SUMMER 2025 - SIMPLE THOUGHTS ON ADVENTURE & TRAVEL THAT WON'T BREAK THE BANK

In the past, the Nomad Architect has prided itself on finding places to see, hotels to lay your weary head and restaurants that make you realize life can be good that will not make you depressed when you get the bills.

Here is some advice and some thoughts on travel without pain.

Today's post is all about going to those places that you have dreamed of and have some dough left when you return to your permanent abode! We'll start out with a simple list of Do's & Don'ts. To the chagrin of my most favorite Fellow Nomad, I've always been a list guy. She's been my Supreme Navigator since 1969! 

The Nomad Architect's Travel Advice List

Do's

1-Travel with the one you love, the one you laugh with and the one that forgives you when you make a wrong turn or a U-turn for the umpteenth time because you're lost.

2-Go directly to Italy first. This amazing country will change your head and heart no matter your age or position in life.

3-Have your favorite credit card for 90% of the purchases you will make for car rentals, train tickets, food and things to see along the way.

4-Relax! To be thoroughly enjoyed travel must bring smiles to your face and joy to your heart.

5-Enjoy the unexpected. The serendipity of travel always takes your head and your heart to a new place.

6-Plan, plan, plan! The secret to great travel on the cheap is obsessive planning and use of all the travel sites that will find the places and things you desire.

7-If you're going to a foreign country, learn their language as best you can. Most people in most places in Europe welcome Americans with smiles and they really appreciate your attempt at using their native tongue.

Don'ts

1-If it's your first time traveling somewhere new - DO NOT TRAVEL IN THE GOOD OLE USA! It's the most expensive country on the planet for travel.

2-Do not take a lot of cash. Take enough to pay for train tickets and other things that you will use or need. Also, most countries have ATMs, but they always have fees that can be high.

3-Don't settle. Make yourself find the best hotels, restaurants and places to see that will ensure your enjoyment and save you money.

4-Don't sign up for "tours". They cost a lot and don't give you the ability to go down that small road to enjoy something really cool.

5-Unless you have an unlimited budget do not go to California. Hotels, restaurants and places to see and enjoy tend to cost a lot of your hard-earned money.

TRAVEL SITES THAT WILL GET YOU THERE FOR LESS

1-i-escape (https://www.i-escape.com) IMHO this site is the best site to find great hotels with low prices. It covers all of Europe for small boutique hotels that won't drain your wallet. The site also has many links on where to go to see things of interest. Their prices start at around $100 per night!

2-AIRBNB (https://airbnb.com) From personal experience, we have stayed in over twenty AIRBNB's all over Europe and the US. The site has detailed information and reviews for great low-priced places.

3-Tablet Hotels (https://tablethotels.com) Another excellent site with 4–5-star hotels in Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Lisbon as well as many other cities, large and small, in Europe.

4-Eurocheapo (https//eurocheapo.com) It's title is somewhat self-explanatory. Cheap and cool places to lay your weary head after a day of exploring.

5-Booking.com (https://booking.com) This is a large site with extensive diversity all over the world. You can find some amazing boutique hotels for low prices.

These are just a few favorite sites to help all Vagabonds sleep tight for prices that won't break the bank. If you're a serious travel planner, you can find many more sites with great hotels for less money.

Other considerations for getting there and moving from Point A to Point B

The first recommendation - use American Express DELTA Credit Card for travel points. We have not paid for a flight in years. Just like searching for hotels to save money, searching for low-priced rental cars, restaurants and other items will help ensure a travel experience that will thrill you and yours and save you money.

So, get busy on that bucket list, plan your next trip to paradise and go!

Finally - Here's a nice tune by the Chairman of The Board - Sinatra - it's Nice to Go Trav'lng.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by” —Robert Frost

GODERE

DLS

thenomadARCHITECT

IF YOU DON’T HEAR THE MUSIC YOU WON’T SEE THE LIGHT

 No travel advice today. Take a listen to this amazing piece of music by BENSON BOONE - MOMMA! Just click the link.

https://youtu.be/SB69blyX46c?si=aAevZ_6ROemeI8LE

DLStafford

thenomdARCHITECT 

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW - GOING PLACES THAT CHANGE YOU

Somewhere Over The Rainbow 

This was the first post and official launch of my erudite Travel Blog on March 5, 2011with some updated revisions from

THE NOMAD ARCHITECT

Stop the World, I do NOT want to get off. I am not exactly a techno-geek, so I am sure I have made many technical mistakes putting this thing out there. But, I boldy went where I had never gone before - the blogosphere. The real idea behind this blog is actually twofold: 1) We have done a fair amount of traveling and will be sharing our experiences past, present and future and 2) Here's what makes this blog different - Some people think that where they stay when they travel isn't important, as long as it's clean, has a good bed and good water pressure. Well, if you subscribe to that philosophy, then this blog is probably not for you. I believe that where you stay, the uniqueness of a place and the quality of the environment can actually change your mindset, even your reality of a country, its people and its culture. And I am not just talking about 300 count Egyptian cotton bedsheets! I am talking about places that have a unique architectural and even artistic quality that make traveling transcend the idea of a vacation.

In the interest of full disclosure and in deference to my wife and best friend who has been married to this architect for fifty-two years, I invite you to think about and consider that travel with any architect can be enlightening, interesting and, at times, weird. I have obsessive interest in how things are designed and built. Those obsessions can create raised eyebrows and wrinkle forehead questions from my bride - What are you talking about? when I comment on the uniqueness of a doorknob or some other detail that is really not that interesting to others. 

IMHO - If you want to see the world of great art, architecture, amazing food, and a culture full of friendly people and ancient and then GO TO ITALY! And, if you play your cards right you can enjoy an enlightening trip that won't break the bank. More on other places, including the good old USA will come later.

Planning Takes Time and Patience

For those Nomads that need a little help finding places to stay, here are three sites you can peruse for cool places with cool prices. Check out The Nomad Architect Blog for more planning references.

• I-Escape. I love this 
  
  site. It is so easy to use and provides great details,
  good and bad, for each property. If you are planning to go to Italy, I highly recommend a few days in Tuscany. The hotel in the photo is where we stayed for about three days. It was the perfect place to enjoy this part of Italy. In the castle-hamlet Castello di Tornano you will find comfortable beds, huge showers, great food, amazing architecture, great staff and great views. And the price is a sweet $185 a night.

• Tablet Hotels. This is one of the best hotel/B&B sites around. It lists both professional and guest reviews. It has multiple filters including location and price. One example - Check out the Marina Di Petrol O Hotel & Spa in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, a quick hour from Palermo. At this waterfront boutique you can enjoy a beachfront room with balcony, a huge stand-up shower, an infinity pool and a world class spa. And the price? Around $110 a night! Just one example of a cool place for a cool price.

• 
  Airbnb. This site, started in 2007 by a Rhode Island
  School of Design alumnus, is the leading player in the search engine world for travelers who want something different. The site has built up an impressive lineup of rooms, homes, villas, apartments and even private islands at all price levels.  Check out a very cool Entire Rental Unit in Valencia, Spain for four at $177 a night. That leaves a lot of euros to spend on tapas and sherry. I can attest, after staying in many AIRBNB's, to the quality and pleasure of staying in places with helpful owners who will show you all the places to eat and see.

Please sign up for E-Mail Updates and feel free to comment and offer suggestions for the blog or places you have found in your travels.  I have included a Video of The Week with either a favorite artist that I never go anywhere without or a video relevant to this blog. Here is one of the funniest stand-up comics today - Jim Gaffigan on Travel.

Travel Quote of the Day:

To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries - Aldous Huxley

Ciao    DLS

thenomadARCHITECT

04-20-2025 

EASTER 

THE GREATEST DAY 

IN THE WORLD OF CHRISTENDOM!

Easter Sunday is the day all Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ - A simple quote from the great evangelist Billy Graham:

"God undertook the most dramatic rescue operation in cosmic history. He determined to save the human race from self-destruction, and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to salvage and redeem them. The work of man’s redemption was accomplished at the cross.”

Don Francisco wrote an anthem of celebration in 1975 at the age of thirty. He was awarded two Dove Awards in 1980 - Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. 

And to celebrate this greatest of days - one of the greatest gospel singers in modern history delivers the story of power and grace of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as remembered by Saint Peter. David Phelps delivers HE'S ALIVE with help from The Gaither Vocal Band and many other great singers.

Celebrate Easter with the people you love!

D.L.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

2-14-25 - VALENTINES ALL OVER THE WORLD - ROMANCE & LOVE EVERYWHERE!

HAPPY VALENTINES TO ALL NOMADS EVERYWHERE!

Believe it or not Valentines is celebrated almost everywhere. This most romantic day of celebration was started in the USA in the 1840's. Of course, the cynics among us call Valentines Day just another day when retailers, women's clothing stores, places that sell expensive gifts, particularly jewelry, and other business make a lot of money. I used to be one of those sceptics concerning this worldwide holiday, but, as I have gotten older, I have come to realize the importance of treating my one and only special on this special day. 

First a Little History

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine and through later folk traditions, it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love the world over.

Valentines Day is celebrated in America, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, England Puerto RIco, Canada, Japan and even The Soviet Union. All these countries honor the day of Romance and Love on February 14. Other countries celebrate on different days. The day of Romance and Love is forbidden in Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia or Pakistan. Surprise, Surprise! The bottom line is that this day is celebrated in most countries on our planet. 

Shakespeare penned a nice little lyric back in the day.

"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's Day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more."

-William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5 1600-1601

So now that we know from whence this blessed celebration came, what do we Romantic Vagabonds do on this special day? After perusing some online lists and adding a few of my own, I came up with a relatively short simple list of activities you can celebrate with your significant other.

What Vagabonds Should Do On Valentines Day

• Always have roses around to set the mood for the day.
• Start a couple's bucket list or recreate a new one together.
• Eat breakfast in bed or a fancy dinner out.
• Make a tasty culinary adventure for your mate with candles, unique epicurean delights and throw in some roses to create the mood. 
• Slow dance to your favorite romantic songs.
• Book a romantic getaway.
• Have a picnic.
• Go to a nice Wine Shop or Winery & do some tasting.
• And last but not least:
• Tell your mate you love them from the depth of your soul & heart.
• Give your mate passionate kisses.

Of course, if you really want to impress your beloved, make some reservations to fly to the most romantic place on earth - Italy. You can find great places to kindle the fire in this romantic country all over this travel blog.

Joyeuse Saint-Valentin, Buon San Valentino, Feliz día de San Valentín, Alles Gute zum Valentinstag - Happy Valentines Day to Vagabond Lovers Everywhere!

D.L.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

For this special day - Paul McCartney shares a beautiful, simple, elegant tune with hand communication - MY VALENTINE.

02-12-25 TODAY IS NOT ABOUT TRAVEL - IT'S TAKING A LONG & SHORT VIEW OF THE WORLD OF POPULAR MUSIC

THE WORLD OF MODERN MUSIC NEVER STOPS EVOLVING. ARTISTS OF EVERY GENRE CONSTANTLY SEEK NEW WAYS TO EXPRESS LIFE THROUGH MUSIC. MODERN MUSIC NEVER STOPS ALLOWING NEW ARTISTS A PLACE IN LINE FROM THE ABSOLUTE BEST TO THE HEAD SCRATCHING ABSOLUTE WORST. 

FRANK ZAPPA, THE MASTER OF CULTURAL INCONGRUITIES SAID:

"MODERN MUSIC IS PEOPLE WHO CAN'T THINK SIGNING ARTISTS WHO CAN'T WRITE SONGS TO MAKE RECORDS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T HEAR."

Just a tad cynical you might say. However, listening to Zappa's only Top 40 hit VALLEY GIRL featuring his daughter Moon Unit as THE Valley Girl helps us understand where modern music can take us - a different way of seeing our world - up, down and sideways. To be, as they say, all up front and real, I am a child of the sixties. I saw the BEATLES in '64 and Led Zepplin in '69. That is a wide slot from the greatest pop/rock ever made to the greatest pure rock and roll. I love all music genres from Texas Country to Beethoven when it's written and performed well.

The 2025 SUPERBOWL LIX displays modern music of today from the best to the absolute worst. Let's start with the worst. I also must say - I loathe Hip Hop, so my opinion of the worst of the worst this past Sunday is tinged by that opinion.

No. 1

The multi-Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar's performance of Not Like Us is in my "I Just Don't Get It Category of Music". His performance, with a crowd of dancers and other famous and not so famous actors and singers, was painful to my ears and my eyes. Opinions were positive and negative. Most of them negative. One X writer stated - By far the worst Super Bowl halftime performance I’ve seen from any artist! Sorry - No clip. You can find it on You Tube.

No.2

Lady Gaga is an amazing talent. as the late great Tony Bennet said - " Gaga is the Picasso of the entertainment world. She's very intelligent." The song she performed in the middle of downtown New Orleans just before the big game, with thousands watching, was powerful, emotional and enhancing in every way - Hold My Hand was completely inspiring, especially to the people of New Orleans.

NO. 3

And last but certainly not the least- I did not know who this artist was until this Super Bowl. I did some research and realized he is a major talent! Born in Louisiana, from a family of renown performers, he started playing drums at the age of eight then piano lessons started at eleven and lasted seven years. Ultimately, this multi-award-winning artist attended Julliard and received a masters degree in jazz studies. This incredible talent combines jazz, rock, pop and classical in his music. Jon Batiste performed a beautiful and inspiring National Anthem at Super Bowl LIX was beautiful and inspiring.

So let freedom ring. From Elvis to Mumford and Sons, modern music is in a constant state of change for all listeners to hear. 

IF YOU CAN'T HEAR THE MUSIC, YOU WON'T SEE THE LIGHT - Anonymous 

Spring is on the way my Fellow Nomads!

D.L.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

And one last number from one of my favorite bands performing at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Multi-award-winning British Folk Rock Band Mumford & Sons performing I Will Wait. This amazing rock-bound venue should be on every music lover's Bucket List.

01/24/2025 - WRAP UP, TAKE A WALK, DON'T DRIVE, WATCH BLUE BLOODS - DREAM OF SPRING MARCH 20, 2025

All Southerners, unless they are an anomaly weatherwise or a little kid, simply do not care for really cold weather, ice on the roads, snow/ice in the back yard (it usually melts by afternoon) and freezing to death watching the kids and the dogs go crazy romping in the snow. I was born and raised in my favorite part of God's Country - Tallahassee, Florida. I remember, around the age of ten, it snowed, and we built a snowman - it was gone by about 3:00 PM that day. Next day we returned to normal. The snowman to the left was constructed by my two grandsons, Hayes and Smith, with a little help from mom and dad. He looks like he's had a few too many hot totties, IMHO! 

But relax my fellow Nomads, it's only 55 days 'till March 20, 2025, the first day of Spring. The cool/warm temps, the azaleas, the woods, the trees we enjoy in this beautiful part of the world will make us quickly forget those 18–20-degree days of January. 

For some comparisons to other places near and far - here are some examples of Winter in places where people actually live.

Vostok Station - Antarctica / -13 deg F / 01/23/2025 / -128.6 deg F / 07/21/19 83  

Siberia Federal District - Russia / -13 deg F / 01/23/2025

International Falls, Minnesota / -3 deg F / 01/23/2025

Frazer, Colorado / -7 deg F / 01/23/2025

Hell, Norway / -28 deg F / 01/23/2025

Utqiagvik, Alaska / -6 deg F / 01/23/2025

Northern Wyoming / -27 deg F / 01/23/2025

Pensacola, Florida / 20 deg F / 01/23/2025

Tallahassee, Florida / 26 deg F / 01/23/2025

As you can imagine, it gets really cold on planet earth, and we shouldn't complain about our few days of freezing temperatures, icy roads and insane utility bills.

Here is some erudite commentary by Southerners on cold weather:

It's Cold enough to freeze the teats off a frog.

It’s colder than a brass toilet seat on the shady side of an iceberg.

It’s so cold, I saw a politician with his hands in his own pockets.

It’s so cold, we got dogs stuck to fire hydrants all over town.

So, enjoy these few days of brrrr! weather, warm is on the way my fellow Vagabonds. Warm weather brings out our desire to see and experience places old and new - so start planning your trips for Springs, Summer and Fall.

Happy Warm Trails to You!

D.L.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

For a nice tune celebrating love in winter enjoy the multiple award-winning British Folk Rock Band Mumford and Sons performing Winter Winds.