Category Archives: Leaps (travel-related stories)

La Perla Spa in San Sebastian

by Wendy
Avoiding rainy beach getaways was not our strong suit this summer. We had our heart set on visiting San Sebastian/Donostia – one of the prettiest city beaches we have ever seen – but there’s rain in the forecast. A week or so before our trip I frantically start searching for ideas on what to do in San Sebastian when it rains. The more I read about La Perla Centro Talaso-Sport, the more I think Jack and I should visit this spa even if it doesn’t rain.

Of course it does rain, so we visit La Perla in the early afternoon hours of a Friday. Wow, this place is a treasure. Continue reading →

A Round of Spain Style Gin & Tonics

by Wendy
If only we could have a virtual cocktail party, featuring amazing gin and tonic drinks like the ones they serve in Spain. For those who do not drink alcohol, might I suggest the incredible fresh squeezed orange juice they serve in Spain. Yes, the theme is Spain. We’ll have plates of snacks too, of course. Continue reading →

Synchronicity in Paris

by Wendy
Dreamy Paris. City of love and lights, destination for artists and philosophers, historical backdrop for world events, setting of literature and films, longtime muse for creators and students and romantics and travelers. Even when you are walking alone, all your Paris references keep you company. Continue reading →

Statistics from a Rainy Beach Weekend

by Wendy
Not all trips go the way you want. Some trips aren’t even that fun. Be appropriately suspicious of those who tell you otherwise, and of whatever they’re selling.

Everyone has a vacation or day off from work that isn’t up to par. You live through it and move on. You try to find something to enjoy, to joke about. I present to you: Statistics from a Rainy Beach Weekend. Continue reading →

3 Tips for Booking a Walt Disney World Vacation

by Sunny

follow me on Twitter @sunnylooksleaps

  1.  Research on the website – And be sure to look at ALL of your package options.  We had received a coupon code in the mail for up to 30% off select rooms during the time we were hoping to visit.  Other deals on the website included Magical Holiday room deals, and Room Only deals. However, the deal we settled on was the basic Room and Ticket Package.  It got us the room we wanted for the price we wanted.  You see, the specialty deals, like the one we got in the mail, greatly limits the amount of rooms available for the discount.  So unless you act quickly (as in the day you receive the mailing) your choices will be extremely limited at best. If you have a specific resort in mind, like we did for our upcoming trip, it’s best to scroll through the “View Offers” feature directly above the Available Rooms descriptions on the website.  Had I not used this tool I would have either grossly overpaid or not gotten into Animal Kingdom Lodge at all.  So first lesson learned: be open to all of the offers, not just that enticing advertisement with your name  on it.

Continue reading →

10 Things I Loved About A Lake House Weekend

by Wendy
1) A change of scenery. As much as I love cities, I appreciated being out in the country, surrounded by family, tranquill trees, Kentucky bluegrass and greenish lake, lightening bugs and quiet.

2) Driving a boat for the first time. Feeling the warm sun and breeze cutting through a humid afternoon as you steer through the water. Stopping in the shade for some of us to swim, all of us to relax and talk and laugh. Continue reading →

Shopping in Paris

by Wendy
This is not a post about shopping at Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent on the Champs Elysees. This is a post about picking up a few interesting souvenirs here and there in Paris.

Shakespeare & Company Bookstore – If you, or someone you’re thinking of, loves books, this is the place for your souvenir. While not the original location of the shop Sylvia Beach ran in the 1920s, this is a seriously cool bookstore with its own literary history dating back to the 1950s. There are rows of used paperpacks in stalls outside, suitably portable for carrying to a nearby cafe. There is a maze of rooms with crowded shelves, chairs to settle in and read, and at least one cat. There is a program offering writers a place to sleep in exchange for work around the store and drafting a short autobiography. This is where the star-crossed couple Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meet once again during the opening scene of the movie Before Sunset. It was a treat to visit this store, and I happily wandered around for awhile. Before I left I bought Jack a book of Apollinaire’s poetry with English translation, accepting the clerk’s offer of the special Shakespeare & Company stamp on one of the pages. Continue reading →

Overheard in Paris

by Wendy
It’s funny and endearing how many Americans will call out, “Hey, where are you from?” when hearing an accent similar to their own while in a foreign city. Sometimes they even stop to have a brief conversation. Or ask if you’ll take their photo.

When surrounded by another language and doing your best to understand, your ears do perk up a little when you hear a fellow English speaker, native or otherwise. Especially when you overhear amusing comments, like these in Paris. Continue reading →