NYE EVE… And what I learned from the Italians

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Gigi in My Life, Thoughts, Travel 1 Comment

On this “NYE” eve, like most of us I can’t help but to reflect on the past year. There were highs; my son’s acceptance to SYA Italy, our family trip to Thailand, my annual girls ski trip to Colorado, my launch of 54 Couture Portraiture, and my collaboration with a fellow artist forming PS Couture. There were lows as well; my husband’s stroke, my brother-n-law’s untimely death, breast cancer attacked my family like a stealth bomber, absence of a close friendship, and the loss of an unborn child. My observation in all of this is that life is constantly changing and waits for no one. The good and the bad have to be embraced, cherish the good and try and make sense of the bad.

mi familia

The past week I was in Italy with my family, a first for us celebrating Christmas away, while there I did a lot of people watching and observed the italians zeal for life. They smoke and drink with abandonment, savor their meals, upon meeting men kiss one another, and all the women from baby girls to 80 plus year-olds are “dressed”. The women my age are not trying to emulate their daughters, they are sporting silver hair, wearing body conscious clothes and always so effortlessly chic. I loved seeing people riding bikes, fully dressed in street clothes, going about their day.

Spanish Steps

It was refreshing not to see Starbucks. Yes. I do love Starbucks and have been known on more than one occasion to even cruise through a drive-thru. Here you did not see people walking around with paper cups, if you have a coffee or tea your are sitting in a cafe with a “real” cup and saucer, and oh none of this “tall”, “grande” and “venti” business, everything is served in a regular cup. The culture does not seem driven by convenience, no taking food away in containers and meals with your family are important.

Cafe

What I learned from the Italians:

1. If I don’t have time to sit downn and drink my tea or coffee–I don’t need it.

2. No more wearing my “workout” clothes as street wear- finish working out and get dressed-enough said.

3. Prepare more meals at home, with the kids being away it is so easy to just pick something up.

4. Spend more time with family.

5. Continue to find joy in simple things ie. having fresh flowers just because…

flowers are everywhere in Italy…these were sold from the back of a truck

6. Having friends over just because–the art of home entertaining seems lost-

7. Make more rituals-make your bath like a spa-why not?

love my bathtub…

8. Ride your bike for transportation in your regular clothes-and put your groceries in the bike basket–get rid of the Costco card and stop buying thngs in bulk…

9. Laugh out loud often- even if for no reason

10. And lastly…Drink more red wine or juice or kumbucha…water–just drink

10.5 Yes…a bidet

11. Say “Ciao” “Grazie” and ” Allora”

Ciao,

XOXO,

GIGI

Gigi in Rome

Christmas and Thereafter

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Gigi in Family, Italy, My Life, Travel Comments Off

mi familia

The days are going by so fast and blending into each other. We have been in Italy just enough time to start adjusting to the time only to have to start packing for our trip home. A lot of bonding goes on when you are in a country where little english is spoken and there are none of the normal distractions. No phone calls, unreliable wifi most of the time, no nada, just each other, talking about everything from the future, their goals and dreams to what retirement looks like for us.

family

You bring these children into the world, but as parents we lay the foundation and express our wants and desires for them, but ultimately it is up to them to make it happen and stay on task. There is not enough “micro managing”,” helicopter mommy-ing” in the world that can make these young adults do something that they don’t really want to do. I’m sure there are many who may not agree with this, but in my 54 years here on the planet, 23 of these years being a parent and countless years observing my friends, family and numerous acquaintances raise kids, you have to just hope for the best and set the foundation, because there are no guarantees or sure set paths or formulas.

family

On this trip of no distractions we talked about everything like, “Yes you are on a nice trip doing “nice” things, but what are your going to do in your life so you too can travel?’ or “What colleges are you interested in based on your GPA?” or “How long to you plan to live in NYC on your salary?”

As I sat across from my children, I could not help but to reflect on how my family has grown up so quckly. We were blessed that everything worked out and we were able to be together. This trip made me realize how much I miss my children and the dynamics of being together as a family. I’m happy that they are both so independant but sad that they are both so far away.

This has been an unforgettable trip full of special memories. Tomorrow is our last day together, and we will all go our seperate ways hopefully to be reunited in the summer.

family

Xoxo,

Gigi

Gigi in Rome

MECCA-Outlet Shopping in Florence

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Gigi in Italy, Shopping, Travel Comments Off

December 23rd Monday

Today our daughter Amani arrived, my son did not know she was coming, we kept it a secret. Initially she was not going to be able to join us and then everything worked out-so we were able to spend Christmas together.

After a late breakfast we ventured out to “Space” the Prada factory store, I love Prada and Mui Mui, so I was excited at the thought of going to “Mecca”.

Prada Outlet

So after about an hour or so of riding through the Tuscany hills, we reached our destination. The parking lot was full, and lots of shoppers mostly foreigners were leaving with large shopping bags, which got my heart rate up a bit at the thought of the anticipated “deals”. The “space” was the size of a small department store, everything was neat and organized and plenty of sales people dressed in black ready to help. Upon entering you were handed a number which I later learned was the number you gave the salesperson who took the items you wanted to purchase to the counter. Knowing that the dollar is not so strong ie. 100 euro equals 137. dollars, so that item that is 200 euros will set you back 274. dollars, kept me with my phone calculator in hand. The best buys were in the shoe department, they had a 100 euro section,in which most of the shoes were a few seasons behind.

prada outlet

(btw, sorry about the poor picture quality, but they did not allow pics, so I had to take these on the down low.)

I tried on a few shoes, but many of them were similar to shoes I already have–how many animal print shoes does one really need? They had a lot of pretty flats, but I have not worn any of the Prada flats I picked up a few years back, the rest were really “out” there even for me ie. odd shapes etc.. I stumbled upon this charcoal grey suede lace up bootie, which was finished with a glitter heel that I liked, and they were in the discount section.

Mui Mui bootie

Amani settled on a classic nude patent pump, that she was very happy with.

Amani’s shoes

Next on to the purses, everything started at 650 euros ie. 900. us, so for me that is still a nice piece of change, so I moved on from the bags. Now if a person had their heart set on a Prada bag this is a good price, since in the states the same bags start at 1400.

Prada outlet

Prada Outlet

I did pick up a Mui Mui wallet, to replace the one I got 3 years ago that was about 1/2 price.

Mui Mui wallet

Next stop was the Dolce and Gabbana factory outlet, now that was literally a drive-by, everything started at 1000 euros! I love D & G, but the few pieces I have, I lucked up on and got at a really good prices in the states.

D & G outlet

Our last stop was “The Mall“, this outlet is the Rodeo Drive of outlets, YSL, Valentino, Burberry, Prada, Gucci, and Dior just to name a few of the discount boutiques here. By now poor Amani was exhausted and opted to stay in the car and the Reggie-s and I went for it, I was OK browsing until I hit the Valentino store, I love the rock stud collection and was thrilled to find this pair in my size and 40% additional off the outlet price. Yes, its a few seasons back, but I loved it then and I really love it now especially for under 200..

Valentino Rock stud bootie

One thing about fashion, it is an universal language- once the salesperson noticed my fondness for the rock stud collection, she then showed me a animal print rock stud bag, that was also an additional 40% off–had to have it!

Valentino Bag

The other thing about these outlets they are not giving the goods away, and unlike at home where there is always a sale, these stores do major markdowns July and January. I also like that the merchandise is not shop worn, and it appears to be stuff from the actual collections, not something made for the outlets. So if you are “balling” in the designer goods lane, this is the place for you, and if your know your stuff there are deals to be had.

reggie getting his “shoe” on

After all the shopping I was happy to come back to the hotel and take a nice hot bath…

love my bathtub…

My days are all mixed up so I will post when I can…

Xoxo,

Gigi

Firenze

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Gigi in Holiday, Italy, Travel 1 Comment

Cafe

Today after another strong cafe to start the day we walked around Viterbo for a bit, my son needed to pick up a few more gifts for his host family. I love the colors of the buildings, faded ocher, rose, and creamy whites so beautiful, the patina is spectacular. Everything has a history, and is not brand spanking new- all color coordinated like many of the communities back home.

Viterbo

market

Once we were done we went to Reggie’s “home” to say goodbye to his family, once we leave we will not be coming back to Viterbo, we return home on Sunday and Reggie continues on to Paris with classmates for the reminder of the break. Part of the School Year Abroad program is independent travel in small groups within Europe, once you are proficient in the language.

I was excited to see Reggie’s home in the daylight. It is a strange feeling my little son living so far away for 9 months, so of course I wanted to see his abode, meet the guard dog that attacks visitors, see the 100 olive trees, the 3 cats, chat with his grandma and see his room again. He has grown so much in so many ways, not the child who I used to drive around all the time, he now goes to school on his own, has made a host of new friends, budgets his money and stays on top of his school work. Even though he goes to boarding school this is really different, when at home I can get to his school in under 2 hours, growing up is mandatory here.

gate to reggie’s Italian home

Reggie’s host mom, sister and grandma

kitty

We arrived in Firenze just before nightfall, thank goodness for GPS. The holiday decor at the 4 seasons is spectacular…

holiday decor

4 seasons holiday decor

We had a nice dinner at a veggie friendly restaurant in the center of town, although I prefer a vegan diet when at home, when I travel, especially to foreign countries I am a little more accommodating, I admire my vegan friends who are able to make things work worldwide. I just try and politely ask for substitutions and pick and choose things that I’m going to be happy with.

really good salad

candle light dinner

Firenze Street

Tomorrow a big surprise for my son, can’t wait– until then Xoxo, Gigi

Gigi & family

Ciao Bella…

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Gigi in Italy, Travel 1 Comment

viterbo fountain

Well we arrived in Italy, rented a car a drove a couple of hours to Viterbo, the little town that has been my son’s home for the past few months. His host family greeted us and served a delicious vegetarian dinner – fresh pasta, with mushrooms, and an assortment of other goodies. They live on an olive orchard a few miles outside of the town, it was night when we when arrived so we could not see much, but we had some of the olive oil that they made which was a far cry from the Trader Joe’s variety. We exchanged lots of smiles with Reggie communicating for the both of us. Reggie showed us his room and his italian mom and I shared our dismay with Reggie’s messy room- no words needed. We were impressed with Reggie’s command of italian and his maturity, it is amazing what can happen in a few months.

Reggie & his italian family

We checked into Hotel Viterbo, and quickly fell asleep until 1 PM Saturday. Reggie our guide took us into the town, which is a walled city dating back to the 11th century . After a strong coffee we were good to go, within 10 minutes I discovered Milly Shoes, and snapped up these bling trimmed sweeties.

bling bling boots

Milly Shoes

I was amazed at the selection of shops in what I thought was a sleepy little town, much like my beloved Whittier. Between the curvy cobblestoned streets, lined with traditional italian architecture, boutique after boutique what more could I ask for? Next stop was Elisabetta Franchi, a cute store with pretty, sexy, girlie girl clothes at nice price points. I picked up this nude lace gown, that I love–not even worried about where I will wear it, something will come up and I will be ready. Then I saw this cute little “mui mui” inspired bag and could not leave without this, I know I will get lots of use out of it years to come a classic.

the dress…

Gigi & the dress

pretty bag

My guys did their share as well, my poor husband traveled with no jacket, and yes it is the dead of winter, and not our 80 degree Cali winter, so two jackets later he was all set. Reggie shopped for christmas gifts for his host family. I enjoyed people watching, the italians, young and old are so stylish. We ran into a few of Reggie’s classmates, and visited his school and finished the night with dinner at one of the local spots. Our little “boy” told us that he wanted to stay in town and catch up with his friends and that we should go back to the hotel and pick him up later.

I could not help but think about how fortunate our kids are to have traveled so many places, my husband and I both come from humble beginnings, I was in my 30’s the first time I ever traveled to Europe, married with kids no less. Our vacations growing up were going to visit other relatives, and most of the time it was a car trip, I could count the times I had been on a plane on one hand growing up.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.- Saint Augustine

Tomorrow we will leave for Florence.

Reggie’s School SYA

Reggie

viterbo

holiday in viterbo

santa

Hope your holiday is coming together, mine will certainly be different than any other that I have experienced.

Ciao Xoxo

Gigi

Gigi in Viterbo

NOLA WHO DAT!!!

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Gigi in Travel Comments Off

Whirlwind Weekend New Orleans- We arrived on Friday morning via Gulfport Mississippi, long story why we took this route, rented a car and drove, after our 2 stop red eye flight. Purpose of the trip was a medical meeting. We departed on Sunday @ 3, so needless to say it was a fast turnaround. I love NOLA and never miss an opportunity to visit.

STAY– Loft 523 523 Gravier Street New Orleans 504 200 6523- 16 Sexy loft style large rooms with spa like bathrooms. Perfect location, just a skip from the FrenchQuarter. No restaurant ;(. Valet Parking–$$$

Loft 523

spa like bathroom

EATS-We are foodies, but being vegetarian I knew it was going to be a bit challenging, but I did a little pre-planning and read a lot of menus and found numerous options. Ruby Red Slipper 3 locations-award winning breakfast spot, we had grits, fruit and a homemade biscuit. Stella lovely spot in the french quarter, prix fix four course vegetarian menu, that was pricy but delicious. Fresh Bar salad wrap bar, my niece Taylor took me here- great for a quick bite while strolling on Magazine street. Italian Barrell also in the french quarter, homemade italian fare excellent pastas and good salads, tiny intimate place 8 tables, chef owned- reservations a must. Green Goddess vegan friendly spot in the french quarter eclectic menu, the sweet potatoe biscuits with hot pepper jelly were really good.

“green salad” at Stella

Stella

Gigi & Reggie @ Stella

Green Goddess

SHOPPING– of course I could not leave without a tricket or two. I love antiques and over the years we have picked up some of our favorite pieces in New Orleans. Lucullus-culinary antiques, this store has been there for at least 25 years, some of the most beautiful china, lovely copper pots, flatware, and numerous unique items that would add that special something to your table. Nathan, assisted me in selecting a beautiful set of french flatware, I can’t wait for it to arrive. You must stop by, located in the french quarter.

Lucullus

Gigi at Lucullus

my flatware

Trashy Diva a dress boutique with retro inspired designs, I could have done a lot of damage in here. I love feminine flirty dresses and this was the spot. Everything was so well priced, I will be shopping online with them–sizes run pretty true.

Trashy Diva

my “Trashy Diva” dress

Some of you know I love FB, so when I posted that I was in New Orleans, a FB friend commented on my post that he had a friend that had a store in the french quarter, so of course I had to go by and check it out and I am so glad I did. The owner Danna is so sweet and designs and makes incredible leather bags and jewelry. Her store is “Love It”.

Love It

Lovely Danna

I bought a leather travel bag, that I will be taking on my next trip, it is one of Danna’s designs–the bag is a belt/bag combo that you wear on you body, so your ID, cash etc. can be close, so you can avoid the professional pickpockets…the picture is not great but you can get the jest.

“Love It” bag

I had to get a mask for my collection that I started when I went to Venice. There are numerous mask designers in the french quarter.

Gigi

As far as entertainment we enjoyed the street performers and will have to go back soon and explore the night life next time.

What are some of your favorite New Orleans spots?

Xoxo,

Gigi

Who Dat

Maryland 48 Hours Turn Around

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Gigi in Travel, Weekend Observations 1 Comment

Gigi & Reggie

48 hour turn around trips, are my favorite. If you stay with friends or family it is just enough time to not wear out your welcome, the perfect amount of time when I am hosting a houseguest as well. We stayed in Maryland with Reggie’s sister and her family in their new home, they recently moved there via Huntsville Alabama. First thing I noticed about the subdivision was the amount of land, each home was on an acre, and deer were everywhere.

sister-n-laws “brick house”

Gigi & sister-n-laws

The cost of real estate is so much more reasonable here than in southern Cal, we went to a few open houses, and I was amazed at what $600,000 gets in Maryland, 4500 plus square feet, an acre, finished basement and enough storage to put all the storage facilities in LA out of business.

Maryland Real Estate

Finished Basement

Love this finished basement space…I could work with this.

stalking model homes

For a moment we did the math and figured out if we sold our home, and the business, we could move to Maryland, buy a really nice home for cash, Reggie could work part time or teach, I could do photography and we would have plenty of time to travel-you never know what is in the future for you infinite possibilities.

We had great meals, my sister-n-law is a vegetarian and her husband is raw vegan, they prepared a delicious spread for us, the raw vegan pizza was to die for!

Vegan Spread

The primary reason for our trip was to attend our friends Buni and Mal daughter’s wedding. Buni is from D.C. and her daughter decided it was important to have the east coast family present even though they live in LA. It was a lovely eclectic event so “Courtney”, the wedding took place at the American Visionary Art Museum, the reception was a lounge setting that was warm and inviting. I love the shift of all the older adult children of my friends getting married now.

Gigi & Buni

lovely couple

Gigi’s tips for 48 hour getaways

Jet Blue

1. Red eye flights are not the best, but if you must try and arrange for an early check in, or better yet stay with a family so you can go right to bed.

2. If you don’t have a way to upgrade your flight, opt for the “more” leg room seats, especially on the cross country flights, so worth it…

3. Take a nice tote filled with a big pashmina, slippers, your electronic devices, coconut oil, a few magazines and a nice small handbag as well.

4. If you want to go to any “hotspot” resataurants or shows make reservations ahead of time and get tickets to shows etc. do your research so you can take advantage of your 48 hours.

5. Rent a car! Do not have peeps pick you up and chauffer you around.

6. Send a thank you and a little gift to your host…I love ordering something online that is personal and unique.

7. Be a gracious guest.

8. Pack carefully, make sure everything you take has more than one purpose. I took my faux animal fur coat and threw it over everything.

9. Cherish the moments, with family and friends and don’t forget to laugh.

Next short trip Nawlins in November

gigi & reggie

Xoxo,

Gigi

Traveling…

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Gigi in Events, Travel 3 Comments

Courtney and Glendon

Wedding

Busy weekend…packing for a 6am flight, leaving our family’s home at 3 in order to make it to the airport on time. The wedding was beautiful and the rain disappeared just in time. There was plenty of toasting, good things to nibble, music to bounce to, and family and friends all celebrating the marriage of Courtney and Glendon.
The ceremony was held at the American visionary art museum, the couple and the wedding party stood on the stairs surrounded by all the guests as they exchanged their vows.

Invitation

Buni,the mother of the bride and I met 17 years ago when I joined the Pasadena showcase house group.

href=”http://www.gigismeanderings.com/traveling/image-3/” rel=”attachment wp-att-5689″> Gigi and Buni[/caption]
When your friends children start getting married you realize that time really is zooming by and lately we have been receiving a few of these. I find it interesting to see the new families merging together, knowing that we are not in control of the partners our children meet and fall in love with.
The reception was elegant and laid back chic, the atmosphere was sexy lounge with soft seating and two large tables for the families. Tray passed appetizers were non-stop, combined with food stations with an assortment of delicious nibbles, with plenty for us vegans to choose from. The cake was simple modern and tasty.
Two things I learned from this wedding:
1. I have no desire to be a wedding photographer-although I had my camera with me, I was respectful of the hired photographers, I don’t know how they do it with everyone taking pictures with their phones.

Gigi

2. Not sure if I want to have a 25th wedding celebration-weddings are wonderful, but they are work, maybe we will go away and celebrate, or maybe have something small.

Wedding Day july 23, 1989 1 week before 30

This is my first time posting from my iPad so forgive me if the format is a little funky, the text editor appeared to be a little off. I will post pics tomorrow, so until then cheers…

Toast

Xoxo
Gigi

A Taste Of Thailand

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Gigi in Travel 1 Comment

Gigi & Ele

We are a family of foodies! Reggie and I follow a vegan diet with an occasional backslide here and there, my son is a carnivore and my daughter’s diet is as fickle as the weather. We flew on Air Japan and thanks to saving those miles, we were in business class which was nice considering it was a 20 hour journey. I pre-ordered hindu vegan meals which I fine more flavorful that just regular vegan meals. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meals, so fresh and delicious.

business class vegan meal Air Japan

Our first day in Bangkok started off with a 4 AM wake up call, we were meeting a guide to participate in the daily alms round, a tradition where lay people feed the monks in order to earn merit. The monks come out at dawn in search of their daily meal which must be eaten by noon. We left the hotel around 5 AM, stopped at one of the many roadside food stands to buy flowers and small individual packets of food for the monks. We then were dropped off at the dock where we boarded a long tail boat, after about a 10 minute ride we were greeted with the light of dawn and monks in their saffron robes gliding on small boats receiving alms from the residents along the river. It was a moving experience to participate in this ritual. Each time we had an exchange with a monk, he would say a few sentences in Thai, which our guide told us the monk was blessing us for our generosity.

Making Alms to the monks

After our morning of visiting temples we returned to our hotel and had afternoon tea. The Peninsula Hotel is known for their tea, so with our complementary voucher in hand we took advantage and escaped the heat for a minute.

Peninsula Hotel Afternoon Tea

The next day we decided to have dinner at an Indian Restaurant I read about in Vogue India. I was intrigued by the description of “progressive Indian” cuisine. So after a crazy ride on a tuk tuk we arrived at Gaggan only to be told we did not have a reservation, fortunately Chef Gaggan happened to pass by and notice us, which was not difficult considering I had not run into any African-Americans since we arrived in Thailand. He was so gracious and accommodated us on the terrace which was perfect. Our meal was “progressive” but delightful, numerous courses of artfully prepared Indian inspired dishes, but the highlight of the evening was running into our neighbor Samir and his children. What are the odds of that? Mind you this is our neighbor who lives across the street and we did not know that we were both traveling to Thailand.

Samir and Gigi in Bangkok

Damnoen Saduak floating market gave us a chance to travel outside of the city, I had read that this is a tourist trap but still a must see. We hired one of the wooden boats, which are all are paddled by women, and went up and down the narrow canals buying fruit, and other trinkets.

Floating Market

floating market

Floating Market

After a few days in Bangkok we traveled north to Chiang Mai, our home for the next few days was the Four Seasons a beautiful resort surrounded by rice paddy fields. The service was impeccable, we had breakfast there every day and the staff quickly accommodated our vegan requests and greeted us by name every morning.

Four Seasons Chiang Mai breakfast

pool time

Flower Garden

Of course we could not go to Thailand without doing a cooking class. I did my research before leaving and settled on “A Lot of Thai: Home Cooking School” which was held at the home of Yui. Chef Yui was an excellent teacher, we made all the thai classics, pad thai, spring rolls, mango sticky rice, green curry and many other dishes. Thai cooking is so quick and so full of flavor.

A Taste Of Thai Cooking Class

Gigi & Family

One of the highlights of our trip to Thailand was spending a day at Patara elephant farm. You are paired with an elephant when you arrive and you take care of it for the day, ie. feeding, bathing doing a health check and going for a ride through the jungle. These majestic animals are so gentle. I really wanted to go and just take pictures of everybody, because I was afraid, I have had bad experiences riding horses so riding an elephant-Oh my. My monkey brain was telling me that I was going fall and be stepped on by the elephant. At the end of the day I was in love with these giants. We had a beautiful lunch on banana leaves next to a waterfall after we bathed our elephant.

Patera Elephant Farm

Amani & baby

Reggie feeding the Ele

Amani with mom and babe

Thai Picnic

Travel Transformation-Bangkok

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Gigi in Family, My Life, Travel 4 Comments

Traveling…

The past few weeks have been emotionally charged, the unexpected death of Reggie’s brother Jimmy, complications with my son’s travel visa for Italy, my sister’s hip replacement surgery, combined with the normal challenges of day to day living. Every year we have been fortunate to go on a family holiday. We typically decide on a place, do a little research and travel in August. Last year we went to South Africa, a first for us, it was an incredible trip full of history, beautiful people, and one of the highlights was going on safari. With so many places in the world to go, we always try to pick some place new each year.

Safari Family

Travel is transforming, we leave our comfort zone and step out into the big old world, I love going to a foreign place and observing with my eyes, capturing with my lens and savoring with all my senses what this new place is about. Growing up our travel was mostly visiting other relatives, and an occasional trip to Hawaii, which I loved, because we stayed in a hotel. I have always loved discovering something new, even exploring a neighboring city can be fascinating if you take a moment and walk around like a tourist, you will be surprised with what you might see. This year we decided to go to Thailand, I have always been interested in eastern culture and love thai cooking. We wanted a trip that had city life, sprinkled with salt water in the hair, sand between the toes and some shopping thrown in for good measure. So this morning after putting on my long flight travel uniform-black lululemon yoga pant, tee shirt, my fav calypso black cashmere sweater, and a pair of “worn in” slip on wedges I was ready to go.

fav travel wedge…

I know our family trips together soon may be ending as our children start their own life journey, but I am happy for the ones we will be able to do together.

The family

Japan Air was fabulous, the first leg of the trip was 10 hours. I pre-ordered vegan meals that were really fresh and tasty, of course my son had tradistional meals, and he was pleased as well.

vegan Japan Air Meal

kid-lets fast asleep

A brief layover in Tokyo and then another 7 hours to our finally destination Bangkok. After a short ride to the city we checked into The Peninsula got settled in and of course my body clock is out of wack so I decided to post while everyone else is fast asleep. It is a little after midnight, our room is very elegant, and well appointed with buttons for everything, I’ll take a pics tomorrow.

The Peninsula

We have an early pick up at 5 am to participate in a tradition of feeding the monks and we will go to some of the famous temples. Not sure what the weather will be, it is monsoon season so I know it will be raining at times tomorrow, and the temperature will be about 95, btw read in one of my guides book that Thailand is one of the hottest places on the planet. So I guess I rest my eyes for a moment so I can be fresh for tomorrow.

XOXO,

Gigi

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