Open Market in Granada, Nicaragua

Today, I visited the Open Market in the city of Granada in Nicaragua. Perhaps I'm spoiled. I've been to many open markets.

For years, my local open market was the Farmer's Market on Third and Fairfax in West Hollywood. Posh. Clean. Fabulous. In my late teens and early twenties my sister and I would meet there for Belgium Waffles. The Grove is now adjacent to the Farmer's Market.

When we lived in Antibes, France we often shopped at the large open market at the end of the street where we lived in old town. It is another very well known open air food market in the oldest part of town, very quaint, about a block from the Picasso Museum and a couple blocks from the Port. Snobby, rather unfriendly. But hey, it's France. What did you expect.

There's a cool open air market in the Italian port town of Civitavecchia which has a little of everything and some of the best beef jerky I've ever had anywhere... well, beside at road stands in Texas. Those were the best!

Brugge, Belgium as an absolutely lovely Christmas Market that Sophie and I have enjoyed on two separate occasions. Strasbourg has one but it's overly crowded resulting in a nightmare experience. The Christmas market in Monte Carlo is enjoyable and the one in Cannes is quaint with some very nice woodwork by a true artisan who is perhaps a little a little on the kinky side. It's amazing what he is capable of creating. The Christmas Market in Nice is fine, as well. Oh! The Christmas Market in NYC was actually very nice with a lot of original craftspeople selling their goods. It was much better than I had expected. Sophie and I went there for the first time this past Christmas. I'd be happy to become a repeat visitor of the NY Market. Of course, the Open Air Market is Santa Monica is incredible. I really like the little market in the Pacific Palisades. It's not quite the circus as the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica but it still has everything one might want... even a little tranquility!

The open air market just off Las Ramblas in Barcelona is fantastic with tons of fresh juice mixes and everything you can possibly think of. It's clean and always a friendly, touristy sort of place where lots of shopping happens.

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The market here in Nicaragua was actually not really a place I wanted to shop. Plus, I can never figure out how much anything costs. No signs. No prices. Oftentimes prices are in $US dollars not Cordoba, the local currency. And, in all honestly, often the prices in US dollars are more than if I were to buy it back in the States. Things are way over priced and not worth it!. The souveniers aren't worth bringing home. Well, maybe nothing is except my experience via a blog and a few photos. I went into an art gallery that is more like the local city art association where anyone can put up their work. Lithographs (10x14) for $60 US. Are you kidding? Even if a local is good in the States he's going to have a hard time getting that much for it. In the States, if you want it to sell and if you are still trying to make a name for yourself, try $15-45 US.

Honestly, what I'm learning from this trip is that the American economy has been depressed for so long that it is simply not cheaper or... dare I say, worth it, to travel abroad. Our country, the US, is beautiful with a multitude of variations from city-to-city and state-to-state. People need to make a living and sell things at prices that will sell. Yes, some people price high, but there are plenty of incredibly talented artists in the States that sell original artwork for prices that are affordable. They can do this because they are prolific and good business people.

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Americans aren't made of money. We don't appreciate going to a foreign country and being ripped off. We can stay at home and deal with Wall Street and the government if we want that!

I've attached some picture from the Open Market in Granada, Nicaragua. I didn't buy anything. There was always someone who worked there rushing past me impatiently, annoyed that I was in their way. On that note, I held my bag close and didn't stay too long. Honestly, is that the best vibe for a place to give tourists if they want us to spend money. I was ready to spend. Show me prices, a smile and that you're not annoyed that I'm there and perhaps my purse strings will loosen up a bit.

A note to Americans: If you're looking for a cheap, different vacation you might try camping locally in a National Park or National Forest. Or, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, Mt Rushmore, The White House and the National Monument, Big Sur, Devils Tower, The Redwoods, Custer Park, Key West, Walden Pond, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, Faneuil Hall, Niagara Falls, Times Square, The Met, LACMA, Smoky Mountains, The Art Museum (Gerhy) at UofM, Mall of America, Junkman's Daughter, Frick Museum, Hearst Castle, Balboa Island, SeaWorld, DisneyWorld, Alligator Alley, The Flinstone Park, The Jolly Green Giant Statue, the Huge Dinosaurs, Cadillac Ranch, Vegas, Aspen, Mammoth, FL's white sandy beaches, CA & OR coastline/PCH HWY 1, Lighthouses along HWY 95 ... you get the idea. (Sidenote: I've been to all the above except Niagara Falls and Dollywood).

I've been to 25 countries. I've spent a decent amount of time in several of them. I speak from personal experience when I say we've got a country worth visiting at affordable prices. My hotel room here is $49 US nightly. You can get a fine place in the States for that which would probably be much safer. Couch surfing, hosteling and camping are always options, as well.

I understand Nicaragua needs the tourism, but honestly, so does America. I'm simply not impressed enough with what other countries have to offer at this point to want to spend my money elsewhere right now. My country needs my support. I can pick and choose and make sure I'm spending my money in places that appreciate my business rather than shops that are jerks. I've always been happy to make that distinction. At this point, it's time to start picking and choosing countries as well.

If a country thinks Americans are a bunch of suckers to be ripped off at highway robbery prices than I'd rather just not go there.

Nicaragua has a very decent amount of tourists from different parts of the world. There were three Germans swimming in the pool allllll day yesterday and today. I met a very nice German girl on the plane over here. The dollar isn't as high for those with Euro. Maybe they will enjoy Nicaragua more than someone like me.

All's well that ends well.

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Remember: The problem wasn't that Nicaragua was a poor country. In fact, it was a nice change to be somewhere that wasn't built up and fairly pretentious. The problem was that the prices were at least as high or higher than in the States for things that weren't nearly as valuable. Nicaragua is the second poorest country behind Haiti. For a country so poor to charge prices that are often higher than what is found in the US simply doesn't make sense to begin with and it certainly doesn't make sense to pay more for a decrease in quality, value and comfort. If the reason to travel to Nicaragua is to find quality, comfort and service at a good price then not finding these things takes away the advantages of traveling to the country. Supply and Demand. If we can get something as good or better at home for the same price then why go elsewhere? Hopefully, the vendors of Nicaragua will realize that it might be more fruitful to lower the prices to a reasonable profit level to entice more visitors and thereby filling their own pockets even more and perhaps with additional likelihood of return visitors.

Does Black Friday Shopping Mean Savings?

I like to shop. I'm thrifty and frugal. Therefore, I like decent prices.

You'd think Black Friday would be a great time to get great deals. But maybe that's not the case when we take a closer look.

Yesterday I was at the Premium Outlet Mall in Orlando. Sophie and I were there in early October as well when we went to Disney to celebrate her birthday and visit Mickey's Not-So-Scary!

We bought Sophie a Donna Karen New York black wool peacoat on sale and half off! The full price was $375. We felt $187.50 for a classic coat that she should get years of wear out of was reasonable.

Yesterday, I revisited DKNY because Miss Sophie had somehow lost the belt to the coat and I was trying to see if it was possible to replace it before her spring trip to NYC.

Low and behold! The very same coat was no longer on sale. Instead, it was back to the original price of $375.00. My guess is come Black Friday the prices will be marked back down (hopefully) to were they were when we bought the jacket over a month ago.

It seems Black Friday is more of a sales gimmick to deceive buyers into making purchases that were actually just as low or lower just months earlier.

Thank goodness we shop in October for Christmas. It seems like retailers are playing Scrooge to customers.

My guess is that mid-December will be a cheaper time to shop than Black Friday.

I understand the retailers point of view (but as a consumer, I care about my point of view and my wallet only!) It's supply and demand. Why make things super cheap on the busiest sales day of the year? No one shops in October. Lower prices then. Everyone shops the day after Thanksgiving. Pretend to lower prices then.

Cruising for Christmas

Although Sophie and I had already booked a 18-night stay in Vegas for the Christmas holiday, last night we changed our plans. (Thank goodness hotel reservations can be canceled!)

Instead, we decided to take a Caribbean cruise. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE Vegas! It's kitschy Americana is just our style and the idea of shopping at the Premium Outlet Mall in Vegas right after Christmas gives me goosebumps (both good and bad since I love sales and hate crowds).

Nonetheless, we've got gowns! Sophie and I have found a new favorite store. BCGB Max Azria has an outlet store at the Premium Outlet Mall in Orlando. We've found some fabulous gowns at incredible prices. Who wears gowns these days, anyway? We do!!!

Side note: One nice thing about not having men in the house is that no one complains about dressing up. It's more a matter of finding appropriate places to dress up!

Ever since our first cruise (we've only taken two), we've fallen in love with dressing up for dinner and eating in the formal dining room.

Our first cruise was with Norwegian Cruise Lines where dressing up was optional. We were treating ourselves to a special time and wanted to respect and appreciate each aspect of our experience. Also, we had just found this incredible shop in Barcelona where we bought a boatload of cool clothes which we found ourselves wearing to our dinners. The cruise was 12-nights which mean that it was us and the geriatric crowd. Turns out most people can't take the time away from work or afford long trip (buy them when their cheap! I think we paid $499 per person) unless they are retired. Well, as you might assume, older folks appreciate our desire to dress up for dinner. And we did!

Our second cruise, a 14-night transatlantic jaunt from Barcelona to Miami, was another sensational reason for premium attire at dinner. Especially since Royal Caribbean mandates formal dinner wear. My only complaint with this cruise is that they refused to allow us our own table (two person tables are commonplace on this ship) and forced us to sit with single men. After a few days of this - and one of the men trying very hard to convince my (at the time) 18-year-old daughter that the parties were better down with the crew - I demanded our own table and, by golly, got it! I also got nasty stares from the man and his father for the rest of the trip. lol Deal!

As it turned out there finding people under the age of 65-year-old was slim pickins which was just fine with us. We tend to like to spend our time with a much older crowd as they are more sedate and Sophie always seems to enjoy the conversation... and the games. Everyday there is some game or another that everyone gathers to play. Sophie is right in there with them.

So, after our most recent excursion the our new favorite store where Sophie bought something like 10 new dresses (all at incredibly discounted prices. Think: $39 for a runway Max Azria!) I suggested we might consider a cruise for the holiday as we really don't have anywhere else to wear them (okay, the periodic steakhouse or to the Nutcracker in NYC.) She thought it was a great idea. I looked into it and presto! We've got an all inclusive place to wear our fabulous gowns and little chance of running into places to spend money! (Always a nice side benefit.) When we travel we like to walk around the cities we visit. We aren't so keen on shopping, although we like to buy stickers for our suitcase.

Antibes and the Cannes Film Festival

Sophie and I are heading down to the Cannes Film Festival for 11 days. We are both very excited. She's soooo big now. She's like a little girl, but all grown up. As she grows up it's just instinctual to give her more and more freedom and responsibility.

Last year, she chose not to come to Cannes. She felt she was better off remaining here for her studies. I allowed her to make this decision but completely disagreed with it. This year, she's coming. A lot of the rebellious teen aspect of mid teens is being, or has been, replaced with the desire to experience... well, Cannes.


We'll be staying very near where we used to live in Antibes. I'm looking forward to returning to both the area and the festival. This will be my third year going. It's fun and exciting and each year has already proved to be different, even though this year has yet to begin.

Sophie is working for both of the festivals this year. She's got both a lot of freedom and responsibility. She'll watch shorts and we've picked out 12 features we'd like to see. There is also a meeting with a prod comp she might handle, plus whatever else she ends up experiencing in Cannes. Oh yeah, promotion. We're equipped!

I've been very excited about going to the beach at the Cap D'Antibes. It's a lovely place to float around in the clear, warm water. I even bought a bathing suit! I've since realized it's not July or August and probably not bathing suit weather. Oh well. I'm bringing the bathing suit anyway!

Can't wait for the Chinese food down there! It's cheap and good! There are some great Chinese restaurants in Cannes, Nice and Antibes. Its so exciting to know we're going to be able to eat our little hearts out again.

We're also looking forward to the clothing market in Antibes. It's huge. It happens on Tuesday and Thursday. I can't remember which day has the larger open air market. We might just have to go to them both! Clothes, shoes, bags, beach wear. You name. It's there and it's cheap! Oh! There is a guy with a little jewelry stand. He sells super cheap lapis, amethyst, jade, and other semi-precious stones. Lovely simple jewelry made from silver and stone. I think he charge 6 or 8 euro per gram.

We will probably also stop by the Provencal Open Air Food Market in Antibes. It's lovely. Our favorite olive spread comes from there.

We've also experience so wonderful local music and events in Antibes. Sure hope some of it is going on while we're down there. It would be nice to take part!

Cheap Ideas for Amsterdam

Sophie and I are in Amsterdam. We are staying at the Aivengo Hostel which has sort of a zen feel about it. The hostel is fairly centrally located and is rather inexpensive.

I booked the hostel through HostelWorld, which is how I usually book hostels. Although, I'm starting to question whether or not that is the cheapest way to book hostel beds. I like that I can book in advance and have the safety of checking other people's feedback on the hostel, before arrival, so I know what to expect. Booking through HostelWorld also allows me the option to leave feedback. If I book directly through the hostel I don't have the option to leave feedback... and there have been a couple times when feedback become very imporant.

I called a day or two before coming to Amsterdam to check on the price. Although we booked about a month in advance we still ended up paying $35 per night per person on the three busy weekend nights. But when I called the rate was only $25 per person per night. I'm very happy to say the owner was willing to give us the lower price - which saved us $60. I'm unhappy to think that I can book a fair price through HostelWorld. The point is, if you book through an online booking agency you'll want to do your homework to ensure you are getting a reasonable rate. We encountered the same problem when we booked at the Pegasus Hostel in Berlin. On the other hand, sometimes you can get a better rate through on-line booking sources.

The Aivengo Hostel has 20 bed dorm rooms. Honestly, if traveling with a teenager (at least a teen like Sophie who loves to meet new people) hosteling is a fantastic way to go. While the teen is still with you, she also has the opportunity and freedom to meet and encounter new people when traveling. It gives both of you a little space while still keeping you together.

The hostel is a drug-free hostel. It offers no kitchen or breakfast option which hasn't been an issue for us. It has a microwave and I make my own coffee in the morning. Gee... force me to save a buck!

This is our second trip to Amsterdam. Two years ago, Sophie and I came after spending time with my sister and cousin in Paris and Edinburgh. We have returned because this is the one place Sophie wanted to come to before leaving Europe and going off to school. We are here for a total of 6-nights. At first I didn't think we'd be able to find things to do for seven days in this town. But now that our trip is nearly finished I've come to see that our trip has been perfectly paced, relaxing and fun. We've gone to the RijksMuseum and have spent many days walking around exploring the lovely streets, canals and architecture that Amsterdam has to offer.

Today, Sophie and I will probably explore the Cannibas Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. During our last visit we visited the RijksMuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and the Torture Museum. We were going to visit the Torture Museum again to get so pictures for the website, but the digital camera's pics have been dark... and the Torture Museum is dark... so, what's the point?

I totally recommend going to the Torture Museum. It's spooky and eery. We went at night which made it even more creepy. Definitely an experience with weird contraptions and devices most of us have never seen or imagined before and will probably never see again.

The RijksMuseum is under major renovation and will be until 2014. Only one wing of the museum is open to the public. This is actually rather cool. What the museum has done is to put all of the most famous pieces together. Therefore, you see everything of the most importance and that is all. Yes, we like to wonder through museums and wish we had time to see it all, but on the other hand, ensuring you see all the important works of art that a museum has to offer is rather convenient.

I have very fond memories of the Van Gogh Museum and look forward to visiting it again. It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Also, it is open everyday, except Jan 1, which makes it always something that can work into our plans. More than once, we've wanted to go to the Louvre on a day when it was closed.