"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!

"Q" Is for the Questions You Might Ask

Your exchange website will make it easy for you to send preliminary inquiries to see who might be interested in swapping with you. When they tell you they are interested, you will need to start the "second interview process". By that I mean you will be emailing them to learn if this is the correct place for you and your family to be for an exchange.
If you want to check out the site I use, you can go to www.HomeforExchange.com
I've drafted some questions that might work for you. You'll want to make changes and additions, but these are a start!

1.       How many Vacation Home Exchanges have you done? Could I contact your previous exchange partners about your exchange for references?

2.       What do you like best about Vacation Home Exchanges?

3.       How close to public transportation are you? Would you tell me about it?

4.       What is the nearest airport? What is the best way to get to your place from the airport, train station, etc., if I do not rent a car?

5.       How near to your house are walking paths? Grocery stores? Etc. (Or whatever is relevant to your interests.)

6.       Do you have neighbors or people that I can call on for help if I cannot reach you easily?

7.       ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS/INTERESTS OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY…. You will add your own questions to this list, but this will give you a start....

"P" for Pharmacies, Other Health-related Issues, and People Watching!

I've probably talked previously more about health-related issues than you care about....However, recently I was talking with a friend who is planning a trip to France. She has some health issues, so she wondered what she might do to plan for them, in case something health-related occurred to disrupt her trip. She could ask her doctor if he/she knew anyone or had any suggestions about the right doctor where she is going. Your host might have an idea....You could see if you could find an English-speaking organization who could help you. An example would be the American Cathedral in Paris. A local Tourist Information office might help you know who to contact. There are many resources. Check your tour guide, or an online site such as www.fodor.com Planning ahead will help!
I know I also mentioned www.medjetassist.com  However, I just learned that they give an 18% discount for their annual or short-term  membership. So check that out also!

People watching....is this something you enjoy? I don't think there is anyplace this isn't fun...a vaporetto(I was doing a serious shoe study!)  in Venice or a crowded square in Arles or Monaco or___________! Do you have  favorite place where you have watched people? Share it with us!
Next post will address "Questions to Ask"....
Thanks for reading! DO send questions or comments!

"O" Reviews Other Points to Prepare for Your Exchange

In addition to preparing the manual about your house and neighborhood, as discussed in http://atozofvacationhomeexchanges.blogspot.com/2011/03/m-includes-medical-money-exchange-and.html I recommend you have a list of questions you want to ask your prospective exchange host.  
Some to help you get started include:

SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR Vacation Home Exchanges CONTACT       

You’ll want to add to this based on what is important to you and your family as you plan your Vacation Home Exchange!

1.       How many Vacation Home Exchanges have you done? Could I contact your previous exchange partners about your exchange for references?

2.       What do you like best about Vacation Home Exchanges?

3.       How close to public transportation are you? Would you tell me about it?

4.       What is the nearest airport? What is the best way to get to your place from the airport, train station, etc., if I do not rent a car?

5.       How near to your house are walking paths? Grocery stores? Etc. (Or whatever is relevant to your interests.)

6.       Do you have neighbors or people that I can call on for help if I cannot reach you easily?

7.       ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS/INTERESTS OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY….

      This process is really like interviewing. (Think back to those interviews you have had.) You really don't want to rush into an exchange. You will feel much more comfortable if you feel you have established a good rapport with your exchange host. (And even once you have agreed upon your exchange, and prior to buying your tickets, you could back out. People always confirm with me before they buy their tickets that we are all set! Here again, it is the TRUST issue! If we were doing this in person, the proverbial "gentlemen's handshake" would seal the deal.)

Every exchange, of course, will be different. So you will always have new ideas abut what you want to learn from your exchange host.

Some people have mentioned in the adult ed programs I've done that it seems like a big (AKA overwhelming) task to get their house ready for people to come for an exchange. If you are one of those people, you might want to start now planing what you will need to do to get your house ready...even if it is six months away!

Please bear with the variety in the format here....Apparently blogger.com doesn't really like it when one cuts and pastes as I did with the suggested list above!

Next post will review pharmacies and other health-related issues and people watching!

"N" Looks at Nuts and Bolts of Getting Around...

Even if you are doing a single exchange (as opposed to going to two or more places on your trip)...just to get from your house to your exchange home, you will want to plan ahead. How to get around...from the airport to the house and then from there to the places you will be visiting? Hopefully your exchange contact has helped you figure out the best way to get to the house from the airport....I am usually tired after a long trip, so the added stress of sorting out getting to my next destination can add to my frustration. Here planning is key! You may have brought a GPS or rented one if you rented a car. I definitely want to have the directions in my carry-on, so I know I can get where I after a long flight NEED to be!
Maybe you will ask your exchange contact where the nearest market is so you will know where you can buy groceries! Of course, within a few days, you will have passed and maybe even visited several more grocery stores!

When I visited Rome last August, Angela had left bus routes to help me travel around Rome. I took the (cheap) bus from Fumicino Airport (touted in all the guidebooks) to the bus terminal and then (finally) found the bus to my new neighborhood.  Someone on the bus told me which stop I was looking for. Without Angela's help (and the man on the bus), I would have been stuck! Because of our location, it took me some time to get acclimated to getting around. But I DID get it, so Rome became an easy place to get around! Our Rome neighborhood pictured had three bus stops within three minute walk from our apartment!
If you do need to take taxis, I would suggest asking when you get in if the fare will include the tip. I'm not a suspicious type by nature, but I think that taxi drivers can take advantage of tourists, especially if they do not speak the native tongue!
One last help to get you get around is to know what systems are available to help you find your way in teh country you are visiting. Some places have "I" for information or "TI" for tourist information. English speaking employees will help you find you way. These are great places to stop for all sorts of information!
Next post will look at Other miscellaneous questions about home exchanges. As ALWAYS,  I would love you to ask any questions about doing an exchange!

"M" Includes Medical, Money Exchange, and Museums....

Well, I have talked about medical concerns before, in  http://atozofvacationhomeexchanges.blogspot.com/2011/02/hospitals-health-care-and-miscellaneous.html
so there is probably not a whole lot to add. Just by planning ahead as it relates to your medical issues, you will be "ahead of the game". Be sure to remember your prescriptions, and pack them in your carry-on bag. (I did forget mine once, but luckily I could buy them in a local pharmacy in Paris. I do not know if some of our RX are sold over the counter, or they are less strict than in US about having actual prescriptions, or they "felt sorry for me", or what! It would have been easier to just have remembered my prescription!) Take whatever over the counter medication you use, as you will probably not find the exact same thing there, and it will probably be much more expensive. Guidebooks will have a section dedicated to medical issue sand hospitals which can help in a medical emergency. If you can reach your exchange contact via email or phone, it might be worth calling them, depending on how much time you have.
And because I have also talked about Money before in this blog, you might want to check this out.
http://atozofvacationhomeexchanges.blogspot.com/2010/12/atm-and-money-matters.html
In addition to trying to make larger withdrawals than I would in the States and at the risk of panicking about carrying too much money around, I do try to keep an eye on the exchange rate. If the dollar is getting stronger, I will take out extra cash. Then you need to be sure that you have devised a safe system of protecting your money.   I do try to separate my money and my credit cards into several different change purses, so that IF I do lose one, I do not lose EVERYTHING.

You will probably know before you get to your next stop which museums you want to visit. Here is where some upfront planning really will be beneficial. You can often visit many museums via a city pass or museum pass; all the guidebooks will let you know what is available in each location. Some of the bigger cities even have free admission on say, the 4th Sunday of the month. (Some museums in Europe, but not all, will offer or have senior rates, but you might need to ask.) Yes, they will probably be crowded, but if you can get there when your first choice museum opens, it will be worth it. You will also want to plan exactly what you want to see at each museum. A museum like the Louvre has so many wonderful paintings and sculptures to see, you will save yourself alot of frustration by planning which pieces you want to see. The picture above is the Matisse museum in Nice, which I had really been looking forward to seeing in August 2009. Unfortunately when I got there, there was a Rodin exhibit, so unfortunately there were not many of Matisse's paintings. Once before I had gone to Paris, I had read about the Edith Piaf museum in Frommer. It was in the little house where she had once lived. To visit it, you had to first call so the attendant would know you were coming. He gave me the code to get into the building. It was a real treat!

Often the city passes are good for two or three days, and the price will vary accordingly. A place like Buckingham Palace can only be visited when the Queen is not there. You can go on-line and buy your tickets for many places. A (wonderful) place like the Alhambra is so popular that you definitely want to buy your tickets in advance and on-line, and then you will save yourself time by picking them up at the kiosks at the gate.
One more "M" word that is important for the actual home exchange part of your trip is manual. You will want to put together a manual that tells all about your house to help your visiting family feel more comfortable. What to do with trash, how to work your appliances, stores, public transportation, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera... You may find that you keep adding to your house manual as each new exchange family gives you more ideas.
Next post will look at "nuts and bolts of getting around" your new location as well as to your next destination.