Comments

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  Buzzy Gordon February 8, 2010 at 5:33am

  There are plenty of exciting cities in the world for rocking and rolling, and Craigslist is a great option for finding temporary housing. There is also house-sitting (homecarers.com) and home swapping.

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  Susan McKee February 8, 2010 at 5:29am

  I like Allan's suggestion. I went to Dorset with Thomas Hardy in hand, and explored Cornwall with Daphne du Maurier, not to mention Devon through Lorna Doone's eyes. An English countryside cottage, with train access to London for day trips might be a compromise worth looking into.
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  Ed Wetschler February 8, 2010 at 5:14am

  Thanks, Allan. I think she's eager to rock 'n' roll a little, which puts her in the tricky position of being able to afford the off-season cottage in the country but wanting that palace in Venice.
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  Allan Lynch February 8, 2010 at 5:03am

  I'd give her a copy of Jane Eyre or by Jane Auston and suggest a cottage in the English countryside. Either the Lake District or Cornwall. And I'd suggest she go in the shoulder seasons (May-June or September-October). There won't be the crowds, the weather should be decent and the prices are lower (unless she did well in the divorce in which case I'd rent a palace in Venice just to further piss off her ex).
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  Maralyn D Hill February 8, 2010 at 5:02am

  IFWTWA Temecula Wine Country Tour May 16-19, 2010
  This trip is limited to 10 writers (no spouses) so sign up early. It will be a great trip including:
  
  Temecula Creek Inn
  Smooth Jazz event & dinner at Thornton Winery
  Iron Chef Cooking Adventure at Baily Restaurant
  Hot Air Balloon Adventure
  Too much to list here, see the itinerary at http://ifwtwa.org/mediatrips/temecula1.html.
  Early registration ends 2-28. Regular registration ends March 15. Be sure to check this out.
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  Ed Wetschler February 8, 2010 at 2:33am

  Your advice, please: A friend of a friend, a 40ish woman who's just divorced, is looking for a home stay vacation, probably in Europe. Any ideas?
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  David Paul Appell February 2, 2010 at 10:22pm

  FYI, several travel media associations (see list below) now have dedicated groups on Tripatini, for any journalists or travel trade folks who are members or are interested in becoming members. More to come soon!
  
  Bay Area Travel Writers (BATW)
  International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA)
  New York Travel Writers Association (NYTWA)
  Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
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  David Paul Appell January 23, 2010 at 11:12pm

  Good points, Allan and Susan. And we've just added a Haiti group, because although it's been a marginal tourism destination for quite some time, it does have some wonderful attributes to offer, and intelligently fostered tourism can and should be part of the solution in reconstructing the country. So please in solidarity join our new Haiti group and contribute ideas and observations when and however you can.
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  Susan McKee January 23, 2010 at 8:49pm

  Allan is absolutely right. outside philanthropists have been trying to "fix" Haiti for more than two centuries. Sustainability is the issue, and until the Haitians get a grip on their unique problems, whatever help is provided this time will again prove to be insufficient in the long term.
  
  As he notes with the Ethiopian water pumps, "anything of value will be stolen". Especially aid money (how did the Haitian elite get so wealthy?).
  
  Let those cruise lines keep docking, and "work with local people to show them how to develop working relationships with the cruise lines so they can earn their own money either working for the company or providing tours or selling local (as opposed to Chinese-made) crafts."
  
  Check out this opinion piece: "To Heal Haiti, Look to History, Not Nature"
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  Allan Lynch January 23, 2010 at 5:38pm

  On first blush Frommer's idea is kind and compassionate. But it's not practical.
  
  There is so much money rolling into Haiti right now it's creates its own problem. Everyone is talking about sustainability. Help should also be sustainable. The cruise lines should offer passengers an opportunity to go ashore and help. I don't mean help digging out collapsed buildings. Leave that to the pros.
  
  I think the cruise lines should a) be bringing suppliers ashore for local residents. b) they could organize an on-going relief project to help a nearby village(s). That means clearing land for a new medical centre and school, providing a fresh water source, school supplies, any maybe some sort of Habitant for Humanity type projects to help rebuild modest homes/shelter for people. and C) then start to work with local people to show them how to develop working relationships with the cruise lines so they can earn their own money either working for the company or providing tours or selling local (as opposed to Chinese-made) crafts.
  
  Years ago when the famine was sweeping Ethiopia, people in my part of the world adopted villages. They built schools and dug wells. Our NGO people wanted to install these great electric pumps that cost thousands of dollars. The village elders said no. Anything valuable would be stolen or break down. Instead we provided dirt cheap little pumps made with recycled bike tires that cost less than $3. People had to pump, but in the underdeveloped world there is no shortage of labour or time, so it worked.
  
  Feel good initiatives can do more harm in the long-term. If we spent a little thought we could actually change a century of neglect and do good and not just help people now, but elevate future generations so that Haitian parents don't have to sell their children into slavery.