Posts – Page 8 – Cafes and Alleyways

Day Trip to Lake Como

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:December 6, 2019
Post category:Destinations
Post comments:0 Comments

Lake Como is situated in northern Italy along the border with Switzerland. The lake is a quick hour or so north of Milan, which makes for a great day trip. Lake Como was on our bucket list of places to visit until we finally had the chance during a recent trip to Milan. Train Route to Varenna Our journey consisted of two legs. First, a train ride from Milan to the village of Varenna. Second, a ferry from Varenna to Bellagio. On the morning of our trip we left the Park Hyatt Milano and took a taxi to the…

Coachella Valley at Thanksgiving- 2019

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:December 3, 2019
Post category:General
Post comments:0 Comments

Growing up in the Coachella Valley we rarely experienced snowfall. This Thanksgiving, on our way to the Coachella Valley it started snowing in the Beaumont area. The snowfall created a bumper to bumper situation, as traffic slowed to a crawl. But, as it rarely snows in these parts, I’m assuming most people didn’t mind. The white stuff started piling up on the sides of Interstate 10 and in the palm tree fronds. Snowing on Interstate 10- Beaumont, California Coachella Valley- San Jacinto Mountains On Interstate 10, east of the Morongo Casino, you can find the two dinosaurs that have…

My Current Strategy for Earning Points and Miles through Online Shopping Portals

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:December 3, 2019
Post category:Points+Miles
Post comments:1 Comment

I recently did a post on using online shopping portals to earn airline miles without flying. That post was followed up with an article on earning cashback via shopping portals. In this article I share my current shopping portal strategy and why I’m choosing this approach. Over the years I’ve earned both airline miles, and cashback. My current focus is this: Earning Membership Reward points through the Rakuten shopping portal. Rakuten (formerly called Ebates) is best known as a cash back site, but now offers the option to earn Membership Reward points. Membership rewards are the flexible point currency of American Express, and great for what I like to do, use them…

Quick Tip: Consolidate Your gogo wifi passes prior to closing your CNB Crystal Visa Infinite credit card

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 27, 2019
Post category:Points+Miles
Post comments:0 Comments

CNB has recently slashed benefits on their Crystal Visa Infinite credit card. Christmas is pretty much cancelled. As a result, when the annual fee comes around, many card holders may chose not to renew their card. Here’s a quick tip: Consolidate Your gogo wifi passes prior to closing your CNB Card Each CNB card comes with 12 gogo passes. We have a total of four CNB cards (3 authorized users) so collectively we have 48 passes. Prior to cancelling the cards, we went to the dedicated page on the gogo website and loaded all the passes into a single gogo account. A separate gogo account is…

Chez Janou, A Quintessential Parisian Cafe

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 25, 2019
Post category:Destinations Food + Drink
Post comments:0 Comments

Chez Janou is a provencal bistro within walking distance from the Bastille in Paris. We arrived between the lunch and dinner hours and took a seat under the brightly covered awning. As the peripheral noise of the hustle and bustle disappears, we ordered our favorite coffee drinks, a cafe creme and an americano. There were no interruptions except for the occasional, and I mean occasional wait staff that comes by to check on us. The Bastille Monument Chez Janou Provencal Bistro As the cool afternoon breeze rustles the leaves of the vines by my table, I start to daydream about…

Earn Cash Back When Shopping Online

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 21, 2019
Post category:General Points+Miles
Post comments:2 Comments

Do you shop online? If so, maximize your money by shopping through an online portal. Online shopping portals reward you for using their portal as the starting point for your online purchases. This reward comes in the form of cash, airline miles or other reward currencies. I recently did a post on earning frequent flyer miles by using an airline's online shopping portal. In this post we'll look at earning cash back. Earning Cash versus Airline Miles Through Online Shopping Our blog is about travel, so why would someone who likes to travel, consider earning cash instead of airline miles?…

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 21, 2019
Post category:Destinations General
Post comments:0 Comments

The opulent, iconic and pink two-story French seaside mansion called Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is on the Cote D’Azur in France. Baroness Beatrice de Rothschild built the villa in 1905. After her death it was donated to the Academie des Beaux Arts. Pink is my favorite color so we had to stop and see this beauty for ourselves. It did not disappoint! With its nine distinct gardens, it will take a bit of time to see it all. Well by the Entrance Most popular and photographed is the picturesque French Garden with the pink villa in the background. Many a…

Earning Airline Miles Without Flying on an Airplane

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 14, 2019
Post category:Points+Miles
Post comments:3 Comments

Looking to increase your airline points and miles but don’t do a lot of flying? Airlines are willing to help you out! If you shop online, there's a way to earn points without flying. Just start your online shopping by making a quick stop at the airline's online shopping portal, then proceed to your favorite online stores. In exchange for using their online shopping portal, airlines reward you with frequent flyer miles. They get a commission for sending shoppers out into the world wide web, and you walk away with points and miles. It's a way to earn airline miles without flying on…

Claude Monet Ritorno In Riviera

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 13, 2019
Post category:Destinations General
Post comments:0 Comments

Claude Monet returned to the Italian Riviera this past spring and it was a special treat to see his paintings. "Monte Carlo vu de Roquebrune" by Claude Monet We took the train from our hotel in Nice, France to Ventimiglia, Italy. After arriving, we made our way through the busy train station until we stepped outside and the warm Italian sunshine kissed our faces. From there, we walked a couple of blocks to the bus stop and purchased our tickets at at a nearby cafe. The bus would make the windy trip to the mountain village of Dolceacqua. Mountain…

Monmouth Coffee Company- Borough Market, London

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:November 10, 2019
Post category:Food + Drink
Post comments:0 Comments

As we walk towards the cafe, the lingering coffee aroma draws us to a place of all things coffee! A favorite stop in London is Monmouth Coffee Company. This popular coffee company started back in 1978 in Covent Garden, London. Don’t let the often long lines detour you from experiencing this coffee lovers delight. On the menu we find a selection of filtered coffee, espresso, pour overs and lattes just to mention a few. We patiently waited in line to order a freshly made flat white and cafe americano. While waiting, I notice there were no pastries behind the counter.…