Okie Travels

Space Needle

I hate to be cliché but in this case it’s going to be tough. If you go to Seattle you must go to the Space Needle. At 605 feet tall the tower is a presence practically anywhere you go. As a matter of fact, we soon realized that it was nearly impossible to get lost in Seattle once you’ve figured out where the Space Needle was located. Just take a look up and around and soon you were reoriented. The city struck me as very manageable. It seemed relatively straight forward to get from one area to another although traffic warnings on the many bridges and freeways were common during rush hour commutes. But the real attraction of the Space Needle, of course, is the view from the top. The observation deck provides fantastic views of the entire area from either inside behind the glass or from the exterior promenade. On the inside, at strategic locations, information stations are located with photographs coinciding with the views beyond which identify prime points of interest. Oh yes…there’s also a Starbuck’s Coffee at this level (it is Seattle after all). At the top there is a full service rotating restaurant which we did not try.

Loch Ness area was beautiful. We didn’t even realize we’d hit it until probably 10 minutes after driving around it. We had been looking for it but thought we had gotten lost so it wasn’t until we looked on the map did we realize we were already there. The castle (or what’s left of it) to the right was a neat place to explore and the country side there was beautiful. Unfortunately, we didn’t take the official tour but I hear it’s worth the money. Looking back I would probably opt to do some of those official tours because you get so much more with someone who has intimate knowledge of the place.

Collosseum

The Roman Colloseum is one of the most recognizable structures in the world and is definitely not to be missed.

We arrived mid-day and ended up waiting in a long ticket line. We found out later about the Palatine Hill entrance. I’d recommend checking this out if it will help save up to an hour in line.

The coliseum is as impressive from the outside as expected. Several characters dressed as Roman Gladiators roam around outside with costumes of varying quality. Beware that they will charge you a fee if you want a photo with them (as we soon found out seconds after taking the photo to the bottom right). The inside is interesting to explore and imagine the history that took place at that site. However, we found that there weren’t a lot of exhibits or other historic artifacts on display.

Admission is 11.50 Euros or 15 Euros with Guide Tour. For the price it is worth it to get a guided tour to help provide historic background and point out significant sites.

Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone was very cool. It’s just one of those things that you’ve got to experience if you go to Ireland. It’s embedded in a beautiful part of the country and the castle it resides in was very majestic, full of legend and story. The one thing (or biggest thing) to note though is the stair case up to the top. It’s very narrow and not recommended to those with disabilities or difficulty with mobility. If you want the gift of gab, do kiss the stone!

Here’s some history on the Stone: The world famous Blarney Stone is situated high up in the battlements of the castle. Follow one of the several long, stone spiral staircases up to the top and enjoy the spectacular views of the lush green Irish countryside, Blarney House and The Village of Blarney.

The stone is believed to be half of the Stone of Scone which originally belonged to Scotland. Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone, because it was believed to have special powers.

The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in return for his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.

Queen Elizabeth I wanted Irish chiefs to agree to occupy their own lands under title from her. Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled every Royal request with subtle diplomacy, promising loyalty to the Queen without “giving in”. Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her “a lot of Blarney”, thus giving rise to the legend.

You too can acquire the gift of eloquence by kissing the stone! (Continued)

The Eiffel Tower

This view of the Eiffel Tower was just beautiful…and unfortunately it’s one of the only ones I got. I fell ill the day my group visited it and had to skip out. After consuming a couple of bad egg sandwiches earlier in the day at Canterberry, I was bed or bathroom ridden for the rest of the day. I couldn’t believe it, I was like, “of ALL things to miss!” But there was just no way my stomach was going to let out of it. Oh well, it’s definitely something you must see when you visit Paris - especially at night when all the lights on it are on. Just try to not be like me, avoid the packaged egg sandwiches at the tourist sites. They’re screaming day old mayo.

Stonehenge is the most important prehistoric monument in England and dates from the Neolithic period and is located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. There are many theories as to the purpose of Stonehenge ranging from a druid temple for sun worship to a burial ground and even an astronomical calendar.

The Great Wall of China is just one of those things you’ve got to see if you go to China. No doubt about it. Spanning over such a large part of the country, there are plenty of places to see it no matter what part of northern China you’re in.

The day we went it was pretty rainy so we made sure to buy umbrellas or ponchos at the site (no worries, there are PLENTY of opportunities to do this because there are ALWAYS people selling these things along with a variety of nick nacks at these sites).

It was really a treat to walk along the wall that you only see from a distance in pictures. The only thing I would recommend when considering the visit is the weather…it was rainy for us but that wasn’t necessarily bad. I’ve heard though that it’s not as good to visit it when during the winter because you don’t get the full visual when it’s covered with snow.

http://www.wasabibistro.biz/

The Scene
Think modern sushi house, just out of the box: polished wood tables, washed lighting and young, helpful servers in black. With plenty of seating space and a dramatic lounge area, it’s an ideal spot for appetizers and cocktails before a night out in Belltown. The staff knows what’s freshest, so listen to their suggestions.

The Food
Purists beware: Wasabi’s sushi is not really about raw fish. This is sushi for people who might not even like sushi. Among the 22 specialty rolls, cream cheese, mayonnaise and avocado are used with abandon–and to surprisingly pleasing effect. Take the Belltown roll, filled with seafood salad, mayo and cucumber. The Las Vegas roll is filled with roast eel, crab, avocado and cream cheese. Best is the Caterpillar roll–eel and avocado topped with mouth-tickling roe. Among the Japanese entrees, the strongest is sea bass, marinated in Kasuzuke and expertly roasted to medium-rare.

Founded in 1864, famous, authentic and delicious. Best eating time is spring, fall and winter especially the fall.

Peiking Roast Duck: I loooooove it. roll duck flake, sweet sauce and piece of shallot in a cake like a lotus leaf. Duck’s Sole with Mustard: First, tear; second, love it.

L’Olivo

www.capri-palace.com

The restaurant has a magnificent view of the Bay of Naples. My friend Maura and I visited this restaurant almost every night we were on Capri island because it was so comfortable and quaint (not to mention delicious!). Do try the seafood marinara. That’s what I had and I loved it. The bruschetta was delicious too. We had to get used to the harder, drier bread that is more native to Italian bruschetta but after we did we developed a taste for it. Prices were a little high but the food (and wine) was worth it. Service was okay, could of been better, but the staff was friendly so we easily forgave them.