Reviews by steve9631

steve9631 says "How could a museum about chocolate be anything but awesome??" about Museu de la Xocolata

steve9631 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:29:40 GMT

Could there possibly be any downside to a museum that gives you a bar of chocolate when you pay your admission? Mei non!! Just a fabulous museum of the history of chocolate that takes you chronologicaly through the ages and the history of chocolate making. The museum also displays chocolate's history as currency, and has many sculptures carved from chocolate. Yes, some of the sculptures are quite large, and yes, at one time chocolate was used as money. Brings kind of a new slant to the saying "living hand to mouth", if you get my drift.

White chocolate is also displayed in carvings as you walk amongst the various informational areas, and at the back of the museum is the chocolate academy where chefs learn their craft of making chocolate everything. Viewing of their work is easily assessable as a series of large interior picture windows reveal their cooking stations and allow you to visualize the creations of their artform.

At the end of the museum's path is a chocolateria...

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steve9631 says "Acres and acres of history" about Ephesus, Turkey

steve9631 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:26:20 GMT

The Mother of all ruins. Huge....and with that, Ephesus is said to contain the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean region with only an estimated 15% of the site having been excavated to date. It's phenomenally large. Spectacular to ogle and ponder even if you didn't bother to find out what everything was. But if you're there, you have to.

The ruins that are now visible give you some idea of the city's original composition, and the names associated with the ruins are a reminder of its former status as a major port of the ancient world. The Library of Celsus dominates the view down the main passage, right at the bend towards the stadium, which leads to the long silted up harbor. The Library of Celsus, whose façia was reconstructed from the original pieces, was originally built in 125 BC by Julius Aquila, and held over 12,000 scrolls, making it the largest library in the Mediterranean.

Ephesus was also a center for the early christian movement...

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steve9631 says "A UNESCO world heritage site" about Pamukkale

steve9631 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:41:27 GMT

Pamukkale means cotton castle in the Turkish language, and is named for the hot springs, travertines, and terraces of carbonate minerals that measure around 9000 feet long, and 500 feet high upon which the ancient city of Hierapolis was built. Visable from up to 20 miles away and a UNESCO world heritage site to boot, this natural wonder of the world is located deep in the Denizli Province of southwestern Turkey and within the Menderes River valley. A little out of the way to be sure, but trip through history that's well worth making.

Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the second century BC by the Romans, and the city was named to honour Hiera, wife of Telephos, the son of Heracles. Pretty cool, huh?? Hierapolis became a healing center where doctors used the hot thermal springs as a treatment for their patients. As time went on the city's name changed from Hiera to Hierapolis, or holy city.

The ruins cover the entire top of the hillside above the enormous calcium...

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steve9631 says "Beyond my wildest expectations" about Aphrodisias

steve9631 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:49:04 GMT

This place is really somewhere to sit down, look from side to side exploring your surroundings, and then let your jaw drop. Deep in Western Turkey is my favorite ruin in all of Asia Minor. Aphrodisias. Controlled by both the Greeks and the Romans at various time frames, Aphrodisias is one of the oldest sacred sites in Turkey. Dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, it is the site of the Temple of Aphrodite, The Tetrapylon, and the Greek school of marble sculpture.

Today the Temple of Aphrodite is well-preserved and partially restored, but it is somewhat difficult to imagine what it did look like without the artist rendition to do the field comparison. Aphrodisias also has the ruins of a large Roman theater, a Greek stadium, and an array of trails, tiles, and columns that are incredible to wander through. I was there during the beginning of spring and red flowers were erupting from the ground and protruding through the marble ruins all about me. Incredible!

The site...

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steve9631 says "The adventure gear website" about Altrec.com

steve9631 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:05:30 GMT

If you're a fanatical runner, a casual camper, a rock climbing fool, a surfer, or a mom trying to keep her kids from freezing in the winter, this site probably has what you want, or can give you a good idea of what you're looking for.

Based in care free, sales tax free Redmond, Oregon, altrec.com covers the active adventure consumer quite well. Watches, running gear, sweaters, beanies, swim suits, stoves, ice picks.....well you get the idea. They carry all, and I mean all the major brands of consequence, and frequently run sale prices that run to the impressive. But the thing I really like about altrec.com, and what sets them apart from the typical adventurer/camper/survivalist type online outlet is that they have clothes that carry some style. No one wants to spend their life in flannel, and this site covers the alternatives quite well.

Not always the best price going, but usually in the running. The up side to this shopping site is that their inventory is so vast, that if...

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steve9631 says "The best photographic retailer web site... period!" about Adorama.com

steve9631 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:54:54 GMT

Always my first choice for my online photographic needs, wants, or desires. You want it as far as photography goes, chances are they got it. One big thing in my mind that sets Adorama apart from the pack of online photographic retailers is the quality of product and service. No bull, no upsale, just what I want. Quite refreshing in the shark infested world of the East Coast photographic supply houses.

Adorama has a huge inventory of digital cameras and lens, point and shoots, video, printers, ink, lighting, software, filters, you name it they got it. Even scrapbooking stuff and the likes for those compelled to partake in that sort of activity. Adorama has virtually all the brands major and minor, and while they're not always low they seem to be always competitive. Photography classes online are also available to those inclined.

Great stuff, good pricing, wonderful service and interaction from the staff. While I do buy from other vendors, like I said, this is where I check...

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steve9631 says "The must see museum in Paris" about Musee d'Orsay

steve9631 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:02:56 GMT

The impressionists Mecca. A former train station by the Seine and now a world class museum housing primarily the French art of the 1800's. Collections of Manet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Monet, Latrec abound. Almost demolished in the 1970's, then remodeled and turned into one of the foremost museums in France.

A much easier museum to navigate than the Louvre, d'Orsay makes a great day trip museum. Situated on the left bank of the Seine and just down the street from the Louvre, it's easily accessible via Metro at the Solferino stop, on the RER train at the Musee d'Orsay stop, or on bus # 69.

The second floor houses the impressionist galleries, and room after room of the prominent artists of the time are presented. Van Gogh has a full two rooms upstairs, and after viewing painting after painting of his works I was completely weirded out, (that guy had some real issues going on), but that establishes that the really great thing about d'Orsay is the number of...

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steve9631 says "Wow....it's a long way down, and the basket is wicker!" about Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia

steve9631 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:25:07 GMT

Ballooning is big business in Cappadocia, and literally hundreds of people take flight every morning, rising before the sun emerges from behind the hills. Bus after bus arrives before dawn, and people stream from them towards the promised breakfast included with the flight. Tang like orange drink, pastries from the area, and instant coffee strewn over an array of tables across the valley. Not really appetizing on a brisk April morning, but the Turkish instant coffee does knock the sleep out of your eyes. As this was my first balloon flight, and my anticipation was turning to an adrenalin filled state of fixation on the doings of the ground crews and the hot air balloons as they started to take shape from flat tarp like profiles of a couple of minutes before. I hoped they knew what they were doing as far as preping the balloons, because it was sure obvious they knew squat of how to make breakfast.

As I said, ballooning is big business in the Cappadocia Valley, and there a plenty...

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steve9631 says "The perfect locale while in Paris" about Hotel Pont Royal - Paris, France

steve9631 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:34:43 GMT

When traveling in ol' Paree, the Pont Royal Hotel is my pick, and has accomodated many left bank travelers and notables since 1923. Located smack in the heart of the left bank of Paris in Saint-Germain-des-Près, it's within walking distance of anything you came to Paris to see.

The Pont Royal is a smaller type of boutique sort of hotel with all the ambiance and turn of the century Paris charm you probably traveled here for. There's a top chef style restaurant on the main floor, and the wood paneled old world LIterary Bar reeks of Hemingway, of which the hotel claims used to be one of his haunts. The rooms are European style, or small by American standards, but well maintained and spotlessly clean. Lotsa marble, and period furnishings.

During our stay they were shooting a movie on the floor which we were staying, so they moved us to a suite so we wouldn't be bothered through the late evening. Talk about your ambiance in a hotel, and one steeped in history as well. The...

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steve9631 says "The Rock rocks" about Gibraltar

steve9631 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:41:35 GMT

This 2 1/2 square mile country on the Spanish coast that's mostly a big rock is far more attractive than one might imagine. One of the most desirable locations to live on the Med, and not just for the Rock, is jammed packed with condos, shopping, and views that can be described as just a tad past magnificent. Surrounded by turquoise waters, one of the most recognizable geological features on the planet, and layers and layers of history, Gibraltar is a spot that shouldn't be ignored while traveling the area.

Being on a piece of property that's "budgeted" for space, Gibraltar is following the path of the Dutch, reclaiming land in their harbors, then quickly filling it up with condos. Why not put in a park in such cramped quarters you might ask? Because property in Gibraltar is some of the most expensive in Europe with the average home price being around $ 1.4 million USD. It's a little piece of Britain for the Brits, with a much better climate.

Tourism is now the number...

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steve9631 says "Gaudi's suburban masterpiece" about Parc Guell, Catalunya, Spain

steve9631 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:24:46 GMT

One of my very favorite places to visit in Barcelona....and it's free. Gaudi's 30 acre hilltop park and planned residence for 60 homes around turn of the century Barcelona, Parc Guell. A sort of upper middle class "gated community" for the time, flopped as a business endeavour, but as a park almost a century later, it's phenomenal. Gaudi's eccentric "mad genius" touches are everywhere. If you're a fan this place is nirvana, if you're not, then it's still worth look because it's just so different from traditional architecture and design anywhere in Europe, and North America for that matter. Fortunately for me, I'm crazy for Gaudi's work, and this was a six hour gawk and awe trip of wonderment at his attention to detail, and incredible flair for artistic design, artistry in stone, and sustainable construction.

Pass through the entry gates, past the stone dragon at the entry stair, and you come upon the Hall of 100 Columns all adorned in mosaic tiles. It functioned as the public...

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steve9631 says "Great sound and wonderful quiet combined" about Bose - QuietComfort 2 Consumer Headphones

steve9631 — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:24:54 GMT

I love these headphones!!!! I use them on the plane, in the gym, in my car, at my computer, and plug them in to my flat screen. Wonderful sound, or glorious silence at the flick of a switch. I can't even think of a down side to them other than they're a bit on the spendy side.

One of my favorite aspects of these head phones is the noise reduction feature. Glorious white noise, that while it won't block out everything, quiets the noise considerably from the screaming little ones on a crowded airplane you were lucky enough to get seated next to, and can all but erase the constant drone of jet engines. For the sound aspect, you need to be plugged into whatever you wish to listen to as they aren't wireless, but for noise reduction, all you need to do is flick the switch on the side of your headphones and you needn't be plugged into anything.

The sound quality is superb, comes with adapters for virtually any type of inflight entertainment system, and works with all of your home...

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steve9631 says "The more you see of Istanbul, the more you want to stay." about Istanbul

steve9631 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:12:54 GMT

Stradeling Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus straight, this town of 15 million has so much to see, learn, and experience, you could spend a lifetime, and still not absorb it all. The former third century christian city of Constantinople and capitol of the Eastern Roman empire, is today the both modern and ancient city of Istanbul in Asia Minor. Steeped in history, but as modern and bustleing as any major city on the planet. Profoundly first world, geared toward an educated populace,

Istanbul is a very comfortable city to walk around in, and the accommodations and food availabilites are endless and cover a broad realm of possibilities. Do you want to go on the cheap? There are a seemingly endless supply of hostels. Do you want to go 5 star? That's covered too. The restaurant experiences go from food vendors, to a street in Old Istanbul (Sultanahmet area), nicknamed "backpackers alley", to the elegant and exotic chandler laden palaces where your wish is their desire. If...

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steve9631 says "Maybe a bit bigger than necessary, but still a nice pack." about Lowepro Off Trail 2 Belt Pack For Camera Ripstop Black

steve9631 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:33:46 GMT

Lowepro has produced an adaptable, modular SlipLock holster style beltpack that can handle even large professional SLRs (like the Nikon® F5, or Canon 40D), with telephoto lens attached! Quite an achievement for a belt pack. The pack has two additional lens cases attached to the main camera case that can be detached to fit your needs or weight restrictions.

It f<a>eatures</a> two SlipLock loops with velcro compression straps that include two detachable SlipLock lens cases, and inner and outer mesh pockets for your accessories needed for shooting. While it's billed as a belt pack, it also comes with a rugged, padded shoulder strap to help with the weight. The pack has convenient zippered mesh pockets inside and out, and has ample padding protection for your camera and lenses.

While this belt pack holds all your gear for an outdoor hiking or sightseeing excursion, it is a little cumbersome. By cumbersome I mean large. While being a fit, fairly large individual, I found...

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steve9631 says "The image on your screen, is the image on your print." about Canon Pixma Pro 9500 Mk II Color Photo Printer

steve9631 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:51:05 GMT

There's a new love in my life, and it's my Canon printer. The Canon Pixma Pro 9500 Mark II Inkjet Photo Printer prints up to 13" x 19", and most other regularly used sizing for photos. The 10-full color pigment LUCIA Ink system includes gray, black and matte black inks that collectively produce monochrome photographs of surprisingly good quality. If you love to shoot in black and white, (and I do), this printer will make your photograpic ego fly very high. The quality of your color shots will equal those of your favorite photo lab, as you can adjust your print to the finite ends of you desires. What you adjust to, and is displayed on your computer screen, is what shows up on your print. It's awesome.

It has the Ambient Light Correction feature that works within the Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in software, or can be run through your Photoshop software. The 9500 has two paper paths including a front feeder for heavyweight paper types, and a rear feader for multiple print...

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steve9631 says "Phenomenal" about Turkish Airlines

steve9631 — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:57:53 GMT

Slick, clean, efficient, my flight on Turkish Airlines was a surprising and very enjoyable experience, but I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the service. Everything was impeccable.

First off, let's start with the meal. Unheard of on a domestic flight in the US for a duration of just over an hour, yet meal service and beverage service were performed and picked up before landing with time to spare. Are you listening United??? The flight attendants had time to chat and give helpful connection advice as well. Would that happen on Delta???

Secondly, I checked my bag, which I never do, but I had souvenirs to bring back from Turkey, and I'd maxed my carry on allowances. So off on the treadmill my bag went. To my astonishment, by the time I reached the baggage claim in Istanbul, the bags from my flight were already starting to whirl around on the baggage carousel. Was I having a hallucination!?! No one's this good.

Thirdly, the interior of the plane was spotless. ...

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steve9631 says "Great little traveling companion" about Acer Aspire One

steve9631 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:41:39 GMT

My new backpacking best buddy. I've found it to be the perfect traveling laptop to haul around in my travels. That is.....if you don't actually have to do any work on it. It's perfect, or close to it, for emails, net surfing, or utilizing GPS and mapping your route. If you have to crank out a document, or fine tune a report, I'd go with something with a bit more size.

A close friend from Switzerland first introduced me to the Acer brand. He informed me that Acer has been very popular in Europe for years, and was surprised that the brand hadn't really caught on in the states. During our visit to see our friends in Switzerland, he had several Acer brand computers at his home and I got to give a couple a whirl. The brand had stuck in my head when looking at laptops back home, and with his recommendation coupled with the fact that he was an IT professional and computers were his business, I picked up the Aspire.

Sporting Windows XP, 1 GB of RAM, 120 GB of storage, a video...

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steve9631 says "Indestructable and water proof to 660 ft. " about Invicta Force Collection Master Chronograph #4830 Watch for Men

steve9631 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:12:46 GMT

If you're in the market for a sport type watch that exudes quality and rugged reliability, you might want to take a look at Invicta watches. This particular watch I'm reviewing, and I personally own, had all of the features I was looking for when I went watch hunting. Water proof, rugged, large watch face, black color with florescent numerals, and pretty much bulletproof. (Bulletproof was the prerequieset for me as I sometimes can't seem to get out of my own way, and am way too stubborn to rectify that tendency). It's a diver's watch, but I purchased it primarily for my occasional surfing expeditions, and the fact that I tend to be pretty tough on watches.

This is a large watch with a large face. I found it shopping online, and the pictures shown of the watch don't convey the sheer size of the thing. It's huge. The watch has a 51mm face, (approx. 1 7/8 inches), and a black 26mm wrist band that's quite thick. Easy to read at a glance, it also has three sub dials,...

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steve9631 says "If you dig Dali, this place is the bomb! 10 Stars!" about Teatre Museo Dali Figures, Spain

steve9631 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:37:01 GMT

Ever get bored walking through a museum? You've seen one, you've seen them all. Same old stuff. Statues, oils, columns and marble floors in room, after room, after room. If that's your feeling, then this museum may just be the ticket, cause you won't get bored in this one! If you like Salvador Dali, or loathe him, this museum jars your senses, makes you laugh, and leaves you in wonderment, all within the confines of a single segment of this magnificent monument to the creative genius of the man himself. In what other art museum would you have to insert a quarter into a slot of the exhibition to get it to work?

Designed and filled with his hand picked choices for display by Dali, this museum is akin to the trek to Mecca for the Dali fan. The first of the Dali experience starts as you visualize the bright red building adorned with sculpted gold bread loaves on the walls of the building, and ringed with golden statues on the parapet above. When Dali was asked by a reporter...

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steve9631 says "Upgrade to a villa....well, if I have to." about Norwegian Cruise Line - Jade western mediterranean

steve9631 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:32:22 GMT

Just before 6:00 AM on Friday morning, two days before embarking on an overseas flight to Barcelona, Spain, and catch an NCL cruise out of Barcelona, an NCL representative called and out of the blue asked of me if I wished to be upgraded to a Courtyard Villa, and leave my cabin on the 11th floor of the boat behind for someone else to grab. As I was still a little foggy before the reality of what she was offering me set in, there was a long period of silence on the phone before I asked her what it was all about, and how could it possibly benefit me to change at this late date. Being a first time cruiser, I was unaware that this is a common practice in the cruise industry when they are out of a particular grade of cabin, and their market for it is still hot for sale. She explained that they had only two villas left, and it would benefit me greatly as while I would not only be upgraded from a 265 sq ft cabin to a 625 sq ft cabin, that there were numerous other benefits as well. Larger...

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