While visiting Israel, be sure Masada National Park and the Dead Sea make the itinerary. Just 60 miles and a 1.5 hour drive southeast of Jerusalem, both places may be visited in a day.
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Bethlehem and the West Bank
In order to get to Bethlehem, visitors must travel through the West Bank. For tourists, passing through the Israeli check point is generally problem free, but it is best to carry identification in case of a search.
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Top Places to Visit in Jerusalem
I wish there were a way to sum up the history of Jerusalem in a paragraph or two, but its 3,000 years of complicated history requires a detailed write up that I will leave to historians. Just the list of top places to visit in Jerusalem is extensive enough!
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A Visitor’s Guide to Domme
Domme is a medieval, bastide town located in the Dordogne Valley in the Nouvelle-Aquitane region of southwestern France. Perched on a rocky outcrop, Domme provides magnificent views of the Dordogne River and valley. A member of the association, Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Domme is a popular tourist destination.
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A Guide to Visiting Sarlat
Sarlat-la-Canéda is a lovely French village in the Dordogne Valley. It is home to the highest concentration of medieval, Renaissance, and 17th-century architecture of any town in France. Its picturesque lanes and facades display the privileged status Sarlat received in return for its loyalty to the French crown during the Hundred Years’ War.
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Life on a French Farm in Corrèze
Trusted Housesitters
I wanted to go to the French Open in Paris for a day, but it was a long way to go from the USA without other plans. Having visited Paris previously, I was looking for other options when I found a “housesit” in Lagraulière, a town in Corrèze on a website called Trusted Housesitters. There are several other similar ones, but basically the site matches house and pet sitters with homeowners who need help with pet and home care.
I paid my application fee for the site, applied to the job in Corrèze which includes details about the owners, pets and home, and miraculously got it! After some communication back and forth, I booked my plane and train tickets in preparation for my next adventure.
PET A FARM ANIMAL
Memphis: A Three Day Itinerary
So, I have always felt that as an American, I needed to visit Graceland. I’m not sure why given I’m not an Elvis fanatic, but I finally decided to visit Memphis in between my trip to Dallas for my high school reunion and my trip to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. I was pleasantly surprised by Memphis and Graceland!
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Traveling Tips for the Pantanal
Tips for Traveling to the Pantanal, Brazil
Airports, Airlines, and Transportation
- Leave generous connection times between flights, especially in São Paulo. The airport is huge! It took us at minimum 25 minutes to walk FAST from the gate at which we landed with American Airlines to reach the Gol Airline ticket counter to go to Cuiabá. Fortunately, we didn’t have to check bags as the line was extremely long. We were able to use the kiosks to check-in which saved us. After going through security and walking to our gate, we used up our hour connection (which was originally longer before our other delays). We got to the bus five minutes before it left for the plane.
- Both Gol and Avianca are good local airline options. Avianca has in seat entertainment.
- Change money at an ATM in São Paulo as there were not any ATM’s at the Cuiabá airport. The information desk told us to “Go to the Shopping.” That seemed weird so we waited to go to a bank near our hotel which limited us to $100, so then we had to go to a gas station that charged a significant fee.
- It’s easy to get Uber or a taxi at the airport. I’m told Uber costs less.