"`''`''`NO RESERVATIONS - THE WAY TO TRAVEL`''`''`" Jawnuta's Profile

View from Empire State Building - New York City -

~~~~~ OUR HOME ~~~~~

We live in New York City area.
For all of you who don't know, most of the people who say "I live in New York" do not mean they live on Manhattan.
New York usually means Five Borough (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island). Also to simplify life, people like me, who live on Long Island, on the border of Nassau County and Queens and spend most of their live on any of the five borough call themselves New Yorkers as well.
So there you go, I am New Yorker by day and Long Islander by night.

MADRID 2005, 2007 - SPAIN

Me in Madrid eating bacalao... 2005 -SPAIN

MADRID, AUGUST 2005
Since we could not afford non-stop flight New York - Poland, we decided to have 12 hour layover in Madrid, Spain.
It is a great way to see foreign country at no extra cost.
We arrived in Madrid at 7 am, hopped on one (three actually) of the double-decker touristy busses and saw the whole (not really) city. We hopped-off every time there was a smell of a good food in the air. All day we ate great food (Bacalao!!!) and drank great cerveza.
Around 5 pm (exhausted) we dragged ourselves to the airport to catch our flight to Berlin (great 1 1/2 hour nap on the plane before landing :o)
All together we had a fantastic day in Madrid!!!

MADRID, JULY 2007
We wento back to Madrid on July 15th with Santo and my sister. It was the beggining of our 2 weeks long trip through Spain and Portugal.
During few days in Madrid were blasting through cerevecerias and other "non-tourist" places offering good authentic food and cold canas.
Viva Madrid!!!
Splendid food!!!!

CRETE 1998, 2006, 2007 - GREECE

Road from Iraklio to Matala - CRETE, GREECE

CRETE ISLAND, AUGUST 2006
Crete is addictive like nothing else in the world. If you go there once you will always feel like you didn't see everything and you have to come back.
Ask my aunt Jagoda, she went there probably 8 times and is going at least one more time. And believe me, she knows, because she have traveled all over the world.
I went to Crete in 1998, 2006, 200?...... well hopefully 2007 and at least one more time to see eastern part of Crete before it turns too touristy.

The best thing to do on Crete is to rent a car and just go ahead without any plans and reservations....
(For many useful details don't forget to check all my tips about the Crete, Chania, Rethymno, etc...)

CRETE ISLAND, JULY 2007
Crete, again, and again.....
This time with Santo, my 8 yo niece and my dear highschool friend.
Fantastic week - different beach during the day and charming Retymno tavernas during the night.
We were lucky enough to be invited for ice cold coffee to real Cretan family in a small village in the middle of the island.

We will be back for sure....

CRETE - RETHYMNO '98, '06, '07

Nicos, lyra and me??? ;-) in Rethymno '06 - CRETE

RETHYMNO, AUGUST 2006
Rethymno, Rethymno..... I went to Rethymno briefly in 1998 and it captured my heart. In 2006 I went to Crete again this time with my husband Santo. It was the first time for him. We rented a car in Chania and travel staying in all different towns and villages. Chania- Elafonissi- Chania- Georgioupoli- Rethymno- Matala- Agia Gallini- Georgioupoli- Vamos- Chania. Santo and I loved every minute of our trip.

Check out my Rethymno tips and stories from 2006 and come back to read more after summer 2007.

RETHYMNO, JULY 2007
In July we took my 8 years old nice for a week long vacation to Crete. It was her first exotic vacation far away from her mommy.
Our home base this time was Rethymno (Old Town) and from there we took our day trips to the villages and the beaches.
We had fantastic time however ....applying sun lotion on an 8 year old three times a day, and shampooing her hair every evening was pretty annoying chore ;-)))))

POLAND - 1973-99, '05, '06, '07

Gdansk, 2006 - POLAND

We go to Poland every summer since we have got married to visit my family. My home town Szczecin is less than 2 hour drive from Berlin airport so we made Szczecin and Berlin our home base for our trips to other European countries as well as the rest of Poland.
Through Poland we travel mainly by train (1st class only since it is inexpensive and comfortable) or in my fathers unbeatable Toyota.
When it comes to other European destinations we use Condor and EasyJet airlines as well as polish Centralwings and LOT.
Szczecin is 5 hours from Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot and 10 hours from Krakow and the rest of my favorite destination in the south-east corner of Poland.
Please check out my tips on various polish and European places to see, I hope each year there will be more and more to read.

SPAIN -- PORTUGAL 2007

Alfa, Santo and my sis - Milena - SPAIN

We started our trip in Madrid on July 15. We rented brand new Alfa Romeo from Avis on July 17 and we headed straignt for Valencia.

Two weeks in Spain and Portugal:
Madrid - Valencia - Playa de Tabernas - Granada - Priego de Cordoba - Cordoba - Sevilla - // - Burgau - Ericeira - Castelo de Vide - Marvao - // - Caceres - Madrid

...3000 kilometers.... 12 cities.... unknown ammount of grilled sardines, octopus and beer....

MARRAKECH 2007 - MOROCCO

Riad in Marrakech - MOROCCO

We had fantastic three day detox in Marrakech.
We we staying in medina with one short trip outside of it, to the YSL gardens.

Marrakech was magical....sounds, aromas, colors....

We would love to return there some day and spend some time outside of the city.

PUERTO MORELOS - MEXICO 2007

Puerto Morelos - MEXICO

Puerto Morelos - small fishing village south of Cancun.
We went there for a week between Xmas and New Years Eve.

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Christmas on the beach was a great thing to do and since now on we will probably do this every year!!!!

Puerto Morelos is a quiet place where after few days everybody knows you and you know everybody.

Local people are very friendly, helpful and quiet.

Puerto Morelos has also great coral reef where we snorkeled few times.

We would definitely recommend that small village to everybody who don't like hustle and bustle of Cancun.

Intro Updated Aug 16, 2008
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Comments (35)

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Beausoleil Mar 6, 2011 at 12:08 PM

I love your escargot. Enjoy them in Paris.
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CEJ66 May 28, 2010 at 1:51 AM

Dear Jawnuta. Thanks for your reply to my question on a child's birthday celebration in NYC. I'm going to look into everything you suggest. Many thanks
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Toshioohsako May 27, 2010 at 12:49 AM

Thanks for your ideas for Japan trip. Have a good day.
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pepipepi Apr 20, 2010 at 12:51 AM

Dear Jawnuta Thanks for your reply but I cant’ open it. The link dosen’t work. Can you try again please. Pepipepi
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gilabrand Sep 10, 2009 at 12:42 PM

Yes, that does sound cheap, but I was talking about the restaurant (you said the bill was high, but "what can you do"?)
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Mailo Apr 18, 2009 at 10:58 PM

mmm. it depends on what you consider easy to drive if they have the steering wheel at the other side in Japan. (lol) . Great page, love it. Happy travels.... Ismael
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kathymof Nov 16, 2008 at 8:55 AM

Great snail photo!
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footstool Sep 20, 2008 at 10:46 AM

I enjoyed your homepage. I, too, am from New York City.
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a2lopes Aug 6, 2008 at 4:50 AM

Happy belated birthday and many happy returns of the day. Greetings from Lisbon which is waiting for your visit next year for the Euromeeting (and maybe some days in relaxing Ericeira :-) Cheers
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WorldMeet2008 Jul 30, 2008 at 5:08 AM

Your next trip? Make it really unique! It's not too late to attend WM08 - Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Dead- Sea on 25- 28th Sept (+Petra 29-30th). We want to double the num of attendees to 100! Click to learn where, when, what, how, how much! Avi [FruitLover].