The Best Tour of the Sydney Opera House: Backstage at 7am

The Best Tour of the Sydney Opera House: Backstage at 7am

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Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not a morning person, but I can be persuaded to wake up early for the right motivation. The Backstage Tour of the Sydney Opera House, which only runs once a day at 7am, is one of the best tours I’ve ever taken and was definitely worth the early morning. I first read about this possibility in my Lonely Planet Australia (Travel Guide)>Lonely Planet Australia book, and immediately circled that part of…

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6 Books to Inspire Travel in 2017

6 Books to Inspire Travel in 2017

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In case you haven’t already figured it out – I’m an avid reader. I especially like to read books set in countries where I’m living and traveling, and sometimes books I’ve selected for other reasons end up inspiring me to visit the places where they’re set. To kick off the new year, here are my pics for the top books to inspire travel, and get you excited for your next adventure: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan I started this…

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Yayoi Kusama’s Art: Exhibitions I’ve Seen & Where to Catch Her Next

Yayoi Kusama’s Art: Exhibitions I’ve Seen & Where to Catch Her Next

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Disclaimer: I visited the Moderna Museet in Stockholm as a guest/participant of the TBEX Conference & Visit Stockholm. Opinions are all mine, of course – I always tell it like it is. How did I go from Kusama being an artist I had never heard of and just happened to stumble upon to waiting almost 3 hours to see an exhibit of hers last month? Like all great travel experiences, walking through a Kusama exhibition makes me feel like a…

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Welcome to Travel Savvy Gal!

Welcome to Travel Savvy Gal!

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As you’ll read in the section on Why Start a Blog?, I never really considered myself the type of person who would write a blog. In fact, several people suggested that I start a blog when I moved to Australia in 2012 (and with the 2013 move to Italy), and I don’t think it’s something I even seriously considered at the time. However, about six months ago I realized that not only do I enjoy travelling and the preparations that…

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Venice CHEAT SHEET

Venice CHEAT SHEET

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You could spend weeks in Venice without exhausting your options for museums to explore, churches to visit, and places for a delicious meal. But since your time visiting will likely be much more limited, here’s the Travel Savvy Gal “cheat sheet” for the essentials: Things to Do Rialto Bridge It’s iconic. It is quite tall, so offers a great view of the Grand Canal. You’re decently likely to pass it anyway as you wander Venice, but in case not, seek…

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How to Avoid Common Mistakes Travelers Make on their First Visit to Bangkok

How to Avoid Common Mistakes Travelers Make on their First Visit to Bangkok

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I hated Bangkok the first time I visited. I’m the kind of person who goes to a new city, and even before I leave, am planning itineraries in my head for when I am able to return. Questions like “What city would you like to go back to?” always stump me because the honest answer is “Almost everywhere.” In Bangkok, I spent my time thinking about how quickly I could escape the city and never have to come back. Fast…

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View of a Boat on the Grand Canal in Venice
Where to Stay in Venice, Italy

Where to Stay in Venice, Italy

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  How does one person become an expert on where to stay in Venice, Italy? In this case, live in Milan for several years, under 3 hours by train from Venice, and visit often like I did! Venice was so close to Milan that I visited often, sometimes even as part of a last-minute weekend plan. So when people ask me about where to stay in Venice, Italy, I have quite a few ideas from all of the great places…

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Travel Story: Experiencing Flamenco in Seville, Spain

Travel Story: Experiencing Flamenco in Seville, Spain

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  Duende. It is mystical, powerful, emotional. A word that defies definition. Embodied in the flourish of a bullfighter snapping his red cape in an impassioned ¡Olé! Captured in the intensity of the flamenco music and dance. Or in my case, the primal wonder I too felt, experiencing a performance of flamenco in Seville. Flamenco in One Word: Duende. Carnal, primal The lone square of dance floor The stomp The clap The hip sway The allure Inviting the audience in…

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Best Wineries in Margaret River, Western Australia

Best Wineries in Margaret River, Western Australia

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How many wine regions do you know that were founded as the result of a research paper? From an unusually academic start, the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia was born. It all started with a 1966 paper by Dr. John Gladstone identifying the region as suitable for wine production (since it was similar to the Bordeaux region of France). Apparently that’s all it took for some enterprising Aussies to start planting grapes and making wine. The rest, as…

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Reading poolside at the Andaz Scottsdale Arizona Books to Read on Vacation - Summer Reading List
Books to Read on Vacation: Summer Reading List 2019

Books to Read on Vacation: Summer Reading List 2019

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Now that summer is here, one of the essential questions I am always thinking about is . . . what books to read on vacation! Sure, I have a bunch of items that I take with me on pretty much every trip, and they are mostly clothing and accessories. But no airline flight or beach relaxation for me is complete without a good book to keep me company. Or better yet, a fully loaded e-reader to have a compact way…

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