Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Naughty Or Novel? Avoiding Airport Queues

thepointsoflife

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April 21, 2020

Avoiding Airport Queues is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL where I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

With only carry on bags, I arrived at the airport ready to leave Ljubljana for Zurich. When I walked in, I noticed a massive queue for Adria Airways, the flagship carrier of Slovenia. I also noticed that there was no queue for those with Star Alliance status. I went to the ticket counter, presented my passport, and was given a boarding pass. Feeling zero guilt, I made my way to the Priority Pass Lounge. I’ve been known to go to the business counter in foreign airports on accident even when I’m flying coach. Be honest, you would do the same, right?

a group of people in an airport — #naughtyTPOL

Loo Blah Nah: Only a Taste of Slovenia

thepointsoflife

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April 20, 2020

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A Taste of Loo Blah Nah is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL where I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

The Guns & Butter Travel Guides are based on the economic theory that there is so much to do but so little time. Accordingly, something has to be sacrificed so something else can be experienced. TPOL’s Guns & Butter seal of approval is reserved for cities where I did more than most in less time. That was not the case in Ljubljana. After Wining & Dining in Tirana, I arrived in Ljubljana exhausted and with no plan. I spent my days walking around the city centre admiring the street art (see Ljubljana, Slovenia: My Kind of Town for Art) and drinking and eating enjoying said street art while creating my own art in photos.

a glass of beer and a cup of coffee on a table — I call this espresso and piva.

two glasses of beer next to each other — I call this one the reunion.

a glass of beer next to a bottle — I call this reunion with graffiti.

a sundae with ice cream and chocolate sauce on a table — I call this Sunday Funday.

a coffee cup on a table — I call this espresso with graffiti.

a glass of wine and a glass of water on a table — I call this wine head.

a pizza and tomato on a wooden surface — I call this delicious.

a pizza and a can of soda on a table — I call this pizza with graffiti.

a sign on a shelf — And I call this my savior since I finally learned how to pronounce Ljubljana.

Overall

Inherent in Guns & Butter is understanding that I will miss something when I visit a city for a limited time. Though I explored the city centre of Ljubljana, I will have to return to Slovenia before writing a definitive travel guide.

Colonial Williamsburg: I Could Live Here

thepointsoflife

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April 17, 2020

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Colonial Williamsburg is part of the TPOL Won’t Visit All 50 States And That’s OK Trip Report.

When I first started this trip report, it was to consolidate random US travels into one place. At the same time it was to highlight that like my global travels, I have no fixation with visiting every state in the US. Going to Colonial Williamsburg has not inspired me to go to South Dakota, but it’s not completely off the table anymore. Williamsburg was the capital of Colonial Virginia, the first major English settlement. Walking through Colonial Williamsburg brings back memories of grade school history class.

a sign in front of a building — Peyton Randolph was the first president of the Continental Congress.

Going from history to modern-day, I could see myself living in Williamsburg seasonally and penning many books while I was there (visit AlexanderTheAuthor.com). I already played at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club and found two great bars and a French bistro for breakfast. What’s not to love?

Green Leaf Cafe

TPOL loves Negroni (see Hotel Luci di la Muntagna: My Other Hotel in Porto Cervo; Negroni! Social Drinking in Milan). Head to the Green Leaf Cafe for a Japanese twist on a British classic.

TPOL’s TIP: Greenleaf is located at 765 Scotland St, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

Blue Talon Bistro

The French breakfast was not my favorite but the espresso and Blood Mary certainly helped convince me that I should skip the conference for golf.

TPOL’s TIP: Blue Talon Bistro is located at 420 Prince George St, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club

So this is what it feels like to play golf without Puerto Rico’s humidity? The course was beautiful (see Work Conference? Play Golf in Williamsburg Instead).

TPOL’s TIP: The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club is located at 310 S England St, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Overall

If you visit Williamsburg, you will want to move there too. Before you pack your pipe, you should know that the real estate has gone up a bit since the colonists (see Fairfield Inn Williamsburg, VA: Affordability in an Expensive Town). The quaint lifestyle comes at a price.

Puerto Rico Flight Deal? Stay Away

thepointsoflife

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April 16, 2020

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People keep messaging me that there are insane fares to Puerto Rico right now. I am not going to republish them because I do not want you to come to Puerto Rico.

Permanent residents of the Hamptons in New York are complaining that people from the city may overrun their communities by coming to their vacation homes during this pandemic (see Hamptons Leaders Appeal for Travel Restrictions to the Area Amid Influx of New Yorkers). Those who live ‘Up North’ in Michigan are telling fellow Michiganders not to go to their cabins (see Up North Michigan residents to everyone else: Please don’t come here). And now I’m telling anyone who is thinking about Puerto Rico not to come. And I’m not saying please.

Everyone should stay in their homes while this saga continues to unfold. Puerto Rico does not have the infrastructure to deal with a surge in local cases, let alone an outbreak from those who come from areas that have been drastically affected. To make matters worse, passengers are taking medicine during their flights to Puerto Rico to lower their body temperature in an effort to get past the National Guard (see Puerto Rico seeks ban on flights from US COVID-19 hot spots). Some of those passengers subsequently tested positive for Covid and ended up in Puerto Rican hospitals. How’s that for a way to spend your vacation?

In the spring of 2021 when there is a vaccine or when there is an actual understanding of what the hell is going on, whichever comes first, (see Social Distance Yourself from Misinformation), I will personally pick you up from the airport. Until then, stay away.

a golf cart parked on a golf course — Find your beach somewhere else.

Fairfield Inn Williamsburg, VA: Affordability in an Expensive Town

thepointsoflife

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April 16, 2020

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Fairfield Inn Williamsburg Hotel Review is part of the TPOL Won’t Visit All 50 States And That’s OK Trip Report.

This is the second Fairfield Inn that I have stayed in (see Fairfield Inn New York Financial District: Just Another NY Hotel). I include it in this trip report for completeness and to point out that hotels in Williamsburg are not cheap. My work conference was at the Williamsburg Lodge, part of the Autograph Collection. That hotel, though beautiful, was too expensive in price and points.

Here are a few photos from collectibles I intend to acquire from the Lodge.

And now back to where I stayed.

The end.

America Needs More Trains! Amtrak DC-Williamsburg Review

thepointsoflife

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April 15, 2020

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Amtrak DC-Williamsburg is part of the TPOL Won’t Visit All 50 States And That’s OK Trip Report.

I wrote that I won’t visit all 50 states and that I was fine with it. I would reconsider this proposition if America had an expansive train network. It doesn’t have to be as fancy as China or Japan (see Bullet Trains and Business Class). It could be slow and dated like the one I took in Bulgaria. It would be a dream come true if it were like my favorite train experience from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Instead, America has limited rail to limited destinations. Instead of complaining, I would like to express appreciation for my train ride from DC to one of the nicest cities in America, Williamsburg, Virginia. And I shall do so in pictures:

a sign on a wall — The Old Northeast Regional

a grey seat in a train — Decently comfortable seats

a brick building with a covered parking lot — Welcome to Williamsburg

Four Points Ljubljana: Not Near the Centre

thepointsoflife

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April 14, 2020

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Four Points Ljubljana Hotel Review is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOLwhere I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

Getting There: I took GoOpti for $17 from the airport, cheaper than taxis.

Because I was running around from one country to the next, I didn’t take the time to investigate where I was staying. I saw “city name + chain hotel” and I booked. Sometimes points hotels are right in the city centre (see Marriott Skopje: A Lot of Luxury for So Little), making it an easy choice to burn points. Sometimes free is not the way to go. The Four Points Ljubljana is an example of that.

Location

The hotel is far from the city centre, making it less than ideal for perusing the street art (see Ljubljana, Slovenia: My Kind of Town for Art). The cost of a taxi was $11 but be sure to get a fixed price before an international incident occurs with the taxi driver.

Hotel Itself

The hotel was new and modern.

Suite

Big room, small room, it would not have made a difference because there is no view of the old town. Putting that aside, I was upgraded to a nice suite.

a water bottle on a table — My buddy Richard Quest

View

Bedroom

Bathroom

Like the Hyatt Place, the Four Points is the Four Points, no matter where in the world you go.

Breakfast

There was quite the selection for breakfast but barely anyone in the restaurant.

Overall

I was told this was a business hotel. I don’t know anything about doing business in Slovenia and do not see myself conducting international trade here in the near future. Accordingly, should I return to Ljublana, I will stay somewhere closer to the city centre.

Four Points Ljubljana Hotel Review is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL where I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

Ljubljana, Slovenia: My Kind of Town for Art

thepointsoflife

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April 13, 2020

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Ljubljana Art is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL where I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

I had no plan when I landed in Slovenia, nor did I know what to expect. New the town, I do what I always do: walk around and see what I run into (see Old Town Warsaw in Pictures). In Ljubljana, I was captivated by the buildings, bridges, dragons, and of course, the graffiti.

Let’s take a look.

City Centre

Old town is the best. Like the old town in Stockholm, Ljubljana is a great place to get lost in the sites. No guide is needed.

Preseren

Spiritually, I ask myself, “What would this historic icon think of the transformation of his country?”

Perhaps he would wonder why everyone is on his/her phone instead of paying homage to his accomplishments.

Did you know the statue is of France Prešeren, the greatest Slovene classical poet?

Dragon Bridge

Ljubljana is the City of Dragons, the symbolic protector of the city.

Graffiti

Who is to say if graffiti artists should be imprisoned or adored? I’ll skip the politics and show you the art. You decide.

a black and pink spray paint on a white wall — Chicken Fell Pain! Vandalism or art?

a narrow alleyway with graffiti on the walls — In another town, I’m not walking through this alley.

a wall with graffiti on it — The best one

Overall

TPOL isn’t one for museums (see Why I Don’t Visit Museums). I enjoy living history. Ljubljana is the place for that.

Air Serbia Tirana to Ljubljana: Fly Confident

thepointsoflife

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April 10, 2020

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Air Serbia Flight Review is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL where I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

Albania is not a convenient country to visit (see Wiki Airports: Finding Flights to the Unbeaten Path). Getting to the Albanian Riviera was a pain (see Albanian Riviera: Beautiful, But How Do You Get There?). Getting to Tirana from the Riviera was pleasant but not convenient (see Siranda to Tirana: The Perfect Minibus). It’s no surprise that leaving Albania was also laborious. Instead of going west to Slovenia, I first had to go east to Serbia because there is no direct flight.

While it was not as bad as TPOL’s Worst Flight Experiences, the Air Serbia flight was what I expected. The plane was cramped, very old, and uncomfortable. What’s important is that Air Serbia has a great safety rating even if the experience wasn’t pretty. Here are the pictures of the prop plane from Belgrade to Ljubljana. Make your own assessment.

a seat belt with buttons — I don’t smoke but when I do, it’s on Air Serbia.

a group of people sitting in chairs on an airplane — Confident passengers.

Canceled! TPOL’s Move to Albania

thepointsoflife

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April 9, 2020

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I hope you are enjoying the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL Trip Report. Looking at pictures from Mullixhiu, one of the best restaurants in Europe, and other great Tirana Restaurants, I was excited for my spring 2020 move to Tirana, Albania and my subsequent move to Minsk, Belarus to improve my Russian. Alas, there will be no Tirana for TPOL and no vodka/sauna lifestyle in Minsk (see Belarus’ president dismisses coronavirus risk, encourages citizens to drink vodka and visit saunas). For the time being and what I’m predicting to be a year from now, TPOL will be grounded. Instead of delaying the move to Albania yet again, I’ve decided to cancel it indefinitely.

Looking back at it, the idea of having readers decide where I would move next was not very wise. Writing about it was fun as was the emotional rollercoaster of the process. Here’s a recap of the ill-conceived plan, which began in March of 2017.

After all those polls, all those questions of elections in meddling, the whole thing was a witch-hunt hoax. Thanks to covid, I’m quarantined in Puerto Rico. While it’s not the worst thing to be stuck on the beach, I do miss the chaos of impromptu travel. I will also miss the Tirana and Minsk experience. But, I have learned two valuable lessons from this voting experiment: First, don’t leave your future to strangers. As obvious as it sounds, the general public does not have your best interest in mind. Second, don’t plan ahead. Life is too unpredictable and planning, even if it involves a random move to a random country, is boring. Instead, I will just go somewhere and write you when I get there (see Travel Planning: Check Prices Or Just Go?).