Velvet Escape's blog

Heather on her travels Travel Inspiration and destination inform Travel and Luxury Hotels - T Magazine Professional articles March 22, 2010 by Caitlin Filed under Featured , Professional articles Violence and political instability made weddings in Baghdad virtually impossible in the years following the Iraq War. In July 2008 I joined one family who crossed the border to celebrate. Hind Al-Rubawawi twirls on the dance floor with her groom. Tags: iraq , people , syria , the guardian , travel writing , trends October 21, 2009 by Caitlin Filed under Featured , Professional articles Life is changing for the Minangkabau people of Sumatra, Indonesia, reports Caitlin Fitzsimmons The emerald terraces of the rice paddies stretch to the edge of the valley, bordered by sheer cliffs and a fringe of dark green forest. Tags: buildings , indonesia , people , photography , travel writing , trends August 12, 2009 by Caitlin Filed under Professional articles My interview with world musician Youssou N? August 6, 2009 by Caitlin Filed under Featured , Professional articles Caitlin Fitzsimmons explores the coffee country of Nicaragua ?

News and travel tips for independent budget travellers July 2nd, 2010 by Tim Uden City Circle tram Trams are to Melbourne what red double-decker buses are to London and yellow taxis are to New York City. State Library of Victoria The free Wi-Fi connection attracts at lot of travellers to the State Library but few venture beyond the first couple of rooms. CC-by-SA David Iliff Federation Square For years Melbourne never really had a central square. NGV Ian Potter Centre While you’re at Federation Square pay a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria’s Ian Potter Centre (not to be confused with NGV International across the Yarra River at 180 St Kilda Road, which displays the NGV’s international collection). The view from the 35th floor Sure you can pay $17.50 to go to the observation deck on the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower for a great view or you can save your money and take the lift to the 35th floor of the Sofitel Hotel at Collins Place (25 Collins Street, Melbourne) and use the public toilets, which offer the city’s best free view.

The Best Travel Stories on the Internet - Travel Writing - World Go Backpacking - The Best Around the World Travel Blog The Vacation Gals Me quiero ir de viaje - Un blog de viajes personal Happy Hotelier — The Happier the Hotelier, the Happier the Guest Italy Travel Guide to Hotels, Vacations, Tours Travel Savvy Mom: Family Friendly Hotel, Resort, Suite Reviews Nerd's Eye View Rothschild Hagaddah c. 1450 “Jews are tied together by irrational bonds of memory…” — Simon Schama, The Story of the Jews I am not a religious person, not even a little bit, but you would never hear me say I wasn’t Jewish. I didn’t give a whole lot of thought to it until my ex-husband’s parents tried to get me to convert — how could I covert from a religion I didn’t really have? This question about identity resurfaced when I lived in Austria where Jews were such a — well, the word “novelty” is the best I can come up with. I had a very funny discussion once during my Deutsch fur Auslanders class with a Muslim classmate. “Lord, no,” I said, “I’m Jewish.” “Oh, honey,” I said, “Don’t look at me like that. Most of the time it didn’t trouble me to be in a tiny minority. Instead, I emailed the nearest synagogues, one in Salzburg, one in Graz. It’s my favorite holiday, it’s full of stories and good food. We all know the story, too. I got one answer to my emails. Tell a sweeping story. “Hi!”