Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In addition to knowing the plans for your day trip, you should pick at least one res-
taurant as a possible lunch destination, have a dinner reservation already made, and perhaps
have a few spots in mind for snacks along the way. Between these mileposts, you want
to have an idea of which sights you plan to see or which activities you plan to engage in
once your day trip is underway. Day trips are excellent opportunities for beautiful hikes
or walks, but remember to keep your attire in mind when it comes to your dinner reser-
vation if you're not going to have time to go back to your hotel to change. For instance,
I once enjoyed a wonderful afternoon hike between the castles of Sintra, Portugal, only to
run into trouble when my hiking clothes left me drastically underdressed for a high-end
dinner I had planned during my return trip to Lisbon. Fortunately, the head waiter was suf-
ficiently amused by my Portuguese that my pleas for mercy fell on receptive ears, and we
were seated at a corner table where my attire was less embarrassing for everyone.
The last thing to keep in mind on your day trips, and throughout your entire vacation,
is that you're in control of your plans, and you can change them as you see fit along the
way. A very good idea is to take a few minutes each morning and night to review the pro-
gress you've made and to update your plans as your trip unfolds. Relaxation can sometimes
compete with a desire to make the most of your time abroad, but by making your plans
ahead of time and allowing yourself to adjust those plans as needed, you'll be able to ac-
complish both goals simultaneously.
“Oh, wow, sweetheart, there she is!” Mark and Hannah had just turned a corner on the top
floor of the Mauritshuis Museum in the city of The Hague, 40 miles southwest of Amster-
dam. On the far wall to their right was a small painting in which a young woman appeared
against a black background. She was looking over her left shoulder and wore a slightly
surprised expression on her face. But most significantly to Mark and Hannah, she wore a
single pearl earring on her left ear. This was the famous
Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Jo-
hannes Vermeer—the Dutch
Mona Lisa.
“Gosh, she's so beautiful,” Mark murmured. “I
have to get a closer look.”
Hannah stayed back, watching Mark inch his way up to the edge of the group crowded
around the painting. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Here was Mark, who until
this trip had had no interest in fine art, going out of his way to see a work by a lesser-known
Dutch painter. The movie
Girl with a Pearl Earring
had piqued his interest—something that
years of Hannah's prodding had never been able to accomplish. Before the trip, Mark had
also read a book called
The Story of Art
that Hannah had left over from her college years,
