The Monthly Travel Gang

Yesterday Betty and I met with our travel group and discussed our plans as well as offering encouragement to each other.

The Travel Gang

 We get together once a month at a popular chain establishment that shall go unnamed mainly because I think this chain is overrated and overpriced.  Rising to popularity with the younger crowd.  However, it is centrally located and Betty and I will split a tea or coffee or soda.




After this meeting, one of the gang mentioned he was going to Spin Pizza for lunch.  Betty and I joined him and I'm glad we did.  Spin Pizza cooks classic Italian pizza in a wood fired oven and it is delicious.  Betty and I had the Pollo Arrosto e Chevre (Roasted Chicken and Goat Cheese) with crimini mushrooms and caramelized onions.

Our partner for lunch had a salad and a small three cheese pizza that looked and smelled wonderful.

Travel talk, good friends and great pizza ... I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday.

Until next time.

Dollars to Euros

Touching back on the upcoming anniversary celebration and learning experience for traveling outside the United States, think about what will happen once you arrive in a new country with nothing but American Dollars in your pocket.  Chances are, you're not going to get very far.

This was a topic of conversation one day when our little travel group got together for sharing dreams, stories and lies.  All but one stated they waited until they arrived at their destination then sought out an ATM to get cash in whatever currency that particular country took.  I considered this rather smart as it would negate the need to carry cash and I would not have to pay the exchange rates at a Currency Exchange vendor.  However, as is evident in one or two of my previous posts, what I consider smart at the time does not always work out.

The owner of the apartment we are renting requires the balance of the rental to be paid in cash upon arrival, common practice throughout the vacation rentals industry.  I also need cash to purchase tickets from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris proper.  Hearing the opinions of my travel group, I originally decided I would just find an ATM at the airport and withdraw the cash I would need.  Nice, simple and I would not have to carry a large sum of cash.

Nope, not gonna work that way!

I find out the maximum I can withdraw from an ATM on our travel account, on a daily basis is $500.00 which would not cover the balance of the apartment.  After some discussion with my wife we then decide to change dollars to euros here, not an easy task when you live in the American Midwest.

Our bank is a small bank that has been in the same place on Main Street since its founding in 1884, they do not have the capability of exchanging dollars for euros.

Our credit union which we are using for our travel savings likewise, is a small financial institution that does not have the capability to exchange dollars for euros.

What to do?  Time to ask the master of the internet, Google.

According the Google there are three banks in our area that have the capability to "order" euros.  The process is rather straightforward, as there is no need to keep euros on hand you must place an order for how many euros you would like, pay for them, then within a week pick them up at the bank or have them delivered to your home for a slight fee.  If you have them sent to your home you MUST be present when they arrive, you have to sign for them.  Needless to say, we decided to pick them up at the bank.

Ah, but which bank?

The local branch of Bank of America told my wife they could order euros for us however, their rate was too high (they wanted close to $1500.00 for €1000.00) plus you had to have an account with them.

Commerce Bank was slightly cheaper and they said we did not need an account although, the rate would be lower if we had an account.

Wells Fargo Bank had the lowest rate, about $1372.00 for €1000.00 but again, we had to have an account with them.

We decided to work through Wells Fargo since we were already have financial accounts with them and they offered the best exchange rate with the lowest fees.  So ... off to the local branch we go to open an account.

We opened our account this past Saturday, had to wait until Monday to order the euros though.  It appears the computer system that contains the data of the new account that was just opened doesn't recognize the data for the new account for 24 hours.  As the bank was closed on Sunday, we arrived Monday after work to order our euros.

All went smoothly as we ended up with a lady who was almost giddy that we were going to Paris for our anniversary.  So, our euros are ordered and we shall pick them on Friday after work and promptly close the account.

You do what you have to do.

A New Year and a New Direction

Happy New Year to all who might stumble across my attempts at writing the blog thing.  I sincerely hope 2013 brings you all you need to be happy and content.

I welcomed this new year as I have done in the past, taking down the Christmas tree, packing the ornaments and in general removing all vestiges of the holiday season.  For some this is a sad time of the year as it means a return to the normal workaday schedule of life.  For me, I'm neutral.  Yes, I have to return to work but I also get my house looking back to normal, the two balance each other so, I'm neutral.

As for the new direction, at the start of this cyber record of my plans for our 30th anniversary I believed I would have something relevant to post each week.  As it happens, I don't.  Acquiring our passports was relatively easy and problem free.  Likewise. purchasing our tickets and arranging the rental of an apartment.  We have our budget money set aside and are ready to go.  Now the wait begins.

Rather than abandon this blog for the next 6 months I decided I would post more about what happens in our daily living which unfortunately, places my writing in the same category as millions of others who keep blogs.  The difference will be ... in 6 months time you get to follow our adventures in Paris!  Granted, it won't be the same as actually going to Paris but I'm sure I'll make mistakes along the way you can learn from then save yourself the trouble of making them, unless of course you like making mistakes.

For the first entry of my new direction allow me to introduce another member of our family.  This is Cocoa, our 6 year old chocolate lab.  Just relaxing in the yard.

And this is Cocoa about 24 hours later, in the snow that began to fall shortly after I took the previous snapshot.

Before you say, "aw, she's so pretty" I have to tell you she is a bit OCD.  Cocoa has a thing about wood, specifically the wood from our firewood stack.  For some reason she believes the wood is hers and attempts to steal it at every chance.

Now, picture this, it is winter, the temperature is below freezing, there is snow on the ground.  What else makes the house cozy besides a nice crackling fire?  Off I go to split a little wood for the night.  Cocoa knows I'm going to uncover the woodpile the moment I reach for my gloves, when I do she becomes, well let's just say she becomes very animated.

She is sneaky too.  She knows I will, at some point, load my arms up with split wood to take in the house.  It is then she will bound across the yard and steal my wood.  As many as she can make off with before I return.  The second picture above was snapped just as she dropped a piece of firewood she had stolen.  While she treats this all as a game, I must say it is tiring picking up wood twice.  But, it does keep me moving rather than sitting on the couch and it does provide a bit of exercise so possibly it's all for the best.

So this will be my new direction, a little insight to my life with anything new I learn about our upcoming anniversary celebration.

I hope you will enjoy my writing and little peak into me.