Bish Denham's List Bloghop. 8 years of blogging! Travel bucket listl...

First, my thoughts go out to those in Mexico who survived Patricia's fury--the strongest hurricane on record in the western hemisphere. Thankfully the damage has been less than expected from a hurricane of this magnitude, but the storm is ongoing..

Thanks to blogger Guilie Castillo for these links: 

Easy ways to help:

Humane Society International (help for animal victims)

Donations to Red Cross Mexico

AZ Central tells you how to help Patricia victims

CNN's list of sites for Patricia relief

Now... the WEP Halloween challenge is over bar the wrap up and judging, just in time for me to enter Bish's bloghop. The wrap up is today and the winners announced Wednesday. Heads up on next challenge--a sci-fi look at the holiday season...holidays out of this world.

This has got to be one of the most straightforward bloghops ever!

Here' what Bish has to say:

The rules are simple. All you have to do is sign up in the linky thingy below, grab the banner, and make a list. I suggest you keep your list to between 5 and 25 items long. We'll visit each other on October 26th.

You can list whatever you feel like (except for adult type content). That's it! Think about it, the ideas are endless.

You could list:

favorite trees/animals/flowers/insects/pets
favorite books/movies/actors/heroes/villains/music/concerts you've been to
places you'd like to go/places you've been to
make a bucket list
favorite food/desserts/drinks
favorite names
favorite scientists/mathematicians/artists
favorite activists/saints/prophets
favorite myths/mythological places/gods/goddesses
your morning/evening routine
important things to pack when going on vacation
what to take on a picnic
biggest fears
greatest loves
the birthdays of your family members
holidays
things you like/dislike doing
foods you don't like to eat
pictures of your cat/dog
cars you've owned
places you've lived/schools you've attended
musical instruments you play
important moments in history you've lived through
historical eras you'd like to have lived in
famous people (dead or alive) that you'd like to meet

My entry: TRAVEL BUCKET LIST

Okay. I live to travel, so I'm listing some of the places I'm yet to visit...


1. China 


PLAN: Have booked 10 days in China in 2016. Scary, but true. It's on my bucket list. Grabbed a great deal, so we have 10 days in China seeing the main sights--Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, the 'bund' district of Shanghai and more. 

2. India

PLAN: I was about to book the Golden Triangle of India--Delhi (Old and New), Agra and Jaipur for this year, but family intervened, so is still on the bucket list. When we go, we will: 

• Discover the ghost town of Fatehpur Sikri 
• Stroll the pink-hued streets of Jaipur
• Experience the chaotic charm of Old Delhi
• Explore the Red Fort of Agra
• Sit and stare at the Taj Mahal!

3. The Greek Islands

PLAN: Okay, you would have expected an inveterate traveller like me to have lazed around the Greek Islands, lazily cruising around, swimming, eating fish by the beach, trekking into the hills. Sadly, every time I've planned to go, something stopped me--earthquakes, fires, political unrest--Greece is very volatile. Soon, I WILL go! (And I may even meet Jessica Bell, the resident famous author!)

4. Cuba

Beach front hotel, Havana.

PLAN; Well, I was planning a trip to Cuba, incorporating Florida and the rest of the Caribbean, but Michael di Gesu is still looking for that house in Florida, so I thought I'd wait! Just kidding. And I do wish Michael all the best for his house in the sun.  I've looked at local tours, and now that it's no longer forbidden to fly in from the US, I might be able to catch a few of my American friends when I go. Maybe we could meet up in Cuba and hire one of those cool classic cars and tour around. Dreamy!

5. New York City

PLAN: Well, everyone wants to visit NYC once in their life, don't they? When I finally get to the US to catch up with blogger friends, I intend to visit this world capital. I know I'll be more than happy to jump back on a plane and hightail it outta there, but, just once, I'd like to visit all those 'best in the world' places--well, those eateries anyway (not that I'm a fan of bagels or donuts.) Food is always high on my list of things to, er, eat, when I travel. Partaking of a country's food is part and parcel of travelling. I wouldn't be able to handle American portions--we practise nouvelle cuisine in Australia--we have to use a magnifying glass to find the food on the plate, lol, but I'll take my husband to do his usual food incinerator job! While in NYC I have a dream to visit those islands--Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and also Boston. And Ann Best is always wanting me to visit her in Virginia. They're all on the East Coast, right?

So there you go. My List. I hope you're enjoying Bish's bloghop and hop on board. To read other posts, go HERE.

• Thank you for reading. Do you like to travel? What places are on your bucket list?

The Trouble With Blogging. Has your blog moved with the times?

The Trouble with Blogging (Another post):

I've been reading several provocative posts about  blogging lately. How about you? Those who've been around the blogs for, like, forever, know how blogging has changed--so much more competition from other social media and it can interfere with our writing life.

Blogging is arguably the most time consuming of the social media, which is possibly why bloggers are becoming more discerning about who they visit, what they post...some bloggers I know are no longer blogging at all, or very infrequently, citing time constraints, boredom with the whole blogging scenario of cover promos, book promos, helicopter raffles etc etc., which is much the same on all social media.

When I started blogging in 2007, it was exciting. I had no idea who I was in the blogging world or what I wanted out of blogging, or what I could give back. I'm none the wiser, thus my ever-changing blog. My blog posts are becoming more sporadic--IWSG and WEP take care of 2 per month, then I just have to find the other two posts. Remember the days when we all blogged at least three times a week?

A few days ago, I read a post by Karen Jones Gowen. She posted her feelings about the current state of blogging, one of the many I have read recently, but Karen's resonated with me.  Go to her post to check out the full article for her exact words. My responses to Karen's points are italicized. I hope you will add your responses in the comments.

Karen highlighted:

• Bloggers not reciprocating visits. 
• It is social media, so we should interact.
• She's become more selective over time on who she visits. 
• We have to be because of time. Also, if I comment time and again on a blog and they never reciprocate, I might keep visiting, but I rarely comment.
• She sees too many articles on areas she's not interested in, for example, self publishing, thus she often wipes those blogs off her visiting list. 
• This would apply to any blog whose posts hammer away at something we ourselves find boring or uninspiring. I love posts on self-publishing as I may do this one day. But we should blog about what we want to--it is our blog after all, and our own fault if no one visits us.
• She's fascinated by life, and loves to know about meals, workplaces, shopping habits, clothes, entertainment.
• I found this fascinating.  So, Karen, hold me back! I like gourmet meals, my favourite being baked beans on toast, yum -- my workplace is the Brisbane State Library where I tutor eager International students in English as Aussies are bored with all that education -- I am bored with shopping, but I regularly hit the Op Shops in my suburb and delight in finding a designer jacket for $10 -- I love dressing up as long as it is in torn jeans, a shirt and a vest -- my entertainment is watching all the money I save by not going to live shows grow so I can travel and really be entertained...(I hope you don't take offense Karen. Cultural differences. Aussies are rarely serious, (except when someone blows a plane out of the sky, for example), but there is truth in all my responses).
• Karen doesn't like book reviews on blogs, which she can get on Goodreads or Amazon etc (unless it's a blog set up solely for book reviews). 
• Who else notices that their blog comments drop when they review/promote books? But I maintain that if I read 100+ books a year, I must tell you about a few??? Sure, I can do that on Goodreads and Amazon, can't I? But I do like to help selected bloggers promote their books -- it's just one of the ways to spread the word. And it's HARD!
• She's right into blogs that blog about things relative to the stories they write, which keep to their author persona--citing our favourite chick lit author Talli Roland, whose blog posts are life lite (my expression) as are her books. Talli blogged about her latest thoughts on blogging here.
• Basically if you write murder mystery, Karen doesn't relate to blog posts on flowers...well, bloggers, how about poisoned poppies in Amsterdam? Or black roses?
• If you write romantic fiction, for example, Karen suggests your blog posts should be like a romance novel come to life. 
• Perhaps I sounded a little light hearted above (gosh, my critiquers say I keep using 'little' more than a little, ugh, but I really relate to this point). Like many bloggers, I'm not quite sure what to blog about when it's not IWSG or when I'm not sharing my flash fiction once a month (which fits my writer persona in my romantic fiction genre and probably bores you silly if you're not into romance). But as I said, once upon a time I blogged about Travel and Paris on separate blogs, but now I've decided to incorporate that type of post here on my writing blog, as I set my stories in places I've visited. At least now my blog header typifies travel and romance. I don't just travel for entertainment, I travel with the intention of writing about it for travel magazines and for enhancing my fiction and my long-term goal of writing a travel narrative. The first novel I will publish...soon...is set in Fiji, so travel posts are quite apt.
• My next visit is most probably going to be to Cuba, which I have romanticised in my mind over the years, and Mexico, likewise. Perhaps I will share with you some stories from those countries as I research them before I hit their shores. Dare I mention that I'm currently reading a great little book on travel in Cuba, Vultures Overhead by blogger Jo Carroll? I'm learning so much as Jo has just returned from Cuba, travelling alone, brave lady, and has already written about it.

So thank you Karen. You've helped me to consolidate my thoughts a little about how to make my blog better--more interesting? less boring? thought provoking? a romance novel come to life...??? Hmmm.

• I hope that you will leave a comment about this topic so we can learn more about the blogging world.
• Speaking of posting, please join me for the Write...Edit...Publish challenge next week, starting on Wednesday 23rd July. The prompt--A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. Go to WEP for details and to sign up, or you can sign up here in my sidebar. Your post can fit your blog persona quite easily.

I

Love...The Second Time Around - Celebrate Love Renewed - Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor - NON FICTION.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Joy says:

Help me celebrate the release of Retribution by submitting your most interesting stories of people taking another shot at a relationship. 
 .

·         There is no restriction as it pertains to form or genre. Stories can be fact or fiction. Use your imagination, make your stories attention-grabbing.

·       . 
          Somewhere in there, you must tell the reader why the couple broke up and why they feel compelled to get back together. This can be done from any of your characters’ point-of-view.  
       .

·         The word cap is 500. 
       .

·         Indicate on your blog post, by the relevant badge, whether you’re in the fact or fiction category.  

Here is my entry for Joy's bloghop:

Puerto Vallarta, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Night of the Iguana…a famous love (renewed) story.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Puerto Vallarta

On the Mexican Pacific coast, surrounded by green mountains, the emerald waters of the Banderas Bay, lying beside the beach, is a beautiful and magical place, Puerto Vallarta, the scene and set for a famous love story/scandal between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, an event that pushed this bucolic village along  the road to become a world class tourist destination. Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011), was on the top of her long career, the highest paid actress at the time for her lead in Cleopatra, where she met and started an affair with Richard Burton (1925-1984), the Welsh actor who played Mark Anthony. Both were married at the time and their scandalous romance, which the Vatican condemned as “erotic vagrancy”, received an incredible amount of attention from the tabloid press. Both Dick and Liz were unable to travel anywhere without being hounded and virtually attacked by mobs of fans, press and others. They were the ones that inaugurated the Beatle-like adoration and stalking fans and paparazzi (from the Italian for annoying insects). Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of the Iguana While Huston dedicated his time to the scouting and the photographic archive of the area, Elizabeth and Richard enjoyed their romance and time in Vallarta.  Mismaloya today, arches of the set can be seen on the hill Houston finally decided to film “The Night of the Iguana”, on a set that he built on the southern side of Mismaloya Beach on a hill with a spectacular view of the bay, the beach, the Pacific Ocean and Los Arcos. The movie set at Mismaloya The Night of the Iguana sign by the highway During the filming of the movie, Richard Burton purchased Casa Kimberley on Zaragoza Street for Elizabeth Taylor, as her 32nd birthday's present. The house can be easily spotted it by its "pink" bridge communicating both sides of the street and a crumbling plaque with the house’s name. Liz Taylor lived in Casa Kimberley with her personal rooms on the top floor; Richard Burton lived in the house across the street and built the bridge (Lover’s Arch) linking over to his lover’s home, so he wouldn’t have to cross the street to get there. It was based on The Bridge of Sighs in the Italian city of Venice. Considering their fights, which they very much enjoyed , the bridge was also called the Reconciliation Bridge. Lovers' Arch Their love ended in marriage. Richard and Elizabeth got married in Montreal, Canada on March 15, 1964. They divorced after 10 years of very turbulent “wedded bliss”, replete with fights and alcohol abuse. They remarried on October 10, 1975, but divorced a little under a year later. Tying the knot again - 10 October, 1975 Richard’s diary entries reveal why they got back together—they loved each other terribly— but his drinking is what led to a very short remarriage.  Friday 10th [the day they remarried], Richard wrote: We are as happy as children. We catch our breaths every so often and say with a kind of smiling wonder and delight: ‘Hey! Do you realise we are actually married?’ We must have said it scores of times. I’ve never been so happy in my life. E(lizabeth) cured me with loving, even lavish, attention. This is a far better marriage than the first. Got shamefully sloshed. WORD COUNT: 506 efefefefefefefefefefefef REFERENCES: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/20/article-2235529-161F30C2000005DC-155_634x760.jpg

http://www.puertovallarta.net/fast_facts/puerto-vallarta-a-love-story.php#ixzz2J3DzFB8r
Under Creative Commons License:Attribution No Derivatives

Some information gleaned from an article by Mogens Gallarado

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2235529/Richard-Burton-diaries-How-alcohol-killed-second-marriage-Elizabeth-Taylor.html second marriage

I hope you enjoyed this little story of one of the great, relatively recent, love affairs. Burton and Taylor couldn't live with each other or without each other. 

If you want to read more stories of Love...Renewed and help Joy Campbell celebrate the publication of Retribution, go here...

To continue the love, RomanticFridayWriters have a love fest of a different style - fan fiction - story/poem of 1,000 words to be published between February 21 - 24.  Go here to sign up, or click on Submit in my top right-hand sidebar.