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Tag Archives: Europe

Love traveling, hate flying

by Catherine Toth on October 20, 2010 in Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s no surprise that most folks hate flying.

I mean, what’s to like? You’re stuck in cramped quarters, virtually rubbing elbows with strangers without enough room to pass your neighbor to get to the bathroom, which is smaller than most closets (and some refrigerators). The food is barely passable. The entertainment isn’t as good as the games on your iPad. And the entire time you’re just hoping you don’t catch avian flu.

Last year the U.S. Department of Transportation reported a spike in passenger complaints for 2008. In fact, it was the second-worst year in the past seven for consumer complaints to the industry’s federal regulator.

Fliers complained about everything from airline delays to lost luggage to a lack of empathy on the part of airlines staff when a crisis — even a personal one — occurs.

And lately the complaints have been geared toward added costs such as paying extra for check-in luggage.

To top it off, several airlines just announced it was eliminating or reducing rows in their first-class cabins. Prices will likely remain — but the benefits will be far less than before.

So what’s a desperate traveler to do?

The problem is we can’t do much. Airplane transportation is the fastest way to get anywhere. So you have to put up or shut up, as the saying goes. There’s no way around it.

I can’t say that I enjoy flying, either, especially when you’re traveling from Honolulu to Paris — with stopovers in San Francisco and Minneapolis — en route to a wedding that requires another three hours on a train once we landed in France. We spent a total of 20 hours in the air. That’s way too long for any human with an appetite for real food.

But we did notice a big difference between domestic (Delta Airlines) and foreign airlines (Air France):

• The seats on Air France were noticeably bigger and the area more spacious
• The food on Air France was decidedly better. Portions bigger and — get this — we didn’t have to pay extra for it!
• The pillows — I know, sounds petty — were actually better on Air France, too. It makes a difference in Hour 10, trust me.

Anyone else notice a difference between domestic and foreign service? Anyone actually like flying? Got any alternatives? I’m all ears!

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.

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Comments { 31 }

Top 10 best memories of Europe

by Catherine Toth on October 18, 2010 in Adventures, Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s nearly impossible to narrow down my favorite 10 things I saw, did and ate in Europe.

There were just too many.

From seeing the famous Rosetta Stone in the British Museum to noshing on paprika-flavored chips (or crisps) while waiting for the metro, my European adventure provided so many memories. I loved walking along the tree-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris and riding around London on double-decker buses. It was fascinating to watch the members of the House of Commons in London debate over a blood contamination case or witness a traditional French wedding reception in Avignon.

These are unforgettable experiences, for sure.

But in the spirit of Nonstop — we love our lists! — I’ve put together a list of my Top 10 best memories of Europe, in no particular order.

I hope you enjoy this one last look at Europe as much as I did putting this gallery together!

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.

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DISH DOES EUROPE: Last days in London
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Comments { 14 }

DISH DOES EUROPE: Last days in London

by Catherine Toth on October 17, 2010 in Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s hard to believe this nine-day, whirlwind tour of France and England is about to end.

It feels like we’ve been here for weeks — considering all the things we packed into this relatively short time — but it also feels like we could have stayed here months longer. There were so many things we just couldn’t do because of time, weather or lack of GPS. (In some cases, terrorist alert.) It would have been great to gaze at Paris from atop the Eiffel Tower, for example, or sip Pimm’s in an 800-year-old pub by the Thames. But we just didn’t have the time.

In all, it was quite the adventure, from missing our Eurostar rail from Paris to London — luckily we could catch the next (and last) train across the English Channel — to getting rained on as we walked toward Emirates Stadium to watch the Arsenal soccer team play. But all these expereinces — from sipping the world’s best hot chocolate in Paris to mastering the Underground in London — added up to a European adventure I’ll never forget.

Thanks to everyone who followed me — whether it was here, on Twitter or via Facebook — and made this once-in-a-lifetime trip that much more meaningful.

Next stop: Australia?

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.

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Comments { 8 }

DISH DOES EUROPE: London by foot

by Catherine Toth on October 14, 2010 in Musings, The Daily Dish

The weather hadn’t improved on our second day in London. But we weren’t deterred. We were on a mission to meet the Queen, whether she knew it or not.

Since we didn’t rent a car — and I wouldn’t recommend it — we decided to walk everywhere. We mapped out a walking tour of Westminster, which included Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the House of Parliament — all an easy walk from each other.

But, like on any great adventure, there were a lot of unexpected sights, shops and restaurants, too. Who knew that you could buy a Cornish pasty in a convenience store, for example, or tonkatsu in a Korean restaurant off Oxford Street?

We didn’t know that — but now we do.

Here’s what our second, exciting day in London looked like:

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.

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Dish does Europe, terrorist threat and all

Comments { 22 }

DISH DOES EUROPE: Hello, London

by Catherine Toth on October 14, 2010 in Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s easy to get lost in London.

And not just because every street corner is marked with a different sign or because a lot of places aren’t even marked at all — but because there’s so much to look at, so many things to do, it’s easy to get lost in it.

London is the capital of England and the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. It’s home to about 7.5 million people who speak more than 300 languages. There are more pubs, shops, restaurants, churches, universities, bookstores, libraries, museums and historic sites than you can possibly get your head around — which makes it difficult to plan a four-day vacation in the city. There’s simply too much to do!

So we kept it simple. On our first day in London, we decided to hit the British Museum — about a 20-minute Tube ride from where we’re staying in Hackney Wick — and walk back. Whatever we stumbled across in the process, well, that’s what we were going to do.

Here’s what our first day in the UK looked like:

Farewell, Oahu

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I left Oahu on a mid-morning flight on Hawaiian Airlines and was lucky enough to sit by a window with views like this. #luckywelivehawaii

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.

RECENT BLOG POSTS
DISH DOES EUROPE: Au revoir, Paris
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‘Grounded in fact or ‘Phiten’ for cred?
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