"S" is for Supermarkets and Other Shopping

"Tested" egg recipe....tasty!

Fish dept in Metz supermarket

Well, I do not complain about going grocery shopping here, so I really like to visit different grocery stores in my travels. Once when I was traveling in the Toulouse area, we visited a market which advertised farm fresh eggs. So we bought a dozen of those and then a dozen of the (not fresh?) other eggs. We ran a "taste test", and I did think I could taste a difference! You will want to check the hours which the stores are open, as sometimes even the European markets will close mid-day, just as the smaller shops do. Last September when I was on Sardinia, the market was open on Sundays. However, at the end of my stay, and clearly when they thought summer tourists had gone home, the market was no longer open on Sundays.
Because there are so many different things available in European shops, you might want to visit shops as you travel. (Somewhere I read that shopping is at the top of the list as to what travelers do when they travel...not the top, but at the top. I was surprised.) Your guidebook will have included the top shops by category, so you might find that helpful. When I was on Sardinia, I wanted to visit a bookstore with books in English. Fodor had listed one in Sassari, but unfortunately when I got there, it was closed for the mid-day break. I just didn't want to wait for an hour. Luckily I could download a book onto my Kindle! I do advise looking into the shopping options so you can plan to visit those places you want to! Most will take credit cards, but not all, so you will want to check that out.
Once when I was in Paris, I heard about some designer outlet, which I did find, but their definition of outlet and mine were many euros apart!
An interesting feature of European shopping is that they tend to have two big sale periods. One is in January, and the other is in June. (However, this may have changed, as our stores have done, so everything always seems to be on-sale!)

Check back when I next talk about telephones and trip planning. As always, I welcome your comments and questions!

"R" Is for Resourcefulness, Ryan Air, and References

I think that travelling in itself helps you expand your RQ or resourcefulness quotient! This is especially true if you are out of the country, because there are more unknowns. Where can you find the solution to the problem? How can you even get to where you need to go FOR the solution? In addition, there may be a language barrier!
What might you like to have in your resourcefulness "first aid kit"? Duct tape, which my brother calls "90 mile-an-hour tape", can serve MANY purposes-from a broken suitcase to you name it! Last summer I took along a package of iron-on appliques which I found at Walmart. With my limited wardrobe, these appliques came in very handy,when I got spots on my clothing that just would not come out. I would just hit the spot with an applique. Another thing I like to travel with is a folding toothbrush, because I can put tooth paste on it and have a ready to use toothbrush when I am flying!You become very resourceful when travelling and may be even more able to "think outside of the box"!

I've mentioned RyanAir before, and I really speak here of any of the low-cost airline carriers. If you decide to use one-and the prices are usually amazingly cheap-be sure to read the fine print! They are usually very strict about the weight of your luggage, fees for checking, baggage, as well as flight cancellation. The good news for me was that this insured I took my small suitcase and kept my clothing to a minimum. (So all those appliques were all the more helpful!) Being on RyanAir really like flying a "bus in the sky". We all lined up to board behind the travellers who paid a little extra to board the plane early. There were no assigned seats. They were not (yet?) charging to use the toilets-although the rumor is out there!. But if you had lots of luggage it would be worth it to check the difference in cost of a more conventional carrier. Just checked their site which said, "Fares don't incl optional Fees/Charges (Click here)."
When you are planning your exchange, you may want to check references for your prospective exchange partner. (I must admit that I have never done this. I think that by the time I have decided to exchange with this person they are as they present themselves!) You can also "interview" them both live by Skype or conventional telephone or via email. 
Thanks for checking in to look an another facet of vacation home exchanges! Come back again!