Byron called it the Pearl of the Adriatic.) The city’s first pharmacy, established in 1317, is still open today. Dubrovnik’s walled Old City was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

Dubrovnik combines all the best of a perfect travel escape: sunny beaches, sidewalk cafés and an almost pearlescent radiance (hence Byron’s nickname for the city). The city is geographically isolated by mountains and sea, making it a hassle to get in (by air seems to be best, but you can also reach it by ferry or car). But that kind of isolation makes a place all the more relaxing once you’re there.

Sponza Palace is one of the many medieval

sights in Dubrovnik's Old Town. (Photo byLászló Szalai)

Many of Dubrovnik’s most exciting sights are from its medieval prime. Visitors can walk the city walls that have protected Dubrovnik since the 13^th century. Other medieval sights include the Franciscan and Dominican Monasteries and the Rector’s Palace. Other palaces, as well as cathedrals and fountains, delight sightseers.

More adventurous types can go on sea kayaking excursions or dive in the Adriatic. Visitors looking to venture further beyond the city walls can travel to Mostar, Montenegro or any of a number of islands, including Korcula (with a beautiful medieval city) or Lokrum, with a ruined Benedictine monastery and botanical gardens. Mostar and Montenegro are accessible by bus or car. Both islands are accessible by ferry.

What to eat: Seafood! It’s on the Adriatic Sea, after all. Seafood specialties include squid, octopus and all sorts of shellfish. Risotto is another local specialty, and you can find seafood risotto all around the city. My fellow vegetarians might have a tougher time in this city, but the city seems to have a variety of pizza and pasta places that might serve.

Where to stay: The most convenient – and most expensive – part of Dubrovnik in which to sleep is the city’s Old Town. Budget options include Fresh* Sheets hostel (www.freshsheetshostel.com) and the Old Town Hostel (www.dubrovnikoldtownhostel.com).  Rooms Vicelic (rooms-vicelic.com) is a guesthouse inside the city walls, and has two other properties with rooms and apartments just outside the Old Town.

For more information and details to plan your trip to Dubrovnik, visit:

• Lonely Planet: Dubrovnik
• Croatia Travel Blog
• Frommer’s Dubrovnik

– Sputnik

Changing habits, perspectives since 9/11

The tenth anniversary of the September 11^th attacks tomorrow has brought about a barrage of media coverage asking variations on the same question: how have the United States and the world changed since that day?

Certainly, the attacks fundamentally changed the way we travel. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the airline industry saw a record number of passengers during the August before the attacks. It took three years for airlines to recover those numbers.

Airport security has changed drastically, and new policies have discouraged many from flying. Recent research by the U.S. Travel Association finds that travelers avoid two to three trips per year due to the “unnecessary hassles” of airport security.

I was 14 years old when the planes hit the twin towers, the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania. The events of that day have had a profound effect on my generation, which was too young to experience the fears of the Cold War and oblivious to suffering in other parts of the world. From our perspective, we lived in a world absent of the kind of fear and suffering that previous generations faced.

The events exacerbated my already-pronounced fear of flying, which remains with me to this day. For others, post-9/11 biases have affected how they view other cultures and have discouraged global understanding. Unpopular U.S. policy decisions after the attacks have also caused many to fear discrimination or retaliation when traveling abroad.

On his blog today, travel writer Rick Steves is encouraging Americans to continue traveling, in spite of fears and a recent U.S. State Department alert reminding travelers of the continued threat of terrorism. I echo Steves’ statement. Travel not only promotes your own understanding of other cultures, it encourages others to better understand yours.

I’d like to hear from you. How did your travels change on September 11, 2001, and how have they evolved over the last ten years?

To read more about how travel and our perspectives have changed over the last ten years, check out some of these stories around the web:

“Security has changed flying in myriad was since 9/11,” Vancouver Sun

“The true cost of 9/11 for travelers,” Smart Money

“From 9/11/01 to 9/11/11,” Blog Gone Europe (Rick Steves)

– Sputnik

Butterbeer

Jade and Sputnik tasting frozen butterbeer at Universal Studios

This is where our dorkiness comes through. Butterbeer is one of the most amazing drinks you will ever have. I've been fantasizing about its flavor since I was 12 years old. Last April I finally got my chance when Sputnik and I spent a week in Orlando with our friend Ash Tree. At some time I'm sure we'll go into detail about the whole trip but for now I'd like to focus on the butterbeer.

If you don't know, butterbeer is a beverage of wizards and witches from Harry Potter. The first time Harry tastes it he thought "it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside." J.K. Rowling was quoted in Bon Appetite as saying "I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."

With the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando Island's of Adventure, many fans (myself included) were particularly excited to finally taste the brew. Universal's version is not exactly what's described in the books but it's pretty darn good.

The version in the book should be slightly alcoholic; not enough to effect a teenager but plenty to get a house elf wasted. Since Universal's is mostly (I believe) aimed towards children there's no booze. Harry and his friends drink butterbeer two ways, cold in a bottle or hot in a mug. Again, the theme park has a different take. The only option is in a mug either chilled or frozen. Both are delicious. I feel the differences can be forgiven since the park has their own perogative.

Ash Tree and Jade enjoying some homemade butterbeer

About a month after our trip, Ash Tree and I made some of our own based on a recipe found here: http://wizardingworldpark.com/top-5-butterbeer-recipes/2010/08/20/  If you're interested in making it, we used recipe number1. This came very close to what we had at the park. One of the things I like best about this recipe is it can be served warm and easily be made alcoholic (instead of rum extract use actual rum) to more closely resemble what is described in the book. This version was so good Sputnik and I made a batch to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday at the end of July. We can't wait to find another occasion to make it or get the opportunity to return to Universal!

~Jade

Memphis, Tennessee!

Courtesy of Memphis Travel

Jade and I are spending a weekend in Memphis in a couple of weeks to see the touring Les Miserables show (so excited!!!).

We're still researching and prioritizing options for the trip, and trying to make the most of our short time there. Of course we're looking at Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum. I'm also excited to tour downtown on the streetcar and check out Memphis's musical roots on Beale Street.

I looked at Urban Spoon to find some cheap, highly-rated places to eat. We can't go to Memphis without trying some barbeque, and I found a great-sounding place with a vegetarian option! The award-winning Central BBQ in central Memphis has complete plates for under $10 and sandwiches for under $5 – including a portobella mushroom sandwich that I can't wait to try. We're also going to check out Muddy's Bake Shop, with awesome-sounding cupcake flavors, like prozac and razzle dazzle.

Anyone have suggestions for other sights or great places to eat?

– Sputnik

New Ideas

First, I know I have not kept my resolution. I'm sorry. Finding time is not easy.

Sputnik and I have had a little brainstorm today and have some new ideas. I'm not going to reveal them at this point since we are still working out the details. In the meantime, here's a fun photo of us and our friend Ash Tree from a trip we took to Orlando in April.

-Jade