Michael Montesa Photo Blog
Posts tagged Europe
ETIQUETTE 101 – What Not To Wear: Dress Codes Worldwide
03 years ago
How appropriate this is when you travel. A must know skills and knowledge before leaving the U.S. soil so you will not stand out in the crowd.
Link: Etiquette 101
Rule 1: Leave the Fanny Pack
What makes an Ugly American ugly? Is it the timbre of our voices? Or the way we travel in herds? Or is it (as we suspect) our love of sweatpants, baseball caps, and yes, fanny packs, no matter the occasion or place? While it can sometimes seem that the world has fallen victim to a sort of sartorial globalization, where jeans are welcome anytime, anywhere, the truth is-of course-more nuanced. What works in surprisingly laid-back Singapore will be greeted with looks of horror on the streets (or in the boardrooms) of Paris. And ladies, while you can (and should) pile on the gold and jewels in Greece, quirky and stripped-down is the way to go in Germany. So here are the rules on looking not just appropriate but actually stylish around the globe, whether you’re in a meeting, At a party:, or just walking outdoors. Plus: Tips on how to wear a head scarf, what to pack for safari, and how to play European for a day. Ugly American? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Source: www.concierge.com
BACK TO EUROPE
03 years ago
Well, 2 more nights to go and I’ll be on a plane to London Heathrow. Europe, here I come! It has been 2 years since my last visit to the UK. I’m really excited to go. I’m all packed, my iPhone unlocked for O2 network and my rental flats are all waiting for me. I leave on Tuesday night via British Airways and I fly non-stop from Phoenix to Heathrow. I don’t usually fly British Airways (if possible, my preference is Virgin Atlantic) but on this trip, I’m on a budget and I try to be a smart traveller on recession. My trip is also not just for pleasure but to work on my portfolio. As a photographer, all I think about is the dream of documenting other places that tells more stories, show colorful pasts and friendly people. So on this trip, my mission is to take documentary style photos in Europe especially in Spain and Portugal. I’m also excited to fly into Heathrow’s new Terminal 5. I want to see what is all that hype that everybody is talking about. I’ll found out when I get there.
TRAVEL COUNTDOWN
03 years ago
by mikemontesa
in Travel Logs
I have finally finished packing and that took a lot of work. It usually takes me forever to make a decision on which stuff to bring and some of you knows that I take my whole studio with me (sort of) when I travel. I’m fully equipped though, from medicine to batteries. I’m all ready for any situation that can happen during the trip. I also got all my money exchanged to Euro’s and British Pounds. I’ve already learned a lesson from my first European trip of not exchanging the money in the US right away. It’s a lot cheaper to do your currency exchange here in the US than doing it abroad. They only charge you $5 here at Chase Bank instead of $30 at the the Currency Exchanger, especially those at the airport.
GOING BACK TO ENGLAND
05 years ago
I go back to the United Kingdom tomorrow. I’m taking the Eurostar train to London at noon. I got a First Class seat and this is the only splurge I did for this trip. This is the last leg of my trip before I head back to the United States. I’m a little excited to go home and enjoy my own bed again and drive my car. I don’t mind going back to work and that means work more overtime so I can travel again next year. I definitely want to come back to Europe, maybe to Spain.
JARDIN DU LUXEMBURG
05 years ago
The weather is so nice outside and the sun can be seen in the sky as early as 9AM. People are taking advantage of the nice warmer weather before the winter starts.
ON BOARD: VIRGIN ATLANTIC TO HEATHROW
05 years ago
by mikemontesa
in Travel Logs
We are on board the Virgin Atlantic Airwarys from LAX to London Heahtrow. Today is 9/11 and I know that the airport security today is going to be very strict. The date doesn’t really bother me and I feel secured even more. I am very excited to board the Virgin Atlantic because I heard so much hype about the airline and I hope I will not be disappointed. I just finished packing last night and that’s very unlikely of me. I’m usually packed a week before my trip. It’s just that I am so busy with the new house. We moved in to a new house 2 months ago and I’m still painting some parts of the house. Last night, I just finished painting the family room and the kitchen. Last week, we also bought the entertainment center from Bova and our sofa from the Room Store. The house is becoming complete now and we are now embedding our own style into the house. I have to put the renovation on hold for now because of this Europe trip.
TICKETS TO LONDON
05 years ago
by mikemontesa
in Travel
At last, I bought my ticket to London via Heathrow Airport. This is a good start because I have eight more airline tickets to buy for different countries. I choose to fly VirginAtlantic Airways because I heard that they have better entraintainment and better seats.
I also pick LAX as my Port of Entry since it’s only an hour flight from Phoenix and I would rather sit through 11 hours of flight and get some sleep in the plane when I can. If I have to fly out to JFK, that’s another 4.5 hours flight to New York and another 6 hours flight to London. I also give myself plenty of time allowance between connections.
LAX Customs are so busy because they have to go through all the travelers (LAX is the gateway airport for the Asia/Pacific/West Coast and hubs for several major airlines) and you also have to cross the street or take the shuttle between the USAirways terminal and Virgin in the International Terminal. Virgin also fly their Airbus 340 aircraft from LAX and their seats configure the 2-4-2 arrangement. I usually sit by the window and since it’s 2 seater, it’s easier to access the lavatory.
Before I purchase my ticket, I go to SeatGuru.com to pick which aisle or seat to pick. Well, when you fly more than 10 hours, you would pick the most comfortable seat and you find ways how to look for that. That’s where SeatGuru comes into the picture. The site tells you where the lavatory or the crappy seat so you can avoid it.
