Discounts

When you gotta go, you gotta go, right?

But as all travelers know, just because you need to go doesn?t mean you know where to go.

In the days of old, trying to find a toilet in a strange city was hit and miss, asking strangers for directions, praying that they lead you to a place where one could sit rather than squat.

Technology has changed all that. With a click of a button, you can get an App that will locate public toilets wherever you are.

With cute names like Where to Wee, Have2P, and Sit or Squat, these predominately crowdsourced locator apps will save the day when the call of nature hits.

Just enter your location and a map will appear showing the nearest restrooms, often along with cleanliness ratings, and whether free or paying. Many Apps will even let you rate the facility, leave a review, and add new locations, complete with photographs.

There are even destination specific Apps, such as Best Bathrooms (New York City), Toilet Map (Greater London), Show the Loo (Australia),  and CamperMate (New Zealand).

With Apps like these, you?ll never get caught short ever again?

(photo @Liz Lewis 2012)

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Only a few weeks ago Ben Affleck mentioned the difficulty of marriage in his Oscar winning acceptance speech.

?I want to thank you [Jennifer] for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases. It?s good. It is work, but the best kind of work and there?s no one I?d rather work with.?

It was a bizarre statement to make for the setting, but I think it was an honest look at marriage and the reality of love.

Marriage is tough. It?s day in day out, nose to the grind constant work. Every decision you make is centred on what is best for each other, not just for yourself-difficult, as by nature we are pretty selfish.

You get sick of the sacrifice and often, when you are tired, resentful, angry, frustrated and unhappy, a return to singledom looks so inviting.

These feelings are pretty normal.

Rarely are we told about the difficulties of marriage and long-term relationships and how to work through them. It?s all romance and weddings, blissfully rocking babies to sleep (ha ha ha), and happily swinging in the rocking chairs during the retirement prime. (Except for me it would be a hammock, and trust me, I?d be in it because I won the hour-long argument for shotgun rights.)

Craig and I have been married 11 years today.

They have been bloody great years, but there have been moments when I thought we wouldn?t make it.

We?ve had financial difficulties and lifestyle constraints that have brought a lot of inner turmoil and suffering. You know the type that says run and start all over again. The statistics say that 1/3 of marriages faced with crises such as these would fall apart.

But we haven?t and I truly believe that the strength of our bond comes from our life of travel.

Travelling long-term with your partner can definitely break you, but here?s why I think often makes you instead.

You learn how to put up with each other?s idiosyncrasies

I can?t stand how he sits on a toilet for 20 minutes and it drives him nuts how I always leave the butter out (Yes Mum, I know it drives you crazy too).

Think of the mile-long list you have of things that annoy you about your partner. When you travel 24/7 there is no escaping the irritants, you just have to learn to live with them. We?ve learned to work around these annoyances and adapt to them.

They still drive us nuts, but not enough to take us to the divorce courts. We?ve learned to make fun of them and love each other regardless. (but really 20 minutes?)

You get to know what lies at the heart of your partner

When you travel everything else in your life gets stripped away: possessions are stored in boxes, friendships are placed on hiatus, and expectations placed upon by others are gone.

For the first time in your life you can be yourself.

Suddenly you get to know the real heart of your partner (and that can be where relationships turn south! At least it can save you years of heartache finding out later).

Once you know what lies at the core of your partner, it is difficult to not see that when you return home and go through trials and tribulations.

Everything becomes yours

There is no longer any separation of what is mine and yours, except for your clothes and I do have a habit of wearing his UNC sweaters and spilling food on it at the worst times!

You now own little and life becomes about experiencing moments together. You?ve spent months planning and saving and now your combined dream is being played out.

You don?t have girls and guys nights out. The friendships you form along the way are now your common friends.

You start to morph into this one person?which can be kinda scary. But don?t fear, you don?t have to lose your identity, more like take on a second one.

Two souls become one and that one can be the unifying strength you need to get through any major relationship hurdles in the years to come.

You have memories to fall back on

This is one of the biggest saving graces for our marriage. 11 years of travel has given us a solid memory bank to pull us through.

?Look at all we have done during our relationship. We can?t throw that away!?

In times of stress we can quickly recall that time we went horse riding in Bryce Canyon, or to bring more laughter in our life the time we rode ostriches in Africa, or when we just want to feel chilled, the Jack Johnson concert in the forest by the lake in Raleigh.

I couldn?t ever imagine the memories of incredible adventures in over 40 countries and setting up homes in 5 different countries, suddenly disappear. As we say on this blog it is all about the memories!

Travel more. Create better memories.

You?re learn how to work through challenges together

Think of most of the challenges that pop up in your life: work, family, friendships, unhappiness. A large percentage of it is individual problems where one has to help the other, it?s not often something both of you have to solve together.

When you are travelling the problems are yours to share. So again, you become that one person. That one mind has to be able to split to see the other?s needs, but bring it back to what is best for the one goal. How can the one mind use each other?s strength to come to the best solutions?

Your lover becomes your best friend

There are not many other distractions. It?s just you and him. You have to work to keep the lover part to your relationship going, but soon enough you have more than that?a best friend.

People find it weird that Craig and I do almost everything together and I tell him everything. Why? He?s my best friend. I actually enjoying hanging out with him.

When I have a problem, Craig is the first person I turn to to help me solve it. I trust he?ll support and encourage me and give it to me straight. I know this, as for most of our marriage I have only had him to rely on. There?s a lot of strength in that trust and support.

Your forced to deal with it and find the solution

Marriage is an easy thing to get out of, 72 days after the wedding you can decide you?ve gotten to know this person too much and those irritating things are too much to bear forever!

There are no divorce courts you can run to when you are sitting in the tray in a pick-up truck on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere in Africa and the wheel falls off mid turn. There are no counselors to steer you past the crash collision course brought on by frustration, tiredness and budget travel fed-upness. You have to find a way to deal with it.

You vent, swear, pick up your backpack and storm off. And storm until the anger diminishes and you realize you don?t like trying to figure this out on your own.

So you both come together ? volatile feelings in check ? heck you might even have a bit of a giggle at your predicament.

You sheepishly scuff your feet in the dirt and try to work out what next. And then you erupt into fits of laughter when 10 minutes later that old rusted crumbling pick-up truck comes bumbling down the track, wheel back on and ready to pick you up and continue on your journey.  (only to break down 30 minutes later, but by this time you are cuddling again)

You work together as a team

Strong teammates play to their strengths and support each other?s weaknesses. They inspire, encourage and motivate.

On our travels we have participated in many adventurous activities. We relied on each other to make it through. Craig always using his strength to help carry me over the line, protect me, and encourage me to keep pushing through. It was that same we-are-in-this-together strength that got me through childbirth twice.

Mentally, when things got too much, whoever was in the clearer frame of mind could bring clarity to the moment and help the other to refocus.

A long-term relationship will only survive if you see yourself as moving towards a common goal as a team.

You?re visiting the world?s most romantic places

Travel presents you with ample opportunities to have the romantic moments every couple needs: camping under the stars on the Great Rift escarpment in Malawi, watching sunrises on the world?s tallest sand dunes, picnicking under the Eiffel tower, or bike riding through the Yangshuo countryside.

Variety is the spice of life?you know it!

You?re doing what you love

I think I can safely assume that by travelling the world together you are both doing what you love.

There will be compromises and you may have to ride the odd camel to help your partner check off their bucket list, but at least you are filled with happiness to know you are helping to fill their cup.

Joy is a powerful glue?the most magical of all emotions.

Think about those joyful experiences you have had with your family and friends. The laughter of them for years to come is what holds you together. When you travel there is an overabundance of joyful emotions ? that is some sticking glue!

I also feel safe in saying people are generally better when they travel, because they are doing what they love. They are looking after their own interests, discovering new things, learning more about themselves, exploring beautiful parts of the earth and meeting new people.

The wowser moments just keep coming and sharing them with you is your partner. There?s nothing better than doing what you love beside the person who is also doing what they love and together you love each other.

How many loves were just in that sentence? Enough to get the picture.

Sure, there is the risk that travelling the world with your partner could be the recipe for disaster, but so could staying at home. The recipe for a solid relationship could be building a settled life together too. But, I believe travel can build a deep foundation that will hold you steady during those rocky times.

We all need a firm foundation and solid steel pylons to hold the walls of the house together.

Happy Anniversary Craig. 11 years of 24/7 with you has been tough wonderful.  Sure don?t ever get sick of you!

Can you get off the toilet now? ( I need you to put the butter away).

(Read our 9 tips for couples travel to help you survive!)

Your Turn:

I?d love to hear your thoughts on how travel can strengthen a long-term relationship or marriage?

Do you have other tips for keeping the love strong?

When has it been tested for you and how did you pull through?

OR did travel break your relationship?

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September 30th, 2012, 2:54 am · · posted by Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer

Boston to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Shanghai, in China, to New Zealand. India to Austria, Oregon to Germany to California to Kenya to Texas to Cape Breton: those a but a few of the places Hanneke Cassel has taken the music of her fiddle.

Cassel grounds herself in the music of Scotland. Fiery strathspeys and haunting airs both call to her, as does the distinctive music of Scotland?s sons and daughters who came to Atlantic Canada, to Cape Breton. Her playing and her composing draws from the deep wells of these traditions, and there are flavors of other landscapes and traditions as well. ?I?d call what I do American Celtic,? she says. ?I spent quite a bit of time trying to sound Scottish, trying to sound Cape Breton, and I can, to a certain extent. I?m from America, though, and America has a really great Celtic sound. It?s different,? she continues, ?it?s very different from what?s happening in Scotland and what?s happening in Cape Breton. It has its own sound, and it?s exciting to be part of that.?

You could call Cassel one of the pioneers of that sound. On her album Silver she has a set of tunes celebrating the Boston Red Sox (it?s called The Curse Reversed) one that?s drawn from her time teaching in fiddle camps in Tennessee, another based in a tune inspired by a time she spent in New Zealand, several based on music from the Scottish tradition. On her album For Reasons Unseen, there?s a set from her time in China along with with the Fire of Roses set for her father, a tune for her mother called The Ides of March, and one called Alasdair?s Jig, honoring her mentor in the music of Scotland Alasdair Fraser, who comes along to sit in on the set. Alongside are tunes drawn from Scottish tradition. Other landscapes come into play as well, including her adopted hometown of Boston and the Pacific northwest where she grew up. As is common in Celtic music, most of this music is presented in sets, with two or three tunes weaving into each other, often an original tune setting off a traditional one or a piece composed by a contemporary musician. Cassel?s gift for choosing, composing, and integrating music this way is one of the things that makes her music both traditional an contemporary, and engaging for those who love the traditions of Scotland as well as those who don?t know a thing about that bl ast enjoy acoustic music. It is a traveler?s music. one that?s open to influences but remains at home in Celtic tradition.

In addition to her recording and touring with her own music, Cassel teaches at music camps. She?s also toured and recorded with other artists, among them early music specialists Ensemble Gallilei and Irish singer and songwriter Cathie Ryan. She?s produced albums for progressive bluegrass band Crooked Still and Scottish style fiddle player and composer Katie McNally as well. At this writing, Cassel is working on her fifth solo recording, and she?s raising funds for that. To help with that, she?s created a funny video which you may see by following this link..

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With a reputation as one of the world?s foremost party destinations, it?s no wonder that Ibiza boasts some of the most fantastic, talked-about nightclubs around. In fact, some of the island?s most popular clubs have won awards and attract not just international party-goers, but celebrity party-goers as well ? not to mention some of the most famous DJs on the club circuit. If you?re thinking of checking out Ibiza?s nightlife, here are some particularly high-class locations you may want to visit:

Space

An award-winning spot beloved by patrons and DJs alike, Space is quite simply on a whole other level of the clubbing experience. Located in the outskirts of Ibiza Town and close to the airport, Space has a distinctive open terrace ? you don?t exactly have to worry about bothering the neighbours! While Sunday nights are the most popular nights of the week, the clubbing season sees more than 20,000 clubbers all looking to get in on the action ? fitting for a club whose opening is seen as the start of said clubbing season. As you might expect, it?s a big draw for big-name acts like The Chemical Brothers and Simian Mobile Disco.

Privilege

Purportedly containing the biggest dancefloor in the world ? and definitely housing superstar DJ Tiesto as a headliner ? Privilege is a must-stop for anyone looking for a characteristic aspect of Ibiza?s nightlife. Famous former hosts have included no less than P. Diddy, Jade Jagger, and Madonna ? and while the club is able to host over 8,000  occupants at once, its 25 metre-high ceiling and tall windows offering picturesque views of surrounding Ibiza will ensure you never feel cramped. Plus, it?s got a swimming pool.

Pacha

If you?re looking to spend a night out in true VIP style, Club Pacha should be at the top of your list. A veritable institution on the Ibiza nightclub scene, Pacha was first established on a beach in Stiges in 1967 before opening in Ibiza on 1973 ? and such was its popularity that it turned into a franchise, with Pacha clubs popping up in London, New York, and Buenos Aires. Former DJs ? and frequent current visitors ? include no less than Peter Tong and David Morales. Come here for a legendary night out.

Es Paradis Terrenal

More commonly known as Es Paradis, this club is located in a large pyramid-shaped building, the inside of which is characterised by its spectacular décor and architecture ? and the crazy, festive atmosphere. As one of the island?s oldest clubs, a beloved rite of passage for those new to Ibiza is Es Paradis?s infamous water party (or the Fiesta Del Agua). So if you?re headed there, don?t forget to bring along something waterproof! But don?t just turn up in your swimming gear or you won?t be let in.

Amnesia

Perhaps ironically named, because a night at Amnesia is not a night you?ll soon forget, this particular Ibiza locale has won the Best Global Club award three times. Nights here don?t really get stated until about midnight, but parties run all the way until dawn. Most importantly, Amnesia plays host to the infamous Cream parties ? pretty much a ritual for standard Ibiza clubbers, and an amazing experience for anyone else.

If all this sounds tempting, you should definitely make plans to hit Ibiza up this summer ? just rent a villa, spend your days by the beach and your nights out on the town. What could be better? If you?ve been to Ibiza before, share your experiences and any other clubs you?ve been to in the comments!

George Burdon is Managing Director at Dynamic Lives.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Celebrity chef Lynn Crawford has over 25 years of culinary experience, winning international awards as the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and New York City. She is one of the most high-profile chefs in Canada and has been invited to cook, speak, and mentor chefs and food lovers across North America.

Lynn opened Ruby Watchco in 2010 to critical acclaim, actualising her philosophy that food should be locally grown, harvested and raised, and cooked to perfection with heart. She has surrounded herself with an incredible team that helps her provide guests with the most fun, memorable, and delicious experience possible. Lynn stars in her two-time Gemini nominated Food Network Canada hit show, Pitchin? In. The show is one of the highest rated cooking shows in Canada and is shown on the Cooking Channel in the United States and on networks across Asia.

What is it that you do exactly?

Haha. I think I do a bit of everything! I wake up early, answer emails, make phone calls, head to the restaurant, and do a lot of the same until the dinner service, which is its own song and dance! But when you?re a business owner, you end up having to be ready for anything and everything! I take reservation calls, I plan menus, I talk to farmers, I organize the wine-cellar, I chat with the staff about new cocktails? we have fun here! That schedule gets more complicated when I?m filming or doing outside events! Let?s just say that I?m never bored!

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love it all. It?s so much fun, and I?m always learning new things. I love the people the most, all the wonderful people that I meet and get to work with, here at Ruby Watchco and Ruby eats and when I?m on the road or doing events.

What would you say are the 3 best places you?ve ever stayed?

This is a tough one. I?ve been so fortunate to have travelled so much and been hosted by so many wonderful people. I think it?s all about timing ? good food, good drink, laughter with friends? and this could happen anywhere.

What?s been your most memorable dining experience to date?

I?m nostalgic! So, first: eating my Dad?s traditional Scottish breakfast on Christmas morning, which included tattie scones, fried eggs, back bacon, baked beans, black pudding, and dark coffee. Second: having breakfast with Julia Child.

Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?

In my almost 30 years at the Four Seasons Hotels and now at Ruby Watchco, I have cooked for tons of celebrities, highlights include Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, John Travolta, Julia Child, The Rolling Stones, and Bill Clinton.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wish list?

I have so many trips that I want to take! I love travelling. I would love to get back to Scotland, which is where my parents are from. Then, Thailand, Alaska, through China? like I said, so many trips!

Thank you for taking part in our interview, Lynn.  Perhaps one day you?d also like to get involved with our regular ?recipe of the week? series which runs every Friday?

If you would like to be interviewed on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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