The sight of antiques can release a flood of memories and emotions of times gone by. You may have had certain items in your home similar to the ones I see at antique stores, vintage shops and flea markets. Seeing antiques and vintage items ties us to our history and might remind you of certain loved ones.  I was happy to see people still hung onto their ancestors’ shaving brushes!Old cash registers are fascinating to me. I remember using an old typewriter as a pretend cash register when I played “grocery store” with my best friends.

There’s nothing like a good book set and the smell of the pages inside.Vintage luggage has been a popular decor item for decades, now. Who would ever want to throw out vintage luggage? They are so durable and handsome! We had some exactly like this!

 I like admiring old machinery…. like this fabulous radio.Of course, the vintage dresses are so stunning. And the coral tone of this one jumped out at me.Crystal decanters never go out of style, it seems.A displayed collection of vintage toy trucks was very eye-catching. Some of my favorite collectibles are antique typewriters. I found one recently in my childhood home that I played with for years. I keep finding great ones here and there. Wow—technology has come a long way.The most interesting part of “antiquing”, for me, is discovering how collectors acquire their items. Vintage and antique store owners have told me the methods they use to procure antiques and it varies from city to city. I love a good walk down memory lane!

From inside the KC City Market, I heard electrifying music outside. Dancing along to this energetic group, I went out onto their gathering place to watch three talented men entertaining a crowd of people. Their laptop deejay station, microphones and dance moves created the most fun I’ve had on a weekend morning.

From one addictive hit song to another, the energy kept going. Young and old joined in to copy the dance moves of the tall, svelte dancers. I learned that Battery Tour.com is a unique show which is described as the biggest grassroots movement in America. It brings the music to the people in an interactive setting. One of the members, “AY” is a producer, writer, rapper, singer/songwriter who has opened for several entertainers and was on the X Factor. Zeus is a dancer  and  singer.  His fellow band members describe him as “good at getting people involved”. Christian is a lead singer, artist and dancer.  Check out their website to learn  the musical acts AY has opened for in concerts. The guys found each other on the KC plaza by one inviting the other to come up to the microphone to  do his thing. Christian had come back from Bourbon Street in New Orleans when he went to AY’s show and started singing. They explained that their show resonates with millennials  while not alienating other generations. The goal is to get everyone involved. We were hypnotized by their energy and uninhibitedness. After all, this was a weekend morning —not an evening performance. The fact that so many of us were drawn to participate (while shopping at the Farmer’s Market) tells you something about their vibe! I joined along with the choreography, too! Their format  is described as “a mobile energy system which powers the show without the constraints of electricity.” That may be true, but I’ll tell you the energy of the people was ELECTRIC! Dancing along with them (below), I remembered how primal the urge is to dance!Their shows are free and they take donations. I found out later that Battery Tour. com had been performing on the KC Country Club Plaza earlier that weekend and when I looked up their schedule, I noticed they were on their way to Lawrence, KS.I am definitely going to check out their shows again in the future. I recommend hiring them for an event—this would be a successful, enigmatic and unique experience!

batterytour.com

article and photos by Gina Kingsley

They are available for private events, corporate events, weddings, deejay and live performance.

@ batterytour and #batterytour as well as the Battery Tour Facebook page are ways you can connect to them.

Meganissi is an islet in the Ionian Sea near the island of Lefkada in Greece. We took a sailboat to the four islets from the port of Lefkada for a most interesting tour of this Ionian area.  Meganissi means “big island” in Greek. It was gorgeous, non-touristy and had all of the steep, picturesque qualities one might expect. 

We toured a very old, antiquated olive press factory and meandered through the village roads. We stopped for a beverage and to catch our breath. The only shop we saw was a simple gift shop with postcards. On our way back to the boat, we stopped to take a photo of this resplendent bougainvillea and the resident saw us. We said, “beautiful!” to her and she proudly posed next to the vine and said, “Thank You!” Moments like this in Greek villages really stand out to me. The simplicity and natural beauty add to the pure enjoyment of the vistas.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most recognized monuments in the world. Its grandeur is powerful-it is everything you expect and more. The intensely romantic symbolism behind the Taj Mahal is historic and poetic.  Shah Jahan had this mausoleum built in honor of his Empress Mumtaz Mahal after her death. It is said that 20,000 people and 1,000 elephants were involved in building it for 22 years. Leading up to the mausoleum is a Mughal garden with canals and fountains.

The dome supposedly symbolizes the female form and the Taj Mahal is a perfectly proportionate marble building with rich details, carvings, inlaid jewels and an opalescent lighting to it. The other buildings surrounding the Taj Mahal are there for balance.

What was particularly moving to me was the story of the Shah Jahan’s imprisonment by his own son in the fort overlooking the Taj Mahal. He was eventually buried in the mausoleum next to his beloved Empress. He was referred to as one of the greatest Mughals. What impressed my son the most was the fact that the entire building, which seems so massive as you approach it, was all basically built to house a tomb!

What impressed me the most was the ornate and intricate carving on the building and how it is full of colorful details. Our tour guide shined a light up to it which revealed a glow of jewels like carnelian and other jewels and colors.

 Click on this link to read excellent descriptions and watch the fascinating 4 minute video on the engineering of the Taj Mahal. You will feel like you are there! Scroll down that page and you’ll see another video.

http://www.history.com/topics/taj-mahal

My teenage son was also very happy to find out later that George Harrison, the Beatle, took a photo in front of the Taj Mahal when he was in his early 20’s. It was a special memory to share with my son after his first year away from home at college.

Late at night, although we were tired and running on empty, I asked my sister-in-law to join me on the hotel room balcony for a glass of wine. Our hotel room had a view of the Taj Mahal. She pointed out to me how nice it was that the Taj Mahal is not lit up at night or over commercialized. 

photos by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

www.history.com/topics/taj-mahal/videos/deconstructing-history-taj-mahal?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Stories like this are in the book A Magic Carpet Ride. Click on link below to order.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/069271393X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

There are awe-inspiring cathedrals all over the world. Of all of the cathedrals I’ve seen, the one that thrilled me the most was the Seville Cathedral.

It is the largest medieval church in the world, reportedly. For various reasons, this cathedral made a huge impact on me. Christopher Columbus’s tomb is here. His fleet departed from the inland port of Seville for his grand voyage which discovered the “New World.”  The cathedral also contains the most expensive altar in the world. The gold in this altar came from Mexico and South America. The sacristy vault was impressive, amazing and inspirational.

Walking through this cathedral made me feel the pride that Catholics have put into these majestic houses of worship. I am not Catholic, myself but I admire the grandeur of the decor in their cathedrals. What a gift to the world!

There were times I had to look away from all of the imagery because it was sensory overload. To look at so much beauty overwhelmed me with visual information and pierced me with a powerful arrow of wonder. I am not exaggerating. I bought the guidebook because I knew it would be a way for me to read up on the items we were seeing and comprehend their significance.

.While I was at the cathedral, I just wanted to absorb the beauty. We stayed at a hotel across the square from the Seville Cathedral.  The glow of the cathedral at night with the horse drawn carriages in front of it was romantic and so ….”Spanish!”.

Martini lovers have united to give their input on where to get a fabulous martini in T-town. No particular ranking—just input. My personal favorite is at Juniper.

photo by Gina

Here’s the 4-1-1 in the 9-1-8:

• Flemings–Dirty Martini and the Lemon Basil
• Juniper- habanero and other infused ones
• Crow Creek
• Blue Rose
• Lucky’s
• Stonehorse
• Lounge
• Hodges Bend
• KEO- French Martini
• Rusty Crane- Jalapeno Martini
• Prhyme
• Summit Club’s Pear martini

www.allrecipes.com/recipe/32238/dirty-martini/

The island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea of Greece has one of the most  famously beautiful beaches in the world—Porto Katsiki. Literally, we were startled and speechless when we laid our eyes on it.

As I’ve written before about it, it was like a can of blue paint had poured out into the water. But it wasn’t just the blue water that made this beach so perfect—the sandy beach was glorious and the cove was fun to explore. The steep staircase of 300 steps or so built up the excitement of reaching this paradise.

Lefkada is unique because it is not a touristy island and it has interesting history due to its relationship with Aristotle Onassis’s development of the nearby islet of Skorpios which was Onassis’s private island. Two cruises I recommend are the Onassis Cruise and the Star Gazing cruise. The Onassis cruise explores 4 islets and explains the relationship between Lefkada’s resources and Onassis’s development of his private island. The Star Gazing Cruise is a night time cruise which takes passengers to a nearby uninhabited islet for a picnic on the beach and a star gazing lesson of the sky, complete with constellations, satellites, a space station and a view of Saturn from a telescope.

Odysseia Boat Tour (Nidri) : http://www.odysseia-lefkada.eu

Long walks and people-watching in the tiny town squares of each village are sometimes all you need to do on a Greek island, mixed in with beach time. Our villa, nestled high up in the mountain village of Vafkeri, was serene, hushed and tranquil which left our boisterous family sometimes unusually taciturn. Our remote and peaceful experience at the villa was broken up, purposefully, with my husband’s idea to initiate a water balloon fight outside on the pool between our three sons. This made for a great home video!

Things to do in Lefkada:

I recommend just relaxing and going on these two aforementioned cruises which cover a lot, anyway. But if you must be on the go, here are some excursions to check out:

• Nydri Waterfalls
• Bike Tours
• Lighthouse Doukato
• Karya Folklore Museum (Karya is the “embroidery capital” )
• Land of Lefkada Winery
• Surfing, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing
• Onassis cruise
• Stargazing cruise

This Ionian island was an idyllic retreat for us and I hope to return!

photos by Gina and Patrick

Villas to rent:

http://www.lefkada-villas.com/index.htm

the following photos from the Lefkada-Villas website:

More descriptions like this can be found in the book,  A Magic  Carpet Ride. Profits from this book will go to various charities.

www.amazon.com/dp/069271393X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

contact me at greekmuse@cox.net for consultations in planning Greece itineraries.

Ireland is non-stop visual beauty. The people are as colorful as the countryside. From the moment we flew over the 40 shades of green pastures, we were in love. Each destination in Ireland we went to was fetching but Dingle Peninsula was mystical.

The drive to Dingle was as pleasant for my husband as it was to reach the destination. Arriving there was the kind of experience when every family member getting out of the rental car simply gasped. There’s no other way to say it than it takes your breath away. We’ve never heard waves crash like that. Seagulls were so close to us, they looked us in the eye.As we explored, I thought about what happened here in history. I could visualize Viking longships sailing across these waters. Just as I felt at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, we were on the edge of the world….the northeast corner of the European continent. We did not want to stop taking pictures—it was that gorgeous. The panoramic view of sandstone, cliffs, bluest waters and green grass is peaceful but also powerful with the sounds of the crashing waves and the vast sense of a force of nature. In the nearby town of Dingle, we strolled through the streets of the idyllic town and stopped to rest and eat seafood. You cannot go to Ireland without making a day trip to Dingle Peninsula. Being on the edge of the world like that saturates your senses. After enjoying the urban charm of the cities of Ireland, this natural destination will provide a fulfilling break and treat you to the wonders of Celtic beauty!

recommended hotel: Dunraven Arms in Adare

see itinerary in the blog: http://www.gypsyfamilytravel.com/ireland/

photos by Gina and Patrick