I have stayed at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta before. Loved it. Easy 10 minute walk to the convention center. They have those dreamy beds. Just got this offer for Dec 2-4th only, for $139 a nite. Short notice - but if you are heading that way- its a deal. Offer valid if booked between November 30th and December 4th. Rates only valid if stay is 2 or more nights between December 2nd and December 4th. Offer valid if booked using rate plan "SOPLASTM". The linkd did not work on the email - so I referenced the rate plan above.

I’m home. I have 6 chapters to write and my Apple Powerbook G4 is still in the shop. Reason? Don’t really know, looks like it needs a new logic board, but they can’t seem to find one. When will I get it back? Another week I’m told. This is after my computer was in the shop for three weeks in August.

I’m sick and disgusted with Apple and their lack of support and information. Nobody is taking responsibility for my computer, nor do they have a definite answer about when I’ll be getting it back. I’ve been an Apple user since 1993 and I’m about to give up and go PC.

Naomi at Apple told me to talk to her like a profession. When she kept cutting me off,  I began raising  my voice because she was not listening to what I was asking. I’d get the canned, "I understand how you feel" platitude. Feel free to call her and asked about when my computer will be ready, make sure to talk to her professionally: 800-275-2273, press 89 to bypass the recorded nonsense, and her extension is 40231.

I have lost 5 weeks without my computer, and after this fiasco it will be another week. I am very disappointed with Apple. I asked for a loaner computer, but they do not offer that service.

After spending two and a half weeks traveling, and looking forward to getting my computer back so I could access all my previous files, I’m beyond frustrated. I’m pissed and ready to go to Apple’s headquarters and sit until I get a new computer. Hell, if there’s on thing I’ve learned on this trip, it how to sit for long periods of time.

If you have any other solutions, prey tell.

I just got these great fares thru my subsciption at SmarterTravel.com - all for Mexico destinations. I have to look in to the details for the timeframe - but sunshine seems ideal on this rainy day. 

The discounted round-trip fares departing from San Francisco for travel
BEYOND THIS WEEKEND are:

Price | Depart | Destination/Airline
———————————————————————–
$319  | OAK    | Mexico City, Mexico (MEX): Mexicana
$356  | OAK    | Cancun, Mexico (CUN): Mexicana
$356  | OAK    | Cozumel, Mexico (CZM): Mexicana
$366  | OAK    | Merida, Mexico (MID): Mexicana
$369  | OAK    | Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL): Mexicana
$400  | OAK    | Leon, Mexico (BJX): Mexicana
$409  | OAK    | Monterrey, Mexico (MTY): Mexicana
$419  | OAK    | Veracruz, Mexico (VER): Mexicana
$445  | OAK    | Acapulco, Mexico (ACA): Mexicana
$445  | OAK    | Ixtapa, Mexico (ZIH): Mexicana
$450  | OAK    | Mazatlan, Mexico (MZT): Mexicana
$479  | OAK    | Oaxaca, Mexico (OAX): Mexicana
$484  | OAK    | Huatulco, Mexico (HUX): Mexicana

$319  | SFO    | Mexico City, Mexico (MEX): Mexicana
$356  | SFO    | Cancun, Mexico (CUN): Mexicana
$356  | SFO    | Cozumel, Mexico (CZM): Mexicana
$366  | SFO    | Merida, Mexico (MID): Mexicana
$369  | SFO    | Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL): Mexicana
$400  | SFO    | Leon, Mexico (BJX): Mexicana
$408  | SFO    | Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD): Mexicana
$408  | SFO    | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR): Mexicana
$409  | SFO    | Monterrey, Mexico (MTY): Mexicana
$419  | SFO    | Veracruz, Mexico (VER): Mexicana
$445  | SFO    | Acapulco, Mexico (ACA): Mexicana
$445  | SFO    | Ixtapa, Mexico (ZIH): Mexicana
$450  | SFO    | Mazatlan, Mexico (MZT): Mexicana
$479  | SFO    | Oaxaca, Mexico (OAX): Mexicana
$484  | SFO    | Huatulco, Mexico (HUX): Mexicana

OAK = Oakland
SFO = San Francisco

This is it kids. My adventure is coming to a quick end. I’ll be sharing more of my stories with you over the next few weeks.

Thanks for joining me. If I get a chance, I’ll blog when I get to London. If not, you’ll hear from me when I’m back home.

Tonight, I had a lovely evening with Marta from the Four Seasons. Our dinner was fantastic and afterwards, we headed over to a favorite drinking spot for the locals. Now, it’s 1 am and I need to pack up and get to sleep. I want to get up early, so I can get some decent touring in before I head to the airport, and back to London at 2 pm tommorow. I’ll head over to the castle, and Marta is taking me out to Statue Park. It’s a park littered with statues from the Commies. Marta was around during the Communist years, and did you know that English was the enemy language! And capitalism was from the devil?!

Only two more nights and my adventure is over. Part of me wants to continue this crazy trip, while the other part is looking forward to being back home in my cozy bed with my husband, and enjoying my cats, horse, the Tango DIva team and friends. The part that is winning is the cozy home part. I want to reconnect with everyone who is inportant in my life. I sure have missed everyone.

Something happens to my identity when I travel alone. I forget who I am and it’s my chance to reinvent myself. Ironically, the person that was invented is not like the one I expected to invent. I thought I would be more healthy, more patient, more giving, and more outgoing on this trip. The person I am right now is someone who is not very patient, not interested in meeting anyone, and who is less giving than I expected. Oh, and I’ve haven’t stopped eating or drinking since I got to Europe  and I’ve only worked out twice. I have no excuse for not being someone better, I just didn’t take the time to be aware of it as often as I should.

Time on this trip was shorter than I expected. I thought there would be plenty of time to write each city chapter and enjoy quiet mornings meditating. Nope. It was hard to sleep and most mornings started at around 10:00 am, where I would jump out of bed, grab breakfast and hit the cities in search of perfect sites and activities for solo travelers. Nights where long. I’d eat out, find the perfect après-dinner local for a nice nightcap and get back to my hotel around 2 am, where I would then toss and turn for another hour or two.  

Tonight I’m going on a boat cruise of the Danube and then dinner with Marta Palfalvi, the public relations manager of the Four Seasons (one of the great perks of being a travel writer, and soon-to-be best selling author!). I leave Budapest tomorrow at 4 pm. I’ll spend one night in London, then back home on a painful economy seat on British Airways. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to move from economy to business or first class yet.

I’m exhausted. My time in Prague was completely filled up and I’m sure that changing hotels while I was here didn’t help my stamina. When I was planning this trip, checking out 2 different design hotels sounded like a grand idea. Of course this idea was concocted while sitting comfortably in my cozy, centrally- heated house, far away from the smoked-filled hotel lobbies and freezing temperatures in Prague. Well, that all changed after feeling homeless for the past 48 hours. Both hotels – the Hotel Joseph and the Hotel Maximilian are wonderful. But I had to check out of one at 10 am and I didn’t check into the next until after 5 pm. I did spend the day exploring Prague, but the painful part was packing up my luggage three times in the past 72 hours. Once in Berlin, then twice in Prague. 

Thankfully, I’ll be at the same hotel for my two nights in Budapest. I have to admit that I splurged on my last leg of this rock star trip. I’ll be staying at the Four Seasons and I even ordered a car to pick me up. I know that I would be exhausted (which I am, but I’m also very cold and sore.) 

It might sound like I’m complaining, and I apologize, I’m not. My time is Prague was fantastic! The first night I went out to dinner with a friend who lives in Prague. His name Justin and he took me out to this amazing Cuban restaurant that’s filled with Cubans, so I could practice my Spanish! Everyone writes on the walls and ceiling, so I asked for a pen and proceeded to write VIVA TANGO DIVA on the ceiling! If you’re in Prague, head to the Cuban restaurant, go up the stairs and look up! 

Last night I went out with three Americans who I met on the train from Berlin. We went out for a fantastic international dinner at Pravda. We ended the night drinking Absinthe in a gay nightclub in the old town.

Today I took a crappy bus tour of Prague castle with 30 of my closest, annoying tourists friends. I had to leave the tour out of sheer survival, and I ended up at the communist museum. I’m now in the lobby of the Maximilian hotel, where they have free wireless!! (very rare in Europe). 

Sorry I don’t have any pictures for the post. The tiny USB port that I’ve been using did something to all my pictures from London to Paris (lost them) so I’m not using it anymore. I’ve been using my camera’s big USB port and charger. But it’s way too much work to set up in the lobby here. I’ll share some pictures with you tomorrow.

In two hours, I fly to Budapest. I plan on staying in tonight and ordering room service. Tonight will be my night to chill and recuperate. Something that I have not done since this crazy trip started! I have lots of great stuff to write about and I can’t wait to share them with you in the book.

I’m getting used to being a traveling bohemian. I’m re-wearing smoky clothes and not washing my hair everyday. I’m not too worried if my stomach is growling or my feet hurt. I just keep walking. I’ve been cold since I got to Europe and I’m becoming accustomed to the chill I feel when getting hit by the cold, winter air here. My throat is always dry and scratchy, so I’ve been going through a pack of gum everyday. I chew gum in my sleep. I’m averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night, the bags under my eyes are easier to carry around than my traveling bags, which are getting heavier and heavier as I move from one amazing location to another one. My digestive system is not enjoying  traveling as much as my mind , but that’s just a part of exploring and discovering new places, food, and friends.

 
This trip has been overwhelming and wonder-filled. So many times I’ve had to stop and wipe the tears of amazement off my face. I’m so grateful that I’m able to take this trip. I wish everyone could take a trip like this. This voyage has become a pilgrimage for me. I’ve moved from place to place, praying that everything will go smoothly during my travels – truly trusting God, and I’ve been blessed by some fantastic people along the way. I can’t believe that I only have a few days left on this adventure. It really has been magical.
 
I’m staying at Hotel Josef in the center of Prague and it’s phenomenal! Check it out, and make sure to come stay here! www.hoteljosef.com. I met the architect who designed it at breakfast this morning. Eva is an extraordinary woman and you will read more about her when I return to the USA. Check out her website at www.ejal.com.
 
I’m off to explore Prague now. Have a wonderful day!

Berlin. Wow. This city moved me. It made me think, laugh, cry, and thank God that I was not around during any of the world wars. I think that as an American, we have been sheltered from some of the most horrific – as well as important- events in the world. Today I spent on a free walking tour offered by New Berlin. ( www.newberlintours.com) We visited all the important places in Berlin’s tormented history. My whole life I’ve dreamed of letting 99 red balloons go free at the Brandenburg Gate, but instead of doing that, I stood in awe of this amazing structure.
 
I will never be the same after my visit to this fascinating city. It’s a city of contradictions. On one side of a street is a beautiful Christmas market and just across the road you’ll find a monument dedicated  to all who have died in all the wars Berlin has been involved in.
 
I ended the night with a pub tour, and one of the stops was a communist bar – amazing! I drank some Absinth, which I really hate the taste, but I love the effects. We finished at an underground  nightclub that looked like a bunker.
 
It’s late here, 3:40 am, so I’m going to go to bed. I’m off to Prague tomorrow. For all you readers in the United States. Happy Thanksgiving! We are so blessed to live in a country that does its best (sometimes too much) to protect us. I can’t think of any place better to be celebrating all that I have to be thankful for than in a city like Berlin. Thanks for reading, and may your Thanksgiving Day be wonderful!

Wow! I’ve got some great information for the book in the past 48 hours! It’s amazing when you have friends of friends, who know friends who have know all the secrets of a city. Today I spent the morning with the wonderful Jennifer from Germany, then I went on a Paris walking tour with Antoinette Azzurro who does private, specialized tours of Paris for the discerning Diva. She’s a must when you come to town!

The afternoon was spent in a charming café, across the river from Notre Dame, drinking hot chocolate, followed by Champagne. For dinner, Jennifer and I dined at a delicious Moraccan restaurant and ended our evening with comforting, hot mint tea.

I’m meeting Jen in the morning and we’re going to a Turkish bath house for a massage, then she returns home and I fly off to Berlin.

Is this trip crazy, or what? I’m having a great time and meeting the most delightful people. Please feel free to send me an e-mail, I’d love to hear from you!

teresa@tangodiva.com