The Best of Where We Stayed, and Shopped in 2017

Journeying around the world we’ve stayed at some absolutely awful

Sweet pea

places, but they were overshadowed by delightful places. We also did a bit of shopping in some really great shops. This blog is a consolidation of all the establishments we gave a rating of four or more carrots. If you want to read about where these are located, just follow the links to the associated blog. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews. Within the blogs are oodles of images and more information about the locations the NearNormal Travelers have wandered.





Where we stayed in China

Five carrots!

Kerry Hotel (86 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, 86 10 6561 8833) is the only truly 5 star hotel at which we’ve ever stayed. The service attitude began at check-in when we were served a cup of refreshing sweet lemon tea while waiting for our room keys.  The next

Dave in China

pleasant surprise was that all of the electrical outlets are international – no need for any sort of adaptor – and there were a plethora of them. The desk had a small amount of things you might need for business: paper clips, rubber bands, stationary, scissors, tape, pencils, pens, and so forth. The free internet was blazing fast, but there is no access to Google or Facebook; these are banned in China. The room, itself, was spacious and comfortable with a lovely couch that allows you to look out of the window while reclining. The beds have an assortment of pillows so that if you don’t like soft and squishy, you can have firm ones. As in Europe, there is only a duvet on the bed rather than a sheet and blanket. Fresh apples were provided in the room for you to eat at your leisure and there was a free minibar for Viking folks. The bathroom was spectacular unless you’re short, then reaching the towels over the bathtub was problematic since the end of the tub was around a corner from the shower. The shower, next to the tub, could accommodate four people and included your choice of hand-held shower or a rain shower. The towels were soft and fluffy with the name of the hotel on them. There was a drawer with toothpaste, tooth brushes, razor and cream, make-up removers, ‘ear buds’, a hair band, and a shower cap. If you stayed a week you might use up the soaps, shampoos, and lotions. The toilet was a bit scary: it sensed when you come into the room and provided light. It also had an array of buttons for your cleaning preferences. When you close the lid it flushes and probably sanitizes itself. The switches beside each bed controlled the lights, leaving the air conditioning at the setting we required. We found the food, service, and furnishings at the Kerry to be exceptional. (See Down the Yangtze)

Four and one-half carrots

Weston (Bund Center, 88 Henan Central Road, Shanghai, Shanghai, 200002, China, 86- 21-6335-1888) was nicer than the Sheraton, but not as nice as the Kerry. The room was lovely; but the toilet didn’t flush itself. The bed was quite comfortable and there was plenty of room to re-pack our bags, work at the desk, and hang out the window watching the light show on the buildings. The bathroom was large with plenty of amenities. (See Down the Yangtze)

Four carrots

Sheraton Xian Hotel (San Hao Lu, TuMen ShangQuan, Baoan Qu, Xian Shi, Shaanxi Sheng, China, 710077, +86 29 8426 1888) looked as good as the Kerry and we were excited about our room when we got in. I’d never seen a bathtub that, with the wall open, you could sit in and still look out of the window at the city. However, the room was hot with no way to get it much cooler, quickly. There were two trashcans, but one was for recycling (near the bed) and one was for other refuse (inside the toilet area). There was only one tissue box and it was well hidden in the bathroom. The shower, while quite large, had a loose piece of tile over the drain area so if you accidentally stepped on it, there was a rocking motion. The controller for the shower showed a bathtub, which was across the room, and lead you to believe that the other direction was the hand-held shower. This wasn’t the case and I got a rather cold surprise from the rain-shower that was recessed into the ceiling. There was a temperature control below the on/off controller to maintain temperature, but it vacillated between cold and hot at random intervals. When you turned the shower off, you had to be careful or you’d get another dose of cold water from straight above your head. Evidently the staff at the hotel care about safety since there were condoms in a drawer along with a book on how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases; not something one would normally find in US hotel rooms, but perhaps one should. This was a nicely decorated room, but I wish there had been more functionality. (See Down the Yangtze)

Viking Emerald was close to what we expected from the tour line. It was interesting to find that China won’t let Viking bring their ships here, but will build/modify a ship to Viking’s specifications. The boat was pretty – taller than the European long-boats but about the same length. There were only about 120 of us on board plus the crew. Our stateroom was larger than the last one we had, and there was a nice balcony. Every few days we had fresh fruit – apples, berries, and something that looked a bit like a persimmon, but had a mild, sweet flavor. Smoking was only allowed on the back, top deck, so we didn’t get the smell of cigarettes. Our room had good air conditioning. The boat, itself, was okay; there were some uneven floors here and there, but the accommodations were comfortable. While the bathroom was small, the bedroom was large enough for us to walk around in without banging into each other. There was even room for one of us to sit at the desk while the other sat on the couch. The bed was comfortable and there were a selection of pillows. Our cabin steward made sure that everything was clean and fresh each day without being obtrusive. We were well pleased with the accommodations. (See Down the Yangtze)

Where we shopped in Europe:

Four and one-half carrots

Druciarnia Artystyczna (Grodzka 7, 50-115 Wrocław, Poland, +48 509

652 802) is a great little place to buy one-of-a-kind clothing and jewelry. The owner has a wonderful eye for what looks good on the customer and is very accommodating. We really enjoyed shopping there and would go back if we ever visit Wroclaw, again. (See Wroclaw Reviews)

Four carrots

Ceramika artystyczna VENA (ul. Market 4, 50-106 Wroclaw, 723 235 720) is the place to shop for Polish pottery. You actually enter what appears to be one of the restaurants, but you’re walking beside the

Wroclaw rabbit

seating area. The shop is full of pottery of every description. One of our group took home several Santa Claus bowls and another person got a very nice tea pot. Of course, I got a rabbit. Prices are good and the lady running the shop did an excellent job of packing our purchases. (See Wroclaw Reviews)

Stare Jatki is a cute little row of art galleries and souvenir stalls just off of Market Square. At its entrance is a wonderful array of bronze sculptures - a goose, goat, hare, two pigs, and a rooster - created by Piotr Wieczorek in the 1990s. Of course my favorite was the rabbit. However, this isn’t only a tourist attraction but a monument to the animals that were slaughtered here: the town's abattoir. The bronzes were all funded by the local government except for the rooster, which was sponsored by the owner of the Pod Zielonym Kogutem restaurant. (See Wroclaw Reviews)

Rocking Horse Toy Shop (Loretánské nám. 109/3, 118 00 Prague, Czechia, +420 603 515 745) is a lot of fun whether or not you buy

Sunset in Prague

anything. They specialize in traditional toys from Bohemia. I purchased two rabbits. One has articulated arms and legs that move when you pull a string. The other rabbit is the friend of Krtek the Mole. There were lots of other toys in the shop that looked like great gifts for kids and the owners were happy to let me play with whatever took my fancy. I could have stayed there for hours! (See Peeking in on Prague)

Where I stayed in the US

Four carrots

Avon Old Farms Hotel (279 Avon Mountain Rd, Avon, CT 06001, 860-677-1651) is, on one hand, a cozy hotel with very nice, large rooms. It

Fall color in Connecticut 

also has an ‘annex’ that reminds me a bit of any mid-scale motel you’d care to name. I stayed in the hotel section since I’d not been there before and had no idea what the annex might be like or how far it was from the beading rooms. The hotel had a very nice lobby with lots of comfortable couches. This was also the site of the free breakfast – actually some coffee, juice, yogurt, and muffins. There is also room service, a restaurant, and a bar for your dining pleasure. My room had a king-sized bed with a canopy, plenty of seating space for working or relaxing, a nice bathroom with ample toiletries, and enough bandwidth for the internet to work adequately. The room and bathroom were clean, and there were chocolates on my pillow every evening. I’d surely stay there again. (See Adventuring in Avon)

Where we shopped in the US:

Four and one-half carrots

Black Mountain Yarn Shop (203 W State St # A, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-669-7570) is our go-to place for fabulous yarn. It just keeps getting better and better with more yarns, meeting the people who make the patterns and/or dye the yarn, great service, nice folks, and a wonderful, welcoming atmosphere. We absolutely love this place. (See Weaving to Weaverville)

  

Four carrots

Cliff’s Variety (79 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114, 415-431-

Mural in San Francisco

5365) is a social event! While they offer plenty of unusual items at reasonable prices, the biggest treat is the selection of tiaras. Even if you buy nothing, it’s fun to wander the isles and to people watch. (See Out in Oakland)

Europa (125 Cherry St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-419-0304) has evidently been in business quite a few years, but we didn’t go in

Grove Park Galleries

because there is one “honkin’” big knife in one window. The store has lots of tchotchke from all around Europe as well as some lovely pottery. The people owning the store are friendly and helpful. I purchased a very pretty wooden Christmas ornament that has rabbits carved in it. This is an entertaining little store. (See Weaving to Weaverville)

Sassy Jacks Stitchery (30 N Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787, 828-785-4405) connects to 5 Little Monkeys Quilt and Sew, which means that we could wander and touch in two shops with no effort. Sassy Jacks has antique samplers all around the walls and specializes in everything you need for all sorts of stitchery. One of the nice things about this shop is that they give lessons for folks who need some help with their handiwork. There were a mind-boggling number of patterns in a multitude of styles and colors. (See Weaving to Weaverville)

Measure: A Fabric Parlor (311 Whitaker Street, Savannah, GA 31401, 912-209-0942) is a pretty little fabric store with an excellent selection of

Savannah, Georgia

fabric and notions, as well as good service. (See Sashaying through Savannah)

Next week, The Best of What We Ate in 2017! Stay tuned!!

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