That One Time In... with Babcia and YiaYia

Are you ready to travel this Summer? We are so ready for you! Check out all of our information about Ireland and Scotland. Twelve days, 8 people and incredible music! We can't wait!

Here's the link to the information!

https://babciaandyiayia.com/celtic-journies-2024/

Need more information? Have a few questions?

No worries! Schedule a quick one on one chat!

https://calendly.com/teachingglobalcitizenship/30min

Ready to get started? Yay! Secure your spot today!

https://checkout.stripe.com/c/pay/cs_live_a1sUFtzBhLTb7n69eqgENsA8llysBG3jJcxTArCd5SwIWvZPrqbW8xoaL7#fidkdWxOYHwnPyd1blppbHNgWjA0SWBIa09UTkdoSlZucXFEXGM3MTVdPH1SQExCNGZBdD0yRn0xRkR3QkI3T2R3MXNgRExRMWtqTW1CUFBJPGFhc3IydENUVzNAYWFRQWhXa0hJfDRKQTZPNTVHaXBENHxhaCcpJ3VpbGtuQH11anZgYUxhJz8nPERUN2RQN1BTNW5wYzBwZEBTJyknd2BjYHd3YHdKd2xibGsnPydtcXF1dj8qKmdkZ2ZsZGRrYXxsZHxsZCtmamgqJ3gl

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our take on Travel and travel books like passports and TSA pre-check or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

Mystery Maniac

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

Murder in Tuscany by TA Williams (book 3 in the series is the newest story about Dan, a retired English detective who helps the local authorities. Helping him along the way is his loyal dog Oscar.

Historical Fiction Junkies

The Paris Library by Janet Charles

The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen

The Paris Dressmaker by Christy Camberon

Poland by James Michener

Non Fiction Lovers

A Pope and A President by Paul Kengor

The Turning Tide: a biography of the Irish Sea by Jon Gower

For Foodies

Ireland’s Green Larder:  The Definitive History of Irish Food and Drink by Margaret Hickey

Searching for Italy by Stanley Tucci

1,000 foods to eat before you die: food lover’s life list by Mimi Sheraton

The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America’s Unknown Soldier and WWI’s Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home by Patrick O’Donnell

Warsaw 1944: Hitler, Himmler and the Crushing of a City by Alexandra Richie

Romantic Reads

The Christmas Castle in Scotland and The Cozy Cottage in Ireland by Julie Caplin

A Postcard from Italy by Alex Brown

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Logistics Lover

Paris In Stride Jessie Kanalos Weiner

Les Frenchies

Walking Amsterdam by NatGeo

Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality By Melissa Bruntlett

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success!

Links don't work? copy and paste this into your browser for easy access to everything!

Please be sure to visit our blog to keep up with all of our travels....

On this episode, we answer:

Our latest book picks:

What We’re watching...

What we’re eating!

Recipe for Kielbasa

1 jar sauerkraut

1 14 oz can applesauce

3-4 rings of kielbasa

1 bag of potatoes

Chop the potatoes into inch to inch and a half sized cubes and add them to a large pot. Add sauerkraut including the juice and the applesauce. Put the pot on high while you cut the kielbasa into pieces. From ¼ inch coins to bigger chunks, the size is up to you. Add to pot and cover. Stir every 5 minutes or so making sure to pull from the bottom for even cooking. Cook for about 40 minutes or until your potatoes are just the way you like them.

For a full rundown on our conversation check out our show notes here!

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

Alexandra and Terri travel throughout the year. This podcast was last researched and updated in January of 2022.

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our take on Travel and travel documentation like passports and TSA pre-check or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We spend over 45 days a year exploring all corners of Europe.

The Facts:

Real ID Act October 2021- star on DL - some say 56% have had a passport in their lifetime 37% of people own a valid, unexpired passport in this country at any given time, and 19% have actually been to a foreign country (just one)

Applying and documentation/ cost $165.00/ state department 6 months expiration 

passport cards vs books vs double books

margie and Betty Ann story

terri’s passport story

How to get passport stamps in Europe

passport safety 

Handing over your passport

botswana crossing 

passports used to be held on cruises, not so much anymore, 

RFID wallet or passport holder

Things passports don’t do

Passports are not a VIsa (schengen visa)

Goodbye Mobile Passport! 

Evaluate whether you need global entry or tsa precheck- it could be money better spent in other areas of your trip. 

Getting Global Entry and TSA Precheck 

Get GE first because it includes precheck$100.00 and 1 interview vs 175.00 and 2 interviews

 Don’t put your passport in the pocket of your airplane seat.

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our take on Travel and packing or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

Luggage scale Instead of a suitcase scale, choose to pack your suitcase to capacity without over-stuffing it.

Hairdryer

Umbrella Instead of an umbrella, pack a raincoat. This will provide hands free cover and a little warmth if needed. It can also be layered to insulate in colder weather.

Selfie stick Instead of a selfie stick, make a friend and have them take the snap. Many places are banning them anyway. 

Every emergency item you’ve anticipated Instead of a medication organizer for overseas travel, keep all of your prescriptions in the issued bottle. Additionally, take a picture of each one to ensure you have a copy in case there's a need to seek out a pharmacist.

Travel size products Instead of dedicated travel containers for liquids, or worse yet, travel size products, hold back the last of your full size products and toss them at the end of your trip to make room for your travel memories.

Good jewelry  Instead of a dedicated jewelry container, wrap your jewelry in a beeswax sandwich wrap so you have your jewelry and a way to wrap a mid day snack! The wax wrap will keep your jewelry from tangling and it's washable.

Bulky water bottle

Neck Pillow Instead of a neck pillow, pack a multi use wrap. It's not bulky and will always come in handy.

Every electronic accessory ever Our solution is to ensure that every piece of electronics that we pack does more than one thing. By the time, we examine all of the different gadgets out there, we take our iPhone, a charging pack, and the cords we need to run it. That's all! No camera, no extra iPad. None of it. It's so much easier! We also pack a water bottle that we can lose and we download as many books as we possibly can whether we do that on our Kindle app or on Audible.

All the stuff that’s in your purse just because

Shoes

Fanny packs

Over American logos

Over colored nails

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our take on Travel and art or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

We’ve been down the rabbit hole with art lately…

Lady with Ermine back in her home in Krakow

All the chatter about the Spring Vermeer exhibit in Amsterdam

https://rembrandtsamsterdam.com

Let's talk about the principal that was fired because she allowed David to be included in the art lessons at the private school. She went to visit David at the invitation of the Accademia’s director and said the experience was wonderful!!! 

The Met Gala which brings me to the gallery Dior in Paris

Sotheby’s will be auctioning off some of Freddie Mercury’s possessions in September! 

I wonder what it would be like to attend a high stakes auction?

What’s with all the protests in fine art spaces? National gallery and climate protests , the louvre and Mona Lisa?

Speaking of the Mona Lisa, would it be better to create a separate space 

What’s your favorite museum as of late?

Books?

Pick-The Rape of Europa by Lynn Nichols

Pan- The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracey Chevalier

Movies?

Inside with William DaFoe (2023) 

Paint with Owen Wilson (2023)

Big Eyes 2014

Miss Potter 2007

Loving Vincent 2017

6 Tips for buying art prints and objects while traveling

- Prints are one of the most affordable items you can buy

- Have A Plan. Where is it going to go? To another person? On your wall? If so, where?

- ditch any frames and pack your art flat (canvas should be facing down as well)

- Watch where things are made, look at the markings and stickers to ensure your money is going toward something local

- let shops wrap items for you- it's worth the time

- breakables are breakables be prepared to carry them on and not in your checked bag

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our take on Travel or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

Dear Babcia and yiayia-

I finally wound up with some time to go to Europe and I want to make the most of it. I know I want to see the big stuff and I know I want to see more than one place while I’m over there. Here’s my problem, I don't even know where to start! What’s the best first place to visit? Help!

Alex’s 5 places:

Mont St. Michel, France

Westport, Ireland

Czhechahovia, Poland

CInque Terre

Kristiansand, Norway

Terri’s 5 places:

Jerusalem Israel

Florence, Italy

Warsaw Poland

Salzburg, Austria

Amsterdam

Have a plan but plan for nothing in your plans: downtime matters

Create a tape journal or plan for a digital photo book

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our take on Travel and storytelling or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

Using storytelling to gain context in your destination 

The path of Paul

Destinations that are rich with storytelling

Storytelling festival in Scotland

Passing storytelling traditions on to younger generations

Giant’s causeway Kissing the Blarney Stone

Guides as great storytellers

Normandy

Storytellers that teach

Auschwitz

All the doggos and their stories

Irish music and American folk music

Be your own storytellers. Make up stories at famous places and get that video rolling. If you are at a castle, tell the story about the princess,

Call the Midwife

Stanley Tucci (Eva Longoria in Mexico)

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our Travel hacks and tips at airports or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

By far, your biggest single expense you will deal with on any trip are your tickets to get you to your destination! How do you choose wisely? Well, there's more to consider than just price.

Most airlines like to route travelers from smaller airports to designated hubs that allows for easy transfer to international flights. When deciding which tickets to purchase, take into consideration that hub and whether or not it's convenient for your whole group to meet at or simply pass through. Choose accordingly! In addition to your wait time, you may have others, like grandma and grandpa, joining you on your trip to, say, Europe. Consider having them meet you at your hub so you can all fly to your final destination together. This gives you more adult hands on the longest leg of your trip.

Whether I'm traveling on my own or with a group, I use the TripIt app to keep my itinerary straight. This app imports your email details into an easy to use timeline that helps you ensure that all of your reservations are taken care of and not overlapping. This includes flights, lodging, sites and transportation. Once you have a trip started, you can share it with all of the travelers in your group and interested parties who need to know where you are. Everyone in your group can keep up with the planning progress and share in the excitement. 

You will save time and money by carrying on/Plan your luggage needs.

When buying your tickets, check into the luggage policies. Will the amount of bags you are taking be covered? What are the stroller and car seat policies? Can you choose your seats ahead of times? What are the carry-on requirements? Packing for a trip is dicey. You want to take everything you will need but you don't want to lug it all around. Research the best advice out there and keep it to a minimum. Checking for good laundry options will also help you pair down your packing. 

There’s only one way to get to a destination/ Choose an alternative airport.

You are headed to London and the tickets are expensive. However, there's a $500.00 difference from home to Paris. Okay, get to Paris and take the train straight into St. Pancreas Station. You just saved about $1000.00! Consider other airport alternatives: Shannon and Dublin, Warsaw and Krakow, Glasgow and Edinburgh, the list goes on. You may find that you have the opportunity for an adventure you never even considered.

having a good plan to get back to reality isn't such a bad idea. This is also a good time to check on customs policies for your destination. For example, travelers go through customs before boarding flights in Dublin. Know what to expect.

Everybody has to fly together. Choose a family friendly hub.Share your trip wisely.Have an exit strategy.

It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our packing tips and what not to pack or any of our other show notes, click here!

In this episode, we can answer:

Now follow us on ALL the social media!

Facebook   @babciaandyiayia

Twitter   @babciaandyiayia

Instagram   @babciaandyiayia

TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!)

Pinterest

Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at [email protected]

Visit our blog and website by clicking here!

We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

Get your world organized! Marie Kondo: The Life changing habit of tidying up, the gentle art of swedish death cleaning is another good one to inspire you to get rid of what you truly don’t love and don’t need

The sealed envelope note