Will and I love buying posters at art museums we visit or live shows we attend. Keeping the print intact throughout plane, train and car rides is tough so the first thing we want to do when we arrive home is frame it. This sometimes proves difficult as collectible posters often come in irregular sizes. Fortunately I found a great company a few years ago that hand cuts their frames to fit your needs called Hollywood Poster Frames. The frames are easy to assemble and are equipped with clear or non-glare UV Plexi-Glass to protect your picture for years to come. The best thing about Hollywood Poster Frames is their completely affordable prices that are less than half what you would pay at most art or framing retail stores, even with shipping.

Hollywood Poster Frames

Airlines are cracking down on excess and over-sized baggage rules so it’s a good idea to make sure your luggage complies if you want to avoid extra fees. The Balanzza digital luggage scale will help you figure out what can be carried on, what needs to be checked and if you need to redistribute the weight of your things. Just attach the Balanzza strap to your bag and lift it with the handle until you hear a beep. The weight reads out in pounds or kilograms. The strap is easy to use, portable and can read weights up to 100 pounds. Two AAA batteries are required.

$24.99 Balanzza

Source: Global Traveler

With luggage requirements getting stricter by the day, travelers are constantly looking for the best suitcase to carry the most in the smallest package. The Skyroll on Wheels combines a carry-on with a garment bag that wraps around the outside. Wrapping clothes around the case instead of folding them inside prevents wrinkles and uses less space. There is also a top compartment for smaller items or those that you need quick access to while traveling. Although the pieces are designed to be used together, the garment bag can also be removed and/or used separately. The case meets carry-on rules for most airlines but according to online reviews must be placed lengthwise in the overhead compartments of smaller planes.

$199 Skyroll

Every other year, over 800,000 begonias cover the square outside the Grand Palace in Brussels. The bright and colorful “carpet” is spread over 3200 square feet and draws crowds from all over the world during the four days it is on display. This year’s carpet, the 15th, will be based on an 18th century French tapestry and can be seen from August 14-17th.

Check out the cool time-lapse video of the 2006 carpet (pictured above) on the official website!

Brussels’ Flowercarpet

Newly updated Amsterdam post in My Adventures. See new photos on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the pictures posted.

Date of trip: May 2008, November 2004

Amsterdam is Will’s favorite place to visit so we are always excited to return. There are a lot of things Amsterdam is famous for including its canals and houseboats, architecture, windmills, and legalized marijuana and prostitution. It is also extremely crowded! There are bike, bus and car lanes and bridges are routinely raised for passing boats. Walking is the best way to get around but you must pay attention to where you are going and always obey crossing lights.

Highlights:

-Our favorite restaurant in Amsterdam is The Pancake Bakery , famous for its pancake dishes. Unlike the thick, doughy pancakes we have here in the U.S., these are thin and more like crepes. They are huge, come with a wide selection of toppings and are delicious.

-Close to The Pancake Bakery is the Anne Frank House . I was surprised at how large the house was, but I’m sure it felt small with 8 people hiding inside for over a year, unable to even open a window for air. It’s surreal to see pictures of Amsterdam with Nazis in the streets you have been walking.

-The Van Gogh Museum houses over 200 of the artist’s works. Sitting inside I thought to myself that Van Gogh was astonishingly prolific considering how tortured his life was. Though there are Van Gogh paintings in many museums, he was never successful in his lifetime, was plagued by mental illness and died feeling a failure. My favorite paintings are his self portraits because it’s so interesting to see how he saw himself.

-Located in the same park as the Van Gogh Museum, called the Museumplein, is the Rijksmuseum, the largest museum of art and history in The Netherlands. Although it is currently undergoing extensive renovations, there is a small section open to the public showcasing the museum’s most famous pieces in an exhibition called “The Masterpieces”. The presentation is impressive and worth seeing, but I highly recommend visiting during the week or right at opening time as it gets very crowded.

-Heineken beer is a product of Amsterdam and the company has a tourist attraction in the city called “The Heineken Experience”. You’ll notice it’s not called a factory tour or anything like that. I expected to learn how beer is made here but that’s not how the visit transpired. Instead, you are ushered through rooms with vats and odd interactive displays and a motion odyssey movie meant to show “how it feels to be a Heineken bottle”. There are also bars in which you use the free drink tickets that come with your admission. By the end of “the experience” you don’t care or remember much of what you saw, but you’re handed a free Heineken beer glass to solidify your love for Heineken. Although the attraction is currently closed for renovations, it is expected to reopen later this fall. Check the website linked below for more details.

-There are several canal boats that run hour long tours through the canals. It’s touristy but fairly inexpensive and it offers a unique perspective of the city. There are also hop on/off boats that you can use to get around the city which stop frequently at main attractions. Although you’ll pass many bridges in the canals, look out for the Skinny Bridge which is famous because both sides are raised instead of just one to let boats pass.

-Rembrandt lived in a mansion in Amsterdam for many years during a time when he was very successful. Called simply Rembrandt House, it is a fascinating place to visit. In sharp contrast to Van Gogh, Rembrandt was very wealthy and loved to spend his money. It’s amazing to stand in the very room where he painted some of his masterpieces. Rembrandt was actually more famous for his etchings when he was alive than his paintings. Etchings are small pictures scraped into metal pieces, filled with ink and then stamped on paper. The House holds the largest collection of Rembrandt etchings and one could spend hours studying them.

-Although tourists flock to Amsterdam hoping to catch a glimpse of Holland’s world famous tulip fields, tulip season only runs from mid-April to mid-March. During the rest of the year, the only place to see tulips is at a flower market. The Bloemenmarkt is unique because it is the world’s only floating flower market with its stalls along the Singel canal. Here you can marvel at the colorful flowers for sale and even purchase bulbs to take home and grow yourself. Just be sure to get all the paperwork required to bring your plants back to your home country.

-Another place to see flowers is the Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam’s botanical garden. It is one of the world’s oldest, founded in 1638 so doctors could study plants for medicinal purposes following the city’s plague epidemic. Though small, it is a peaceful and fragrant escape from the busy city. It is the perfect place to take a break from touring with benches throughout the garden and a nice little cafe.

-It is legal to smoke marijuana in Amsterdam if you desire, but only in designated areas. These places are marked with signs that say “Coffeeshop”. There are many different kinds of coffeeshops and they are located all over the city. Some are dark and have loud music and some are bright with outdoor patios. Most do not serve alcohol but have a menu with coffee, tea and juice drinks as well as snacks. If this is something you want to do, walk around and find a place you feel comfortable in. You can purchase marijuana inside any of the coffeeshops and most have a menu and a seller that can help you decide what’s right for you. You can buy a little package of what you want and if you need help with rolling all the servers are experts. When people are high, they usually sit quietly or eat so you don’t see a bunch of crazy people running around…it’s actually very civilized. Still, you should be careful. Most places in Amsterdam close around 6pm. In the summer, it stays light until quite late and there are people everywhere but after 10pm in the winter it’s dark and empty and not the best idea to be wandering around high, by yourself, at night. There are many alleys in Amsterdam perfect for targeting a tourist to rob. Just be smart and you’ll be fine.

-Prostitution is also legal in Amsterdam. Though taboo in America it’s just not a big deal there. In the red light district you can walk through the alleys and see girls standing in the windows waiting for clients. Over the past few years, the area has become less seedy as fancy hotels and restaurants have moved in and reduced the number of sex shops and brothels. Though I don’t condone prostitution, it is a part of the culture in Amsterdam and their red light district is a unique sight. It’s definitely safe to walk though during the day, but don’t take pictures of the girls unless you want trouble.

Although in the past many people would write off Amsterdam as a hangout for potheads I recently read an article in a travel magazine calling the city a great destination for families. I was so pleased because with so many things to see and do, it really is a place most people would enjoy. Will and I love Amsterdam and I know we’ll be going back!

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Amsterdam Links:
Amsterdam Official Site
Pancake Bakery
Anne Frank House
Van Gogh Museum
Heineken Experience
Rembrandt House
Rijksmuseum
Hortus Botanicus

Hoping to save money and trees, some airlines are experimenting with scanning electronic barcodes off of cell phones or PDAs for boarding flights instead of the usual paper tickets. Passengers simply bring the code up on their screen instead of printing it out. So far, this option is available to Northwest Airlines customers in Indianapolis and to Continental customers in Houston, Newark, Washington D.C. and Boston. TSA officials are equipped with handheld computers at the aforementioned airports in order to scan paperless flyers through security.

Source: Business Traveler

The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, is currently showing an exhibition by one of my favorite artists, Anish Kapoor. Although it is Kapoor’s first major showing in the United States in over 15 years, you may have seen his “Sky Mirror” in Rockefeller Center, New York City in 2006 or his “Cloud Gate” sculpture on permanent display in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Kapoor’s works often feature mirrored surfaces inviting viewers to get close and become part of the sculpture with their reflection. The ICA, which opened in 2006, also has a great permanent collection and a beautiful resource center with a stunning view of Boston Harbor. Kapoor’s exhibit runs through September 7, 2008.

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston

Whether I’m in New York City or Las Vegas, I love going to the theater and watching live shows. What I don’t love are the high ticket prices and the long lines at half price ticket booths. Fortunately there are plenty of ways to get discounts on admission to performances all over the U.S. right from your computer!

-Theatermania is a great website which lists current shows playing across the country and features discounts of up to 50% for some areas including New York, Los Angeles, Florida and D.C. You do have to join the site for access, but membership is completely free.

-Travelzoo has added a “Shows & Events” category to their list of travel deals that is updated weekly.

-American Express offers discounts on a wide variety of events to cardmembers and if you hold a gold or platinum card you are often eligible for pre-sales and premium seating.

-If you work for a large corporation, your company may participate in a program which offers ticket discounts for upcoming shows to employees. One such corporate program is plumbenefits. Check with your Human Resources Department.

-If all else fails, Google the name of the show you are hoping to see along with the words “discount code” or “promo code”. Sometimes individuals or companies will post codes online that you can enter when ordering tickets to receive a discounted price.