The Damiano Dispatch · Edition 01
Four Months Abroad, Zero Sick Days. Then Florida. 😂
Orlando, London the slow way, and four winter trips I’d book in a heartbeat.
By Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel
Welcome
The Very First Dispatch
Welcome to the very first Damiano Dispatch. Every Monday I’m going to tell you where we are, what went right, what went sideways, and a city I think you’d love. Grab a coffee. ☕
Where in the world are the Damianos?
Orlando, Florida!
We got off the ship in Fort Lauderdale, grabbed a rental car and drove up to Orlando. One condo. One week.
Four months away and America hit us ALL at once.
Gas was over four dollars a gallon. I don’t remember that when we left.
But the cold medicine??? $25 for Jake’s daytime and nighttime. Another $25 for Adam’s. FIFTY DOLLARS to get two people through a cold. 😂
Yes, Adam and Jake both got sick. I’m blaming the AC, the allergies and the germs.
I also drove on the right side of the road after a month on the left. My brain did NOT cooperate.
And every afternoon, the pool. You finally get the whole crew packed up and in the water, and ten minutes later there’s lightning and the announcement comes… “Everybody out of the pool.” Every. Single. Day.
THE ORLANDO FORECAST
Today: Hot. Humid. (It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.) 😂
Also: Bugs in every direction.
Outlook: 100 percent chance of a thunderstorm right as you get in the pool.
City of the week
London
My whole dream of travel, and helping families travel, is the learning that comes with it.
So I make the educational part for you, so you don’t have to think about it.
There is something for every age. Bingo for the little ones on the bus. A history hunt that sends the big kids looking for real things on real streets. Poppy’s London Discovery Deck goes right in the bag.
And now there is something for the grown ups too.
The whole London Learning Library is in my London guide.
NEW: Dear London, a reflective travel journal for adults.
Digital, for your iPad or phone. A real quote from a famous person every day. Prompts about the food, the culture, the places and the moments that surprise you.
Coming soon. Want it? Email me and tell me, I’m watching how many of you ask.
Travel it
London, the Slow Way
Some of my favorite days in London were the days we did nothing.
Kensington to Chelsea
We started in Kensington and just walked. Past the gardens. Past rows and rows of beautiful homes. Then on to Chelsea. More gardens, more homes, and the CARS!!! Maseratis, Land Rover Discoverys, BMWs, one after another. I felt like we were walking past homes of super famous people and diplomats.
On the Hour
We happened to be there right on the hour for the Changing of the Guard. You hear it before you really see it. The marching, the music, the whole city going quiet around you. It’s a sound I won’t forget.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is a must. A tiered stand shows up at your table. Little sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Warm scones with jam and thick cream. A pot of tea poured into tiny cups.
Then everything slows down and you start to hear it. The clink of spoons. “Hmm, this is sooo good.” “Oh, I am so full.” “Wait, is there one more scone?”
Nobody is rushing. Nobody is checking a phone. It’s the most relaxed two hours of the trip.
Borough Market
Borough Market is one of our favorite stops of all. The smell hits you first. Fresh bread, cheese, spices, something sizzling. Vendors call out “Try this one!” and hand you a sample before you can say no. You wander, you taste, you wander again.
After Dark
Madame Tussauds was really fun. And there are SO many West End shows to choose from. Pick one and let the night happen.
If you miss your stop on the tube, like we did a few times, take it as a sign that you were meant to explore another part of town.
We never had a plan. Beautiful weather, nowhere to be, and every block was something new to look at. You can do the same thing. Pick Kensington, walk toward Chelsea, and let the day happen.
Thinking about London? Send me a message and we’ll talk about your trip.
Dream a little
London in Every Season
Spring: the gardens wake up and every park looks like it’s showing off.
Summer: long evenings, and nobody wants the day to end.
Fall: golden leaves on the paths you walk through Kensington and Chelsea.
Winter: lights over the streets, the smell of something warm, and a cup of tea that feels like a hug.
A Hotel That Is Part of the Trip
London has hotels that feel like stepping into a story. The Zetter Townhouse in Marylebone. Batty Langley’s in Spitalfields. 11 Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea. Or the Shangri-La up in The Shard, with the whole city under your window.
Pick the one that matches the trip you’re dreaming about.
Only in London
Sit down for afternoon tea. Watch the Changing of the Guard on the hour. Climb to the top deck of a red bus. Catch a West End show and walk out into the night still humming the songs.
Taste Your Way Through London
Fish and chips wrapped up and eaten while you walk. A Sunday roast with all the trimmings. A full English breakfast that keeps you going until dinner. Sticky toffee pudding, because you’re on vacation.
And a pint in a historic pub, the kind with low beams, creaky floors and hundreds of years of stories soaked into the walls.
Book it
Winter Escapes
Where are you going this winter? Here are four I’d book in a heartbeat.
A Very Merry Disney Cruise
Disney calls them Very Merrytime Cruises, and the whole ship gets dressed up for the holidays. Lights, trees, holiday parties on deck, and the characters come out in their holiday outfits.
That’s Avilene with Mickey and Belle on our crossing. Now picture the whole ship in holiday lights. 🎄
Ski Colorado
Ski school in the morning for the kids. A few runs for the grown ups. Everybody meets back up for lunch with red cheeks and a story.
Then hot chocolate by the fire. Breckenridge, Vail and Keystone all feel different, and I’ll help you pick the one that fits your crew.
Christmas Markets in Europe
Lights strung over the square. Little wooden huts selling ornaments and gingerbread. A warm mug of mulled wine in your hands (hot chocolate for the kids) and the smell of roasted nuts everywhere.
Do it on a river cruise and the ship carries you to the next market town while you sleep.
Warm Up in the Dominican Republic
Not a snow person? Punta Cana. White sand, warm water, and an all inclusive where nobody has to cook Thanksgiving dinner.
Kids club for them. A book and a pool for you.
Any of these sound like your winter? Send me a message and we’ll plan it.
Meet your travel advisor
Hi, I’m Nicole!
I’m an ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. I plan family trips. Japan more than anywhere, plus cruises, river cruises and Europe.
I don’t start with the destination. I start with your family. Who’s going, what the kids love, and what you want the trip to feel like.
Then I handle the hotels, the trains, the transfers, the guides and all the pieces you don’t know to ask about yet. You don’t have to turn planning into a second job.
24 years of international travel, 60+ countries, 300+ trips planned. And I taught social studies for eight years, so your kids are going to learn something. 😂
The Crew I Travel With
AdamThe glue and the fun in our family.
GavinOur old soul. Military History Club on Thursday nights.
JakeJust like his dad. Humor, fun, and a deep heart.
AvileneOur music lover. She dances, she draws and she loves horses.
PoppyOur therapy dog and our warmth. Let’s face it, the star of the show.Plan Your Trip With Me
You know your family. I know travel.
Tell me where you’re dreaming about and who’s coming. We’ll work through it together, and you’ll have someone in your corner from the first idea until you’re home.
Next week
Tokyo
Next Monday we’re going to Tokyo, the city I book more than any other.
The trains, the food, the neighborhoods, and where I’d stay with kids.
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Adventures We Seek is my travel blog and planning resource. Trips are booked through Favorite Grampy Travels.
