Travel Maven blog

Mingling with the mannequins: What the Dickens is Charles of England doing in Ohio

Cambridge, Ohio
As soon as Halloween is over, the Central Ohio town of Cambridge will have a festive Victorian look, not only among its buildings, but also its people, some of whom dress and act like Charles Dickens characters for two months each winter.

Through early January, downtown Cambridge celebrates all things Dickens, from carolers and well-dressed society types to street urchins, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim.

If you stop by, you may also dress the part, borrowing for free some garb at Ye Ole Curiosity Shoppe on Wheeling Avenue and heading outside to mingle with the mannequins, which dot the downtown like extras in a huge performance.

For a sneak peek, here are pictures, taken at a local warehouse, of the many mannequins that soon will be stationed along downtown’s Wheeling Avenue at antique lampposts and benches.

Artwork abounds on new Seabourn Quest cruise ship

If you wake up from a vacation dream some morning and can’t tell which Seabourn sister you slept with last night, take a look at the artwork. The three newest Seabourn ships are identical triplets, but they dress a bit differently.

On the Seabourn Quest, which is cruising this week in the Mediterranean toward Barcelona and its naming ceremony on Sunday, you’ll see the same spacious two-deck spa; elegant restaurants and alfresco Colonnade; a marina (pictured above) that folds down from the stern on calm days for boating and swimming; all-suite accommodations; open bar lounges; and nooks and crannies for sunning and naps.

So, the key is to look at the art, including what one of my colleagues called psychedelic coffee beans, below.

Wandering Athens, eating well

Among the occasional advantages of advancing age are the opportunities to return to special places, destinations with meanings from the past. I suspect that I look to see what has changed, and usually I have changed the most.

In my first visit to Athens and the Acropolis, images from books, study, and expectations came alive for my wife and me in the early 1980s. Both of us lovers of human history, we soaked up the words from our tour guides and called the visit one of our best trips.

My second tour was at the guiding hand of my art-history-educated daughter, after her graduation from college. That trip I saw through her eyes the wonders of Greek art and culture as she took it all in for the first time. “Dad, this is huge,” she kept saying, explaining yet another unknown to me.

This time, with fewer expectations, I returned to the wonder of the Acropolis, visited the outstanding new Acropolis Museum, then roamed the area around Monastiraki with a goal of relaxing and eating with the locals.

New armada of cruise ships calls Barcelona home

If you are vacationing on a Mediterranean cruise during the next few years, chances are your voyage will begin in Barcelona, Spain. Lucky you.

Starting in summer 2011, Barcelona will be home to three of the half dozen largest cruise ships in the world, Norwegian’s new Epic, Carnival’s new Magic and Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.

With the addition of these ships, the cruise fleet, already substantial, will sail each summer week with some 20,000 vacationers headed for the Mediterranean.

On Las Ramblas, above, hoping for tips

You will be rewarded if you add at least one night, before or after your cruise, in Barcelona, one of the favorite cities to visit for Americans touring Europe.

Downtown, near the port and especially along the famed wide walking street Las Ramblas, Barcelona pulses with street performers, strolling crowds of all ages, and a slew of pickpockets.

Read more about Barcelona in this article at  TheTravelMavens.com

Extremes in Beijing at China's luxurious Opposite House

With a name like Opposite House, you wouldn't expect the ordinary.

The 98-room hotel, which opened in Beijing last year in the Sanlitun neighborhood, fits the image of a hip urban inn fancied by young adults and by monied travelers who are looking for contemporary design and style.  Service is casual, yet quick and thorough.

From the outdoors to your room, The Opposite House challenges expectation.

A cheeseburger in China, shopping for cloisonne

If you must eat a cheeseburger in the country of Mao Zedong, I highly recommend a sandwich at the School House, near the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, north of Beijing.

The restaurant, which serves western-style food on a sunny patio, makes a burger that is big and juicy, accompanied not only by French fries, but also a great view of the Great Wall. It's a fine place to unwind after a wall walk. My lunch was about $12.

Then, for a detour from modern munchies to the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), make a short stop at the cloisonne factory nearby. It is on the road back to Beijing from Mutianyu.