As a regular contributing author, I introduce today our new “Travel Tuesdays”. We are not all travelers, or writers or photographers. But I find we all love stories of places and the people who make them different, alluring, exotic. Out of the ordinary and apart from the everyday, travel stories give us perspective of a greater world out there. And offered from a different point of view, history is no longer flat. It takes on color and vibrancy. Shapes. Feelings. Connections.

So for this inaugural Travel Tuesdays post, I continue with the 4th in my series from aboard the Disney cruise ship, The Magic. Our port stop, after a six-day North Atlantic crossing is Stavenger, Norway. Gateway to the iconic Norwegian fjords.

I think of my mom and her lifetime longing to visit this country. Her father’s family hailed from Norway, but she knew little about him. He died at an early age so there was no handing down of traditions, culture and stories. I wonder would she have felt a natural affinity to this land were she here? And then I wonder, will I experience any connectedness? A feeling of roots unexplored? Will it beckon me through its past, its present, its people?

I scan the Norwegian shores from the deck of The Magic. I see neat, clean rectangles of yellow, red, gray, blue or green. Homes trimmed neatly in crisp, bright white, boat houses at the shore. And boats. Marinas are packed tight with sailing vessels and the the harbor boasts large ships of bright orange, yellow, red. And ferries. The air is fresh, clean and cold. So far, really good. I like what I see.

We disembark only to board another boat. To tour. Our guide tells us there are 200,000 islands and that over 90% of Norway is forested. Industry comes from the sea. A top world petroleum exporter. First in salmon, cod and herring. The completely organic fisheries are a series of buoyed nets in the sea; completely mobile so that they can be moved should infections invade. Chemicals are not used.

We stop for waffles and coffee. The waffles are delightful; the coffee is great. So is the tea, someone remarks.  Surrounded by verdant greens and fresh, clean air, we relax, chat. Take pictures.

Having boarded again we proceed deeper into the fjord. Cliffs rise higher and rougher, splatters of bright spring green clinging to the stone. We begin to see ribbons of waterfalls. Our captain pulls close to one and the crew fills a stainless bucket so that we may taste cold, clear Norwegian mountain water. It is a hit.

Returning to the port, our guide extends a charming invitation. School is adjourning and this boat will pick the children up and deliver them to their homes. We are welcome to stay aboard should time allow. A large commuter ferry passes. It strikes me how truly bound to the water, the sea, are the Norwegians. Island hoppers. And there, finally, I recognize my own connection: the waterways, the sea, the boats, the life lived close to nature. I, too, am a coastal girl.

Nancy Kirkpatrick

www.nancykirkpatrickphotography.com

Melissa | Out&About | 06 9th, 2015 | No Comments »

I interviewed Ann Nermoe on this week’s radio show.  Due to technical problems I do not have the actual show to share with you but I did want to let you know about the beautiful book of photographs on St. Simons Island Ann has written, along with her brother.

Her persepective is so fresh and wonderful!  I highly recommend this book!  Ann is offering a special limited edition as well that comes in a lovely box with a limited edition print of one of her photographs.

Share this talented artist’s perspective and enjoy one of the most beautifully produced books on our area that I have seen!  This is the perfect gift for anyone who lives or loves St. Simons Island!  “Images of a Golden Isles” by Ann Nermoe……local beauty from one amazing photographer’s point of view!

Melissa | Out&About, people | 06 6th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Marylebone Farmers Market

It’s time to plan summer and fall traveling!  I’m working with a company in Great Britain who has kindly shared today’s post.  It’s all about fascinating markets in London.  Enjoy….make your plans….get those reservations…..GO!

The UK has a plethora of diverse market places that offer a wide range of confectionaries, food, clothes, arts and crafts throughout the year. But what are the very best markets that we should look out for if we were to venture to the UK to experience these historical markets?  Ideally, to experience the markets in the UK at the peak of their powers, the Christmas period is the best time to frequent such interesting trading environments but as we are now entering June, that luxury isn’t afforded to us for another six months or so.   With that being said, here are 3 of the most popular markets in London:

Brick Lane Market

Brick Lane Market is one of the most famous flea markets in the whole of London. It has an assortment of stalls that vary from selling clothes, antiques and bric-a-brac. It’s a market that’s for the bargain hunters and drops on to the back of a slew of restaurants, most notably curry houses, which fill the air with flagrant aromas.

Old Spitalfields Market

Old Spitalfields Market is situated smack bang in the center of Spitalfields. It is one of the most popular indoor markets in London and attracts most people due to its many retail stalls.
The market was built in 1876 and is one of the busiest Victorian Market Halls that still operate in London. The market dates back to the 1600’s however, where it began outdoors on the cobbled streets of Brick Lane and Bishopsgate.  The modern day Old Spitalsfield Market is revered for its boutique fashion stalls and the distinctive and artsy bars and restaurants that are situated in the area.

Camden Lock Market is situated in the heart of trendy Camden. The market attracts a lot of young people who venture to the many music, arts and craft stalls that feature at the market. The stalls embody the creative flair of this particular region of London and some of the brightest artists, designers and musician can regularly be seen in this area.  The Lock is also known for its incredible selection of street food, which can be sampled throughout the market at many stalls and food carts.

Though a flight from America to England can be quite pricey, there are an assortment of flight comparison websites like that allow you to search for carriers with discounted seats. However, according to Parking4Less, it can be risky booking budget flights because of the extra fees that are sometimes added to ticket prices. Things such as seat reservation costs, infant charges and other taxations are often missed off the initial price of budget tickets, so always be sure to read the fine print when booking.

Once in London there are a myriad of different transport options that will help you travel to the aforementioned markets. The best two options are via the underground or by bus – both are extremely affordable travel options and travel cards can be obtained by purchasing an Oyster Card via TFL.

Melissa | Out&About | 06 4th, 2015 | No Comments »

We’re traveling with Nancy Kirkpatrick again today!  This time we’re in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  What a lovely place and a great post I know you’ll enjoy!  Nancy will actually return from her travels today.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that she’s got one last post for us that will share her travels through Paris, France!  Good reading!

We call in at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a first time visitor I study the choices this port offers. Peggy’s Cove. Historical tour of Halifax. The waterfront. The botanical garden. All good. All worthy. All pull at the photographer in me. Then I notice Lunenburg. A bit off the beaten path for first‐timers like me. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. A former ship building mecca. We go there.

Our Kilted Guide

Our tour guide to Lunenburg is a retired history teacher. In a kilt. And as he slides into a gentle teaching rhythm our ninety‐minute bus ride into what he describes as the “Scotchmist” becomes a classroom with a view. We learn that a kilt is made from nine yards of fabric. The origin of the phrase, “the whole nine yards”. Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin and twenty percent of Nova Scotians are of Scottish descent. Students can study Gaelic in schools. The film Titanic was filmed in Halifax, which was the major recovery site of the disaster in 1912.

With 7,000 miles of coastline, much of it in blind coves and bays, smuggling flourished, most specifically rum during the American Prohibition. A man by the name of McCoy handled the good stuff, the best stuff, “the real McCoy”. Records show 50,000 cases worth!  Then our teacher slides into narratives of Lunenburg. The prettiest city, he says. In its heyday, Lunenburg boasted five fish processing plants and 250 years of building the most beautiful and fastest ships in the world. No more. The single plant still operating processes fish from China. A victim of mismanagement of their most valuable natural resource, the cod, which is close to endangerment.

Lunenburg Academy

We arrive in Lunenburg at the hill top Academy of Lunenburg and disembark to walk the UNESCO World Site with our teacher. The Academy is Carpenter Gothic as are many of the wooden buildings we will see today.

The Wedding Cake House

We proceed down the gentle slope to the“wedding cake” house. Pink. Then follows the first home built here, then St. John’s Anglican Church of Canada. Founded 1753. The interior is gorgeous.  Detailed.  Faithfully restored after a fire to reflect once again a craftsmanship worth preserving.  The artist repainting a field of stars could not make her brush move across the dark blue field. Something stopped her. Research revealed the painting pre‐fire had been faithful to the original consecration’s night sky. So goes the artist’s instincts.

Carpenter Gothic Details

My camera records proud architecture and colors detailing the homes, shops, churches.  Most historically accurate, some jarringly not, but tolerated by the citizens all the same.

The Blue Nose Schooner

And then the waterfront. The replica of the “Blue Nose”, a racing schooner built of Lunenburg pride and launched in 1921 to topple the “Elsie” of Connecticut from her perch as number one on the New England racing circuit. For twenty years the Blue Nose reigned. The most beautiful. The best.

Lunenburg IS the prettiest city, our teacher says. I agree.  And I think, thank you for showing us that history is the everyday that spans time.  History is alive to this teacher.  In a kilt.   In his classroom with a view.

 

Nancy Kirkpatrick

www.nancykirkpatrickphotography.com

Melissa | Out&About | 06 2nd, 2015 | 2 Comments »

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What a fun filled weekend we enjoyed!  Saturday at Golden Isles Olive Oil with Matthew Raiford and his lovely fiance/partner, Jovan Sage, turned out to be such fun.  Lots of people enjoying great food, libation and more!  Anyone attending now knows what a treat we are all in for as Matthew and Jovan prepare to launch “The Farmer and The Larder” in Brunswick!

The first official book signing for “Emmeline At Commander’s Palace” took place!  I’m so proud of the book and thrilled to have people loving it!

I think we all learned about what can be done with the many different olive oils and balsamic vinegar combinations the Paige and her wonderful staff offer to us all.  The possibilities are endless!

Sunday, hot and sultry, told me that summer is here!  I don’t care what the calendar says!  We’ve got a couple of weeks before the real heat sets in, but I feel the beginning.  Thank God for the fabulous sea breezes we are so blessed to have here!

A new week is beginning!  What will you do to make it something special!  Do something you’ve never done before!  Savor every moment of every day…..what a gift they are!

Melissa | Out&About | 06 1st, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Join Nancy Kirkpatrick as she continues her voyage up the East Coast to Brooklyn!  You’re in for a real treat today.  Thank you Nancy for contributing your beautiful writing and photography for all of us to enjoy!

In the port of New York a smooth pearl gray fog lifts slowly to reveal the city. A proud row of multi colored buildings guards the shore while we pass under the Verrazano Bridge, glide past the Statue of Liberty, a quiet, soft green in the mist. A tugboat joins alongside. We are about to dock in the world’s largest city.

Having visited the city numerous times, I’m aware there is a certain assault on the senses when you first see New York, when you enter, while you explore. Depending on how you are wired, that assault can evoke anxiety, frustration, even fear. Or it may energize the artist, the explorer, the adventurer in your soul. But what about Brooklyn?  Not entirely sure of my reasons, I choose the tour of Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Brownstones

And I wonder. How does one discover Brooklyn? Is it part of the city or an existence all its own? Do you cross a bridge dragging pieces of Manhattan behind you? I visualize historic brownstones lining streets that crisscross in neat squares. People live here but work in the city. Like suburbs on steroids. That’s what my limited mind conjures up. And yes, there they are! And trees line those streets. “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” flits through my mind.

Once my mind settles its yearning to see the Brooklyn of my imagination, I begin to experience a different Brooklyn. Shops, restaurants, schools, offices, apartment buildings and at last the neighborhoods. Just like Manhattan, there are separations from the whole. German, Italian, Chinese, Hasidic Jews. They pass before us on the sidewalks, the shop windows, the signs, the places of worship.

Especially intriguing are the Hasidic neighborhoods. Our guide gives insight into baffling customs they adhere to as a means to ensure their continuing traditional existence.  Married women shave their heads to be unattractive to men other than their husbands.But they wear dark tressed wigs, all looking eerily alike as they stroll the sidewalks with their children. Another sect is set apart by the tiny balconies on their apartment buildings which allow them to be “outside” for certain religious observances. They are tightly woven communities. They live in a world visibly apart ‐ similar to the Amish in Pennsylvania, I remark. Yes. The guide agrees. Just like that.

We visit Coney Island. Hear about the devastation from Hurricane Sandy. Have a Nathan’s famous hot dog. It’s iconic Americana. Not yet open for the season, its boardwalks swept clean by the abrasive sand filled wind, it promises colorful, noise filled summer days and nights.

But for all the local color and historical uniqueness, the rise of “glass boxes” is evident everywhere. Our guide bemoans the disappearing Brooklyn. It hurts. This new Brooklyn.  And as we return to our ship, the tour over, our guide reads off an astounding list of famous natives of Brooklyn. A breeding ground of artists, writers, painters, poets, actors, musicians. And I send a tiny prayer into the Universe ‐ don’t let Brooklyn change too much…the world needs the artists. And the artists need the Brooklyn‐like neighborhoods of this world.

Nancy Kirkpatrick

www.nancykirkpatrickphotography.com

Melissa | Out&About | 05 28th, 2015 | 8 Comments »

When Nancy Krabill sent me information on the upcoming art tour she and Atlanta artist, Kathy Rennell Forbes, are planning for October, I knew I had to write about it!  Just imagine traveling to beautiful Tuscany with a group of creative spirits intent on savoring all the area has to offer.

I love the idea of journaling through watercolor.  What a wonderful way to save memories of a trip than through painting!

Listen to Kathy Rennell Forbes as she shares this journey in a brief description….and imagine, all of your supplies fitting in that small bag?  My kind of packing!  You’ll travel through historic villages, experience farm life….including harvesting olives and capture all of the beautiful scenery with your paintings.

You can learn more about this opportunity on Saturday, June 6th at 10:00 am when Nancy and Kathy will host a special introduction to the trip at Glynn Visual Arts.

Doesn’t this look like just the place to enjoy a bit of fall weather this coming October?  I think so!  Join the tour and meet Francesco for a cup of espresso!

For further information go here:  www.goeatgive.com

Melissa | Out&About | 05 27th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Another Memorial Day come and gone.  We spent time in the  Atlanta with family.  I got to see Miss Emmeline and present a copy of my book to her in person.  She is delighted to have her name in the title and a story that takes place in her hometown of New Orleans.

My most favorite place, foodie heaven, The Fresh Market, in Marietta…..if I’m ever lost, this is where you’ll find me!  Oh how I love this store.  I could spend hours looking at the bulk items and exploring every aisle and every nook and cranny.  The music, the displays, the flowers and more.

Time at Leon’s, one of my favorite places to eat in Decatur did not disappoint.

And music in the Decatur square was fun….love the people watching.

We’re back on the island, unpacking and settling back into our routines.  It’s always good to get away…..missing family already!

Melissa | Out&About | 05 26th, 2015 | 2 Comments »

Today is Memorial Day.   I’m honoring those who gave their lives for our country in all of the wars.  All the way back to the Civil War when this holiday first appeared on the calendar.  It’s a day of remembering those who have served as well as their families.  Never forget that it’s the soldiers as well as those who love and support them who are affected by the ultimate sacrifice.  If your community has a special celebration or service to honor the fallen, plan to attend.  This holiday is commonly thought of as the beginning of summer and a great day for a BBQ, which it is, but its true meaning is one we cannot afford to forget.  Whenever you meet a veteran or service person currentlly serving our country always stop and say thank you….and never forget the fallen.

Melissa | Out&About | 05 25th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Google Images

I posted my weekly recipe yesterday in Finally Friday.  We’re in Atlanta for the holiday weekend.  Leave a comment guessing in which part of this huge city we are staying.  The first one to get it right wins a free copy of my wonderful new children’s book, “Emmeline At Commander’s Palace”.  Here’s how it works!  Leave your guess in the comment section, like my Facebook page, The Permanent Tourist and type your guess in the status bar!   It’s that simple!  Here’s to a great weekend!

Melissa | Out&About | 05 22nd, 2015 | 9 Comments »