Point well taken. Life can be indeed tough. However, IMHO, Christmas is the one time of year where you can just enjoy your family, your kids and the blessings God has shed upon your life and others in your life circle.
Some of my greatest memories are Christmas as a kid, Christmas with my kids and now Christmas with my grandkids. They always make me feel good. Well, not always - you know what I'm sayin'.
So, on this first day of Christmas time I thought all you NOMADS might like to hear a couple of diverse tunes I have drummed up.
First up - A tune that will hopefully get you in the mood for all that time on AMAZON, Hobby Lobby, Nordstrom or any of the other online places to spend your hard-earned money for the ones on your Christmas List! Gwen Stefani & Blake Sheldongive us a lively arrangement of YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS!
And here is a classic, written by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane in 1943 and first introduced by the great Judy Garland in the film Meet Me In Saint Louis in 1944 - HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by the multi-award-winning quartet Human Nature.
Enjoy the day, the week, and the month - Merry Christmas!
Unlike my father and my older brother, I was not born into the life of retail sales. My dad's store, Stafford Jewelers, was started right after WWII. My father loved to sell things to people. His talents, his buoyant personality and always ingratiating smile made it virtually impossible to say no to him. I grew up knowing that Christmas was a special time of year. However, I was not a born salesman. So, when I worked in the store in my teens, I was not in my best place.
But, back then, Black Friday was not the insane day of buying & selling like it is today. But it did kick off the season for retail buying and gift giving until about a week past the New Year.
So, here is a cool tune to kick off the TOP 25 CHRISTMAS CLASSIC SONGLIST FOR 2025.
Enjoy a little Retro Swing / Rock’n’Rollfor the holiday season on the kick-off day for the Christmas Seasonfrom URSANTA -I SPEND ALL MY MONEY ON BLACKFRIDAY!!!!
We must honor this serious day and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives - I'm 76 and I'm still living - Thank You / I'm still married to the most amazing female on planet earth - Thank You - I have two amazing kids whom I love without hesitation and I have another amazing female in my family, my daughter in law - I also have two incredible grandsons that lovingly call me D, usually very loud, I have a family that loves me in spite of myself - Thank You - I still confess my many sins every day and I know that God forgives me - Thank You - Thank You - Thank You!!
Someone stated an obvious truth - I’m just here for the carbs and emotional support.
So, what about all that food we will eat on this Blessed Day? Thank goodness it only comes once a year! The joy of being with family and friends gives me pause to realize how blessed I am in a world that seems to always be in strife.
We have honored this day with family & friends since that founding day. We honor this time once a year to eat, drink and be merry - eat a lot, talk a lot & laugh a lot.
So, on this day I hope you will enjoy two very different takes on this great day of joy.
From Saturday Night Live when it was still pretty entertaining Adam Sandler with some help from Kevin Nelongives a funny rendition of one of his most famous songs - Celebrating Thanksgiving!
From the greatest late night talk show in television history - the greatJohnny Carson discusses Thanksgiving with bandleader Doc Severinson in one of the most hilarious six minutes ever recorded.
I have been accused, correctly, of being obsessed with music. I have sung my entire life, mostly in church. The first solo I ever sang was K-K-K Katie in the fourth grade at Kate Sullivan Elementary Tallahassee, Florida. Always accompanied by my lifelong soul mate, I have also seen upwards of 150 artists from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to The Statesman Quartet in every genre of music - gospel, country, rock, jazz, classical, progressive and pop!
So, today is not about finding the right hotel or restaurant. It is about the joys and emotions of music!
Music can enlighten us. Music can make us see things in a new light. Music can make us cry. Music can make us laugh. Music can make us love.
Here's a simple list of some of the music I have listened to and loved!
The greatest make-out song -In My Roomby The Beach Boys.My Vagabond mate and I saw this amazing group of talented singers at Tully Gym at Florida State University in the late sixties - early seventies when we were dating.
Greatest Rock Song in history - Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. Formed in London in 1968, this group with one of the most talented, yet extreme vocalists of all genres of music is still performing today. We saw this amazing band at The 1969 Atlanta International Pop Festival six weeks before Woodstock.
A quote from Lead Singer Robert Plant on the writing of this intensely emotional tune.
"I was holding a pencil and paper, and for some reason I was in a very bad mood. Then all of a sudden, my hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold/And she's buying a stairway to heaven.' I just sat there and looked at the words and then I almost leapt out of my seat.
Second greatest Rock Song ever recorded. Dream On by Aerosmith. We saw Aerosmith at the Amalie Arena several years ago in Tampa. Three hours of completely insane rock and roll! The recording here is Aerosmith's Steven Tyler & Guitarist Joe Perry performing The Boston Marathon Bombing TributewithThe California Children's Chorus.
Best Progressive Rock, Blues Rock, Folk, Jazz Fusion, English Folk Music, Hard Rock & Classical Music Rock Band with the absolute best flute player in Rock, Ian Anderson.Locomotive Breath- Jethro Tull. This amazing band was formed in 1967; the year I graduated high school!
Blending Funk, Rock, R&B, New Wave, Soul, Synth-Pop, Pop, Jazz, Blues and Hip Hop for music fans - PRINCE, IMHO - the best of the best. I had the pleasure of seeing this amazing artist in Tampa several years ago with his band New Power Generation. An innovative, glamorous and intensely gifted writer, singer and guitarist wrote, recorded, and performed his greatest tune the No. 1 Worldwide hit - KISS!
And, just for all of those wayfaring nomads that love great music, enjoy an amazing performance in 2004 at the induction of George Harrison into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Written byHarrison while he was with The Beatles,While My Guitar Gently Weeps is performed by members of the Traveling Wilburys Band including Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood and Prince. Prince, donning a red hat, contributes one of the most amazing guitar solos you will ever hear.
Then there is the one and only Tina Turner. Tina recorded and performed the greatest cover of any song ever written - Proud Mary This great tune was written and recorded in 1969 by Credence Clearwater Revival. We saw The Ike and Tina Turner Revueat Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University in the early seventies. I had never seen anybody sing like that and dance like that! The release of Tina's version of Proud Mary by Ike and Tina turned her into an international Star. Enjoy this amazing performance in 2000 at Wembley Stadium.
“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.” – Robert Fripp
Next week - more music for the road, on a plane, on a train or on a ship.
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
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.
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.
School ofDesignalumnus, 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, Spainfor 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
