Reporting for Duty on MS Finnmarken

After touring Bergen sites such as Evard Greig’s home and the Bryggen area we board my base of operations tonight, the MS Finnmarken. She is 15000 tons of sea worthy bulk and cruises at 18 knots.
The ship is decorated by Norwegian artist in Art Nouveau style. You will find original drawings, watercolors, oil paintings, charcoal drawings, lithographs, and sculptures throughout the ship.
Finnmarken has an outdoor swimming pool (deck 7), and a fitness center with a sauna and massage parlor (deck 8). Panoramic lounges, restaurants, cafes and bars are located on the top decks.
The days will be spent exploring ports along the coast and the rest of the time sailing up through spectacular scenery. I finally am going to live out a childhood fantasy and run away to sea.

Fish Bergen Style

Landed in Bergen Norway in the midst of a snow squall yet the prop plane handled it great. Ever since King Olav granted this city town status in 1070, Bergen has been rocking. As the starting point for the fjord trips it has a lot to do and see. The Bryggen Area is filled with old houses dating from the Hanseatic Period when dried fish was powerful currency. In 2000 Bergen was named European City of Culture, a tile is surely deserves.

This meat loving man went to the fish market today to see what is pulled out of the North Sea waters, from the look of the stalls, a lot. Got a feeling that omega oil will be coursing through my veins as the trip up the coast progresses. I damn well may sprout gills! That’s okay because when I get up to the Artic Circle there will be reindeer heart on the menu, done Sami style.

Donald Duck in Bergen

  

Norwegian Seafood

  

Beautiful Bergen Norway

  

Hurtigruten Bound

Sitting in EWR at the SAS Business Lounge waiting to board the big bird to Bergen Norway. After a stop there I board my ship for the Hurtigruten: World’s Most Beautiful Voyage. Up to the top of Europe and deep into the Artic Circle, stopping at 30 ports on the way. The night skies will display the Aurora Borealis and by days riding reindeer sleights. Huge fjords ringed with white covered mountains supposedly complete the picture. Now boarding flight SK 910.

Best Young Travel Writers

Had a great time at the NY Times Show and listened to a great travel-writing seminar given by Jen Leo and David Farley. Both were there meeting the public, pushing their books and giving a free seminar. It was just great good advice and great laughs. Jen is just a bundle of enthusiasm and David could do stand up. The crowd was big and everyone having a good time. Jen was the first person I met from Travelers’ Tales books and has been a powerhouse for my favorite book publishers. Her site Writtenroad.com has been a source of info for writers and travelers for years, I log in almost daily. I never met David before and it was a pleasure. His name grows large in the travel and writing world. I also purchased the book he and Jessie Sholl edited, Travelers Tales, Prague and the Czech Republic. It will make good reading as I head up the Norwegian Coast next week.

Also ran into a writer,Stephanie Elizondo Griest, who is wonderful and her first book I loved, Around the Block: My Life in Moscow, Beijing and Havana. We also have had some of her work on GoNOMAD. My son has the book at Sarah Lawrence College and I know I may never get it back. Was hoping to meet them all later that night at Niagara on 7th. I couldn’t but my heart was. The future of travel writing is safe and secure!

UN Crowne Plaza Gets Bad Review

I can’t stand it anymore, hotels that totally disregard your humanity! Even if your elite level and a loyal customer. Made my reservations via the Priority Club site for a smoking Jr. Suite at the Crowne Plaza UN while attending the NY Times Travel Show. Check in and ask is it a smoking room? “Yes sir, just what you wanted sir”. Not according to the sign he room! Call down and, “oh sir, we thought you wanted a non-smoking suite”. The same desk clerk that just checked me in. Move to a smoking standard then tried to log in on the computer, no go. Flush the toilet and the handle comes off. “No problem sir, we’ll have your suite in the morning”. Not until four calls are made in the AM. I understand oversold but then overhear the concierge chatting on the phone. “It was a riot we sent a German woman to her room last night and there was a guy in it sleeping”.

Funny, I don’t think either CUSTOMER thought so. Finally we get a call and our non-smoking suite is ready. “I reserved a smoking one”, I said. “Oh, we will see what we can do”, she said. For a 48 hour stay over we finally get things fixed with a little more that eight hours left, that’s what Priority Elite gets you at the Crowne Plaza UN. Imagine if you were just a Traveling Joe? Maybe it is not good to be elitists!

Guarding China

  

Movie Stars in Ulster County

There was a piece in the Ulster County Press today about famous faces here in Ulster County by Richard Thomaselli. It gave a run down on the star power found around the little villages that dot this picturesque farm country. A- list actors have found a second, third or even fourth home here. Topping the list is Robert DeNiro who has a home in Gardiner. Word is he likes the food at a certain four star bistro in High Falls. Cannot blame him the food is damn good. Adian Quinn has been a longtime resident of High Falls and has gained a great reputation for being community minded. Playing golf at Stone Dock is a long way from swinging at a five star resort in California, but he does regularly play the nine holes there. Uma Thurman has long ago won great reviews from Woodstock residents for her down to earth attitude. My son and his buddies recently sat with Willem Dafoe at the diner in New Paltz for an impromptu Q & A section.

My favorite encounter with star power was when Steve Buscemi bugged me for a light on the porch of a restaurant not long ago. We had a nice chat about things local, he recently bought Harvey Keitel’s hideaway. Is it time to set up a table in the front yard and sell maps to the stars homes? Nope we all share a love of privacy here.
Google For Kent E St. John Articles

SAS Airline, Wi-Fly

I always check out the airline I am flying on before I enter airport hell. Scandinavian Airlines or SAS looks fabulous for an e-mail geek like me. It is the first airline to have Wi-Fi on all its intercontinental flights. The service is provided by Connexion by Boeing.

By checking online I was able to get a $10 coupon for the service. Better yet is the service available in all classes, a chance to fill Max in on the NY Times Travel show, priceless. That is if he can connect to Wi-Fi on his way to Cyprus.

Write for National Geo Traveler, Maybe

The folks at National Geography Traveler will be giving seminars called the Inside Secrets of Successful Travel Writing. It will be based on how to write the kind of stories that have earned Traveler the, “World’s Most Widely Read Travel Magazine” distinction. Sort of translates into how to write for us. That however isn’t a bad thing; it is one of my favorites.

They will be offered in Santa Fe, San Francisco, New York and Washington DC the daylong seminar will cost $195 with lunch included. Click on here for info. Google for articles by Kent E St John

Mardi Gras Time

  

Magic Bus

  

New York Times Travel Show

The West comes East next weekend to the NY Times Travel Show in NYC. It sounds like it is going to be a travel writer’s jamboree. For info check out Jen Leo’s Written Road site. It has the times for meeting folks such as Don George, Ayun Halliday and Arthur Frommer.

In fact Jen Leo and Dave Farley will be giving a free two-hour travel-writing seminar. Jen and Dave are two of the most productive travelers around. Dave will unveil his book on Prague put out by Travelers’ Tales. I head out to cruise up the coast of Norway into the Artic Circle at the shows ending next Sunday. The real trip begins in NY at the show opening this Friday.
Kent E St John Googled

Last Minute Travel

It bad and getting worse, my travel addiction that is. Only a week till I head to NYC and then Norway and yet today I checked out last minute travel deals. I hold Outside responsible, good Travel Matrix section this issue. The Run for the Money piece had me clicking on to Sites59, Skyauction and Travelzoo even knowing I wasn’t going anywhere.

I do not like planning a trip far in advance; end up buying more guidebooks than I should. I just spent a solid month home with only one overnight trip and that makes for a grumpy guy. Now I know where to go when I gotta hit the road.

Write NY Times?

I go through stages when it comes to reading the BBS on Travelwriters.com. Sometimes I can read the board for hours, other times I do not look for weeks. This morning I spent an hour going through them. One topic concerned the NY Times and the lifetime ban on writing for the travel section if you have ever taken a press trip. It was heated and angry on all sides.

My take is that the NY Times can have any stand they want. Then again it was never one of my goals to write for them. There is no right or wrong, just what is right for you. In any career you should have goals and aspirations, but you should also research what you need to do to reach them. Pick a path and keep trucking!

One posting claimed the Travel Channel once did a poll of its audience and the result was that most viewers didn’t travel, they just liked TV. That one astounded me!

Mouth of Babes

I got this e-mail from an English teacher, says it all.

I gave the kids a quiz over their travel narrative. One of the questions was, "How is a travel narrative different than a memoir, essay, novel, etc.?" Check this response out:

"A travel narrative is a conceptual recollection of thoughts by an author who has experienced an atmosphere that is different from that of the author's niche. It is fundamentally more personal than an essay and more specific within a certain time period than a memoir."

I love it!

Jon Bowermaster, Local Hero

While putting the finishing touches on my piece on Istria, Croatia for GONOMAD tonight I took a break and read the local Ulster County Press. In the paper I found out that my town’s favorite traveler is now out of town. Jon Bowermaster is off the coast of Tasmania paddling his kayak. Jon has lived here since 1988 and truly is one of my heroes. Jon’s current trip to Tasmania is his seventh in a series he calls his Ocean Eight Project, in which he is trucking and filming eight sections of the world. I am stuck at the Mobil station and he is living the dream. Not complaining though, I picked up a travel column spot in the newly published Lincoln Eagle here in the Hudson Valley. Finally a print outlet that will leave the topics to me! Congratulations, Robert Ford on a great piece about a great traveler.

Farewell to the Photo Man

On a sad note I wanted to say something about someone that I considered a local treasure, Billy Madden. Billy Madden passed away suddenly on February fifth and left many here recalling great memories of an equally great guy. If you were out and about on any given day you had a great chance of running into Billy while he was capturing the local scene with his camera for the Daily Freeman. Your day was always better for it; his smile and greetings were infectious. If you were really lucky he had a few minutes to spend before he headed to another shoot. Billy was always tuned into the community that he loved so much and would share the latest stories with you. But first Billy always wanted to know how you were doing and what was new. His interest was authentic and caring and sometimes included good advice.

I had the privilege to watch Billy’s love for the camera begin at the Art Institute in Boston and then for Hampton on Long Island. It was there that he cut his teeth on photojournalism. It was however here that the combination of perfect job and perfect place to live became reality making him a very happy man. Billy loved this community without reservations. He also found his lovely wife back here. Billy gave me the honor of being the best man at his wedding to Cecilia; I thought I would never see him happier. I did see him even happier. Billy and Cecilia had two wonderful daughters, Francesca and Gabby, constant source amazement for him. His life was filled with family, friends and work. Billy was humble enough to really appreciate his good fortune and he wished the same for all he knew.

Over the past years after I returned to the area I had a chance to share in Billy’s good fortune. I would run into him at parties and on the golf course, Billy’s other great love. He would patiently give me some tips on my swing but was the kind of guy that was playing for enjoyment. Being out with his friends took priority over low scores and laughter ruled the play. I know I was lucky to call Billy a friend, I will always feel that way. I also know from people I talked to after his passing that everyone felt that way. Billy may be gone but his memory will always remain here where he belonged.

Delay Due to Dogs

Life is often Weird but True as the NY Post strange stories column suggests. This one caught my eye as it pertains to flying. It seems that two jets of Macedonia’s national carrier MAT were stacked up on arrival until packs of stray dogs could be cleared from the runway, that would be the airports only runway! Flights from Vienna and Zurich had to circle the airfield after security noticed the “dogs playing around”. Sounds like top-notch security to me.

Press Trips for Web Writers

There was a very interesting discussion on Travelwriter.com BBS boards concerning writing for the web and PR firms. The first post concerned PR firms and press trips for online articles. It is a subject that has long interested me. The answers that got posted were spot on. Writers such as Jim Benning and Sue McKee responded that when writing for recognized sites such as GoNOMAD or World Hum they found PR people very happy to accept requests. In Jim's case many offers flood in but they at World Hum have not taken press trips. I certainly have been on many trips to wonderful places as senior travel editor for GoNOMAD.

We have worked hard at making GoNOMAD a success and have the ratings to prove it. We attend countless shows and events and network constantly, such as Max’s recent speaking engagement at the Adventure Show in DC. Bottom line is PR firms are getting an idea of just how powerful the web is. Just as in any form of media, if your good you go.

Expensive Oslo

I am going to get 10% less in Oslo than I do here in NYC. The Swiss financial services group UBS has recently named Oslo the top dog for the most expensive city in the world. They used more then a 100 common goods and services to arrive at that conclusion. The jump up according to an article in the Guardian is due to the power of the Krone, Norway’s unit of currency.

At the bottom of the list of seventy cities is Mumbai in India. Just above that sits Buenos Aires, which until three years ago was the most expensive city in South America. Looks like I’ll be packing more than I thought for my up coming trip!

The Ice Man Cometh

Some think that I have a most unusual job but a good friend of mine has a pretty strange one, he makes snow for commercials, TV and movies. He is currently blowing flakes in NYC for the filming of Ben Stiller’s upcoming flick. Not easy when you consider that the Northeast has had one of the warmest winters ever.

Dennis Gogg is his name and snow is his game. Last week he and the crew worked all night take after take. How do you get a gig like that? Another one of those questions that really has no pat answer.

Boston's Best Hotel

The cost of the Mass Pike $4.60, room at XV Beacon, priceless. Fifteen Beacon Hotel is making this man a happy traveler. Over the years I’ve frequently visited Boston and always enjoyed this vibrant city. Now I like it even better! The XV is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and fits right in. The building is a 1903 beaux-arts landmark and sits atop of Beacon Hill, Boston’s picture perfect neighborhood. Sixty rooms of perfection and a garden rooftop certainly lend credence to Travel & Leisure picking the hotel as # 1 in the Hub. Time to turn on the gas fireplace and hop in the jet tub!Did I forget to mention the 4 inch flat screen in the bathroom? Getting ready for dinner with the very travel savvy Victoria Rivers at Icarus, another Boston legend.

Party in Valencia, Spain

In need of a hot time in a cool place, head to Valencia, Spain for Las Fallas. This festival falls between March 15 through the 19 and literally lights up the skies. Fallas are the huge and elaborate paper –mache sculptures that are torched. They are built to represent a reprehensible social action or attitude and often you will find the likeness of politicians, movie stars or the omnipotent soccer stars. If a public figure screws up he usually gets burnt up. The festival stated as a celebration of St. Joseph in the mid 18th century but has evolved as a great time to scarf down paella and guzzle great sangria. Click here for the official website.

Myriad Wins Adrian for South Africa

I was wondering what I was going to write about tonight till I got an e-mail from my good friend Joao at Myriad Travel Marketing. This firm has earned my respect as a writer/editor/radio correspondent, time after time. Myriad captured the Destination Advertising Category at the HSMAI Awards Ball. They won it for capturing the experience of South Africa in television and print. I went before they had the account but obviously they took it to new heights. Kudos must go to the South Africa Tourism also.

The Adrian Awards have been given for creative brilliance and practices in hospitality, travel and tourism- related marketing for the last 49 years. In 2005 the competition attracted over 1,200 entries from over 35 countries. When I met Al Merschen and his staff I knew they were winners. The graphic tagline was “Its impossible.” Becoming. “Its possible.” Foreign arrivals in SA increased 10.3% in the first 3 months of 2005. I can only wish they handled me as my agent!

Bathroom Reading

I have never realized before a friend stepped out of WC at the house and said, “don’t you read about anything but travel”. “Going here is like going at a restroom at a travel agency”. I apologized for the lack of Time, Newsweek, People and Maxim and went back to checking out World Hum on the computer.

Later I decided to see just what reading material my guest was faced with. Sure enough there were three back issues of Budget Traveler in the rack, nothing better for planning a trip that is affordable yet different. On the other end off the spectrum were some T&L mags for my upscale visitors. For those going through difficult times I noticed several Conde Nast Travelers earmarked at the Omudsman page. For those who like to look at pictures and fantasize was the 2005 edition of the Johansens Guide. I really need the new issue of National Geo Traveler to get here. You are what you read!

World's Most Beautiful Voyage

Finally confirmation for my press jaunt on the “World’s Most Beautiful Voyage” came through today. No bathing suit or sun protection for this one, it is up the coast of Norway in early March. I start in Bergen and sail to the (Nordkapp) North Cape, well into the Artic Circle. The trip is called the Hurtigruten or literally Swift Route.

My vessel is the MS Finnmarken built in 2002 and berths 642 sea faring souls. Aboard are restaurants, lounges, sauna and spa as well as Internet café. Thirty-four ports of call in places such as Trondheim and Tromso will provide land opportunities. Best of all should be having the Aurora Borealis as my nighttime entertainment.