Travel Advice

Cultural and archaeological treasures abound in a land steeped in history. The Budget Babe's International Shopping Advisor Fifi LaMode takes us on a tour of Syria. —TBB


by Fifi LaMode
One of my favorite Middle Eastern destinations is Syria. Forget what you hear on TV (Fifi doesn't do politics) this is a great country. Damascus is the oldest continuously populated city in the world, over 5,000 years old. The Old Town is a maze of little streets which requires a guide to navigate (we tried and almost lost each other in addition to losing our way when we tried to find a rug shop we visited earlier).

The Ummayad Mosque is one of the most sacred places in Islam; it's where Christ is supposed to appear at the end of the world. It also houses the head of John the Baptist (nope, not for public display). Nearby is the tomb of Saladdin, revered by Muslims as a paragon of chivalry. Did you know he was Kurdish? Neither did I. There's also a statue on the spot where Saul of Tarsus was allegedly struck down and saw the light, and became St. Paul.

Houses look derelict from the outside only to reveal lovely courtyards with mosaics, fountains and flowers. The shops in and around the Old Town sell little tables with inlay which you can take apart and carry on a plane (clever!) and damask cloth (Damascus, damask, get it?), a rich brocade in deep colors.

Our favorite purchases were antique Persian prints on a papyrus-y paper (If you buy one, they can put it in a frame on the spot. Do so, as a decent frame here will cost you many times what you paid for the print.) These prints are delicate and lovely and make wonderful gifts, and they pack easily into a carry-on. Other things to buy are colorful glass vases in all shapes and sizes, and silver mirrors. Fragrant herbs and spices, almonds from Jordan, dates, figs, olives, all can be purchased at a fraction of what you'd pay in other Middle Eastern countries.

Seven-star hotels and world-class shopping regale international tourists in Dubai—but at what cost? The Budget Babe's International Shopping Advisor Fifi LaMode digs deep. —TBB



by Fifi LaMode
Last week, I wrote about how green Austria is and encouraged The Budget Babe's readers to shop there. Occasionally The Budget Babe also brings up the fact that we are all on this planet together and we have to shop responsibly, avoiding sweatshop-made goods, endangered species, retail (oops, snuck that one in!). So this week we're tackling Dubai.

The United Arab Emirates have oil. Fact: The oil will run out. Also Fact: In order to prepare for their inevitable petroleum-less existence, these tiny bits of land are heavily investing in other profitable industries, chief among which is tourism. Dubai leads by leaps and bounds. In the middle of the ocean they've put up a resort that's a series of islands called "The World" which from the sky looks like, well, the world. They have a real-estate venture in the water that looks like a palm tree, with each frond having some luxury property or other. Sort of a gated community gone berserk.

Their Burj-al-Arab 20-star hotel is huge and opulent, as is everything in this desert oasis of sorts. They're building the tallest building in the world. One of their mega-malls has a ski run, just to give you an example. Dubai's strong point is trade. Everything in Dubai is bigger, new er, more excessive, more gaudy than anywhere else. Great place to buy gold and lots of other goodies from the East. Now it's also a place where you can get Chanel, Hermes, and all their big-ticket buddies.

Fifi LaMode, The Budget Babe's International Shopping Advisor, makes us wistful for old-world charm, natural wonders and incomparable hospitality in glorious Austria. —TBB


by Fifi LaMode
Simply put, Austria's gorgeous. Medieval castles look out over the Danube, the Alps hover over lovely villages, where cowbells alert the casual hiker, and Vienna, ah, Vienna, what can one say? Strauss and Klimt found inspiration here. Coffee houses, art galleries, antique shops abound, beautiful mementos of a bygone era. Art nouveau, baroque, deco, all meld in this glorious city.

We leave Vienna's many temptations for Salzburgerland, Sound of Music country. Our base is Alpendorf, about an hour's drive from Salzburg, dotted with chalets abundant with flowery balconies. The Berghof, run by the Rettenwender family, is a 5 star property at unbelievably reasonable prices with a state of the art wellness center and delicious healthy cuisine, and service to make you feel like royalty. You're wondering where the "budget" part of this article comes in, right? A night at the Berghof with buffet breakfast and 5 course dinner will run you about the same as an average B&B in New England!

Frau Rettenwnder is a fashion guru, with her model's looks, wearing a variety of dirndls and folk-inspired clothing of the finest quality suedes, silks and weaves. Note about dirndls: Outside Alpine countries, they're costumes. As tempting as it may be to buy one (some are really trendy), you will be limited to wearing them at the odd garden party.

So I'm thinking, can you find great clothes in such a small out-of-the-way town? We wander into neighboring St. Johann and we're amazed at the quality of the clothing and tasteful displays. It's also very 'green' here - grocery stores charge for plastic bags, but cardboard boxes and paper bags are available for free; it's against the law to leave your engine running while you're in the car, and no trucks are allowed on the roads on Sundays. Everyone, almost without exception, wears sensible, great quality shoes. One of my favorite Austrian brands, which IS available in the U.S., is Gabor. Leather inside and out, they come in dressy and casual styles and are tres chic. About the same price as Via Spiga or Amalfi.

The Budget Babe's International Shopping Advisor Fifi LaMode can find deals anywhere—and so can you! —TBB


by Fifi LaMode
Though virtually the entire industrialized world has acknowledged that the U.S. is THE place to shop, we still love Europe and still find bargains there.

Here's how:

• Use your ATM card to get cash. Even with a transaction fee, it's still cheaper than using your credit card. We have found this in every country we visited, without exception.


• Negotiate: If you pay cash, you can often get a discount of around 5 to 10%. Same if you buy in bulk (If you don't ask, you don't get.).


• Go into the neighborhoods, rather than the main shopping streets. Same brands as in downtown department stores, usually cheaper. You will also find more eclectic selections in smaller boutiques. A privately-owned store will have more wiggle-room regarding pricing than a department store.


• Look at the brand names you see on the street. American labels cost a fortune (approx. 30-40% higher than U.S. RETAIL prices!), but if you buy local brands, they will not only be cheaper, you'll get something you won't find back home.


• Buy what's made in a given country that is unique. Cotton Provencal scarves are cheaper in Provence (and you get a more varied selection) than in Connecticut.


• Talk with people in the shops. The salespeople are locals after all and can give you advice on what to buy and where to get the best prices.


• Take advantage of Sunday markets. In small towns these are outside churches, in cities they are in tented venues in parks or squares. Some are flea markets with a mish-mash of goods ranging from cutlery to $5 jeans to socks, computers and fast food. Others are more up-market, selling antique jewelry, oil paintings, and period furniture. Whether you are a serious buyer or just looking, it's a wonderful way to learn a bit about a country's customs and history through its goods.


• Don't forget your VAT forms if you buy over a certain amount (usually a 150-175 Eu minimum). The store has to sign/stamp them, then when you get to the airport they get stamped again and you get 9% to 12% back. It's that easy. The more you spend in one place, the larger the percentage of the refund. If you buy high-ticket items, it's a no-brainer.

—Fifi LaMode, Wishing you Bon Voyage and Happy Shopping!

Find more of Fifi LaMode's expert travel advice here. >>



Planning a trip anytime soon? Get a free trio of totes from La Redoute with any purchase! Enter coupon LRGIFTHP at checkout. Offer ends 8.13.07.

It's a fashion trend 30 to 90 million years in the making. The Budget Babe's International Shopping Advisor Fifi LaMode reports on how and where to shop for amber. —TBB


by Fifi LaMode
Amber, Baltic Gold, has been around a long time. Amber jewelry has been found in King Tut's tomb. The Amber Trade Route has existed since ancient times and runs from the Baltic to the Mediterranean and Black Seas. This fossilized resin is indigenous to the Baltic Sea and comes in a variety of colors, primarily shades of brown, yellow, green, and the rarer "blue" amber (it's actually more white with bluish veins). Some pieces are almost transparent, others look like pebbles.

Amber jewelry has come a long way from the clunky coarsely-cut strands of the 50's and 60's which grannies used to smuggle in from the old country. If you wear amber next to your skin, the iodine from the sea purportedly has healing properties. We don't actually know if it's good for you, but it feels good wearing it! A quality piece of amber jewelry won't cost you an arm and a leg and will last a lifetime.

Beautiful amber can be found in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Every country bordering the Baltic sells it and each place will tell you its amber is the best. Here are our favorites:

Design: Poland. There's just nothing to compare with the quality and artistic imagination of Polish amber jewelry. Styles range from art nouveau to very modern and eclectic, with the best selections in the Old Towns of Gdansk and Warsaw. The Cloth Halls in Krakow are cheaper, but the pieces are more generic, i.e. great for gifts, but if you're buying a single item for yourself, go to a jewelry shop. Latest trend: Yellow amber mixed with turquoise. Just passing through? Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport has great jewelry shops—they all sell amber.

Rare Colors: Riga, Latvia has the best blue amber. Riga is also second-best for design, with modern styles showing a decidedly Scandinavian influence.

Best Amber learning experience: Vilnius, Lithuania has an Amber Museum in the Old Town. In addition to learning how amber is made, the uninformed shopper can get a quick course in what to look for when buying amber jewelry. There is also a gift shop with a small selection of high quality items at very good prices. The museum has some pieces on display with insects in the resin—these are very, very old (remember? Jurassic Park??) and increasingly rare. If you see these in market stalls, they are fake. (Reputable jewelry shops carry certificates stating that the amber they sell is genuine.)

Best value for money: Vilnius, Lithuania. If you want strands of good quality stuff and more basic designs, this is the place. If money is no object (cough, cough—gosh, that's hard to say), there's amber jewelry with gold instead of silver. We've found silver to be more versatile, however.