10A
Longboat Observer
YourObserver.com
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012
THE ENERGETIC TRAVELER®
by Stuart and Lois Scheyer | Travel Editors
London and Paris Revisited 19.99 Skyy Vodka
22.99 Three Olives Vodka
1.75 L
Selected Varieties, 1.75 L
17.99
33.99
Svedka Vodka 1.75 L
The Observer travel editors share outtakes from their recent travel log. A quick trip to London and Paris gave us the excuse to write this column, but it is not a true travel article about those capital cities. After all, if you have been there, you are probably already familiar with the great landmarks. If you have never visited, there are many extensive books that can make you feel like a native. So, this column is rather a collection of comments and suggestions about travel from your Energetic Travelers that hopefully will enlighten and entertain you. First, we do need to mention that London and Paris are all that they were. Native Londoners are among the most polite and civilized people in the world. Paris has its usual collection of Francophiles who don’t understand that they have never won a war, although they are two generations past the depressing countenance of Charles de Gaulle. The buildings in London have suffered from decades and, in some cases, centuries, of accumulated grime, but this year we were shocked — stunned — to see bright and shiny rows of clean apartment and office buildings. Apparently, the Olympics and queen’s diamond jubilee did what the liberal or conservative governments failed to do for so long. Paris, of course, had no such celebrations and looks as it has forever, except the tumbrels have been replaced by overflowing garbage cans. We flew into Heathrow, and we must issue our perennial warning that this airport should be avoided at all costs. If you have any other options, stay away! We arrived from Chicago on United Airlines, which previously
Ron Zacapa Centenario Rum 750 ml
15.99 Don Q Rum
Selected Varieties, 1.75 L
20.99 Captain Morgan Private Stock 750 ml
16.99
19.99
1.75 L
1.75 L
15.99
26.99
Ancient Age Bourbon
Canadian Mist 1.75 L
Jim Beam White Label
Dimple Pinch Scotch 750 ml
14.99
16.99
1.75 L
Reposado or Silver, 750 ml
Lauder’s Scotch
Camarena Tequila
17.99
15.99
1.75 L
1.75 L
14.99
8.99
Or Merlot or Zinfandel, 750 ml
750 ml
Southern Comfort
Frei Brothers Chardonnay Wine
17.99 24-Pack Budweiser, Miller, or Coors Beer
Assorted Varieties, 12-oz can and/or bot.
WINNING TICKET
Mark West Pinot Noir Wine
11.49 18-Pack Assorted Busch Beer
Or Miller High Life, 12-oz can and/or bot. or Natural Light or Natural Ice Beer, 12-oz can
94967
Prices effective Thursday, November 29 through Wednesday, December 5, 2012.
E-Mia/Jax/Lakeland 4C-Thursday
had a concourse that required a long walk from the gates to baggage claim. When they needed more gates, United built another edifice that added a further walk from the older terminal. But the United terminal at Heathrow is not the worst. That honor goes to the brand new Terminal Five, opened last year by British Airways. This sprawling monster is truly illconceived and suffers from the usual bad management of Heathrow. Coming and going from this dinosaur is still not the worst experience. That ultimate honor goes to connecting from Terminal Five to any other terminal. Ouch! Or maybe the biggest “ouch” comes from taking the $100 cab ride into central London. While on the subject of transportation, we took the Eurostar from London to Paris. We were in the Chunnel some years ago and remember it as being more lush, but maybe we were in a better class of service. There are three classes now and prices follow the format of our domestic airlines: The fares depend on time of day and day of the week and fall into three levels. We could not see paying more than the basic fare for the 150-minute ride, which is remarkably smooth
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Lawn party cashes in for local children
Seagram’s Gin
Liquor items are only available at Publix Liquors. Visit publix.com/store to find the store nearest you. Must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcoholic beverages. Quantity limits per customer apply.
The royals totally created with Legos in Hamleys Toy Shop.
without any sense of the high speed. We had looked forward to seeing the “totally renovated” St. Pancras station in London, which was closed for more than a year to prepare for the transfer of Eurostar to it. This proved to be a major disappointment, and it has all the charm of a commuter station. In summary, Eurostar is absolutely great for travel between downtown London, Brussels and Paris and avoids the annoyance of airports and commuting to the city centers. But it is not much more elegant than traveling coach on our domestic airlines. One of our biggest surprises was a visit to Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, the quintessential luxury department stores in Paris. Each designer has his or her own boutique, and some are in both stores. Customers would line up outside of a velvet rope at Louis Vuitton and Chanel for up to three hours for the privilege of spending $1,000 to $3,000 on a handbag and then emerge with multiples! Go figure. We must reissue our usual annual note that “elite status” is good and our admonition to concentrate your flying and credit-card purchases with one of the three major groups. We favor United and the Star Alliance, but American Airlines and Delta are part of similar global organizations. Pick the one that has the most service between your most frequent destinations and build your “bank” of miles and gain status. Yes, “elite” is good, and upgrades to business class are a treat. Stuart and Lois Scheyer are in their early 80s and are residents of Longboat Key. They each log more than 100,000 air miles a year. They will be pleased to answer any travel questions and can be reached by email at EnergeticTravel@aol.com. Travel Easy — Travel Light — Travel Now
Local children won big Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Longboat Key Gourmet Lawn Party. The event netted nearly $75,000. After expenses, the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key will place approximately $65,000 in its foundation’s account to fund scholarships, along with grants to local organizations. “This money will go to fund both grants and scholarships — all helping our local Manasota area youth in need,” said event secretary John Wild. “These event dollars, as well as those from our upcoming Valentine’s Dinner Dance, will expand upon last year’s $50,000 in awards.” The Kiwanis Club will once again donate part of proceeds to Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee and Sarasota counties, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Manatee and Sarasota counties. This year, Kiwanians added the Child Protection Center and Children First as new recipients for a portion of funds raised. Ticket counts were still being finalized last week, however, just more than 1,000 were collected at the gates. Preparations for the luncheon typically begin at least four or five months in advance. On the to-do list for next year’s organizers: Order more trays, because the $5 trays sold out this year. Michael Garey, of Lazy Lobster Longboat Key and Doggin’ It in Sarasota, and Bill Herlihy, of Bridge Street Bistro in Bradenton Beach, recruited 29 restaurants for this year’s event, including at least a half-dozen new restaurants, many of which are in the Bradenton Beach/Cortez area.
The Longboat Key Gourmet Lawn Party raised about $65,000, after event expenses, for local children.
Robin Hartill
Jo Ann Mixon, Rita Mazza, Traci Moore and Sandi Henley were still relishing their win Monday, Nov. 19, at Longboat Key Town Hall. And, although the event’s purpose was to help local children, the children weren’t the only ones to win big this year. Deputy Town Clerk Jo Ann Mixon, budget analyst Sandi Henley, financial specialist Rita Mazza and accountant Traci Moore bought raffle ticket No. 0057. Mixon and Henley ran to the stage cheering to show their winning ticket. Henley called Mazza first, who had already left the luncheon and was at Trader Joe’s in Sarasota. “You’re kidding,” she said, although she knows Henley well enough to know that she wouldn’t joke about $20,000. Then, Henley called Moore, who had bought her share of the ticket for her son, Bryan, 19, to help him pay
off his 2003 Dodge Neon. “He couldn’t believe it,” she said. “Things like that just don’t happen.” The ticket gave them the choice of $20,000 cash, $25,000 toward a vehicle from a Gettel car dealership or an exotic vacation courtesy of Admiral Travel. They opted for the cash, because it was easier to split between four people. Mixon said that she will put her share of the cash in the bank until she can best determine its use. Mazza will use the money to attend an upcoming family gathering in San Francisco, while Henley plans buy a new living-room set, including a sectional sofa. Wild delivered their cash prizes to them Tuesday, Nov. 20 — giving them plenty of time in case they chose to hit a Black Friday sale or two.