TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Our Most Memorable Person of the Year for 2016, Sir Ivan-The Peaceman-Ivan Wilzig

As we go through life we meet literally hundreds and hundreds of people in our travels from coast to coast. Many, we stay in touch with and meet again and again in our travels. One such person is Sir Ivan. Actually Sir Ivan has 3 names. Born Ivan Wilzig, He changed his name to Sir Ivan many years ago. He is also known as THE PEACEMAN. Sir Ivan is an American recording artist and songwriter who is best known for his pop-dance remakes of the 1960’s and early 1970 peace songs. Check out this website on Sir Ivan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Wilzig and http://sirivan.com/ We first met Sir Ivan thru his Mother, Naomi Wilzig who was one of the finest people that we have ever met in our travels. She owned the World Erotic Art Museum in South Beach, Florida. She gave away millions to different charities including many for the LGBT community. Sadly, she past in April last year. She will be sadly missed by thousands of people. Last year, she was our most memorable person of the year. She passed on her spirit and kindness to her son Sir Ivan when he was just a young man and he has been sharing his wealth and life with many charities and organizations to make a better world for all. He created The Peaceman Foundation which is a non-profit organization that battles hatred, violence and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a large array of different organizations. One particular area of interest is in helping LGBT youth who have been affected by bullying and violence, to prevent suicides and other long-lasting negative effects, such as P.T.S.D. The Peaceman Foundation has given over a half Million dollars to a long list of charities, more than half that helped the LGBT community. Check out The Peaceman Foundation at http://sirivan.com/the-peaceman-foundation/ and http://blogcritics.org/he-is-peaceman-a-candid-look/ Sir Ivan lives part of the year in his Long Island, New York Castle where he gives dozens of parties to raise money for different charities. Here is a New York article about his Castle: http://www.hamptons.com/Real-Estate/Main-Articles/17888/King-Of-His-Castle-Sir-Ivans-Hamptons-Estate-A.html#.WGHFor22Vwj He also owns a fabulously wonderful limousine which is shown in this column. When he comes to town, EVERYONE knows Sir Ivan is coming to town. In the winter, he resides in South Beach, Florida. Guests from all over flock to attend his wonderful parties. Last August we were guests of Sir Ivan at his Castle. He gave a party or over 750 guests at his castle for his 60th Birthday. Here is what the New York Post wrote about his party: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment /gossip/confidential/hamptons-bash-drone-eye-party-guests-article-1.2762762 Needless to say it was a ‘BEYOND FABUOUS’ party. We are very honored to call Sir Ivan our friend and we are extremely proud of him for all that he has done and is doing regarding bullying and the many other activities that he is in to help everyone become someone! THANKS SIR IVAN! The World needs more people like YOU! Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/]]>

Palacio Real in Madrid – Keep Calm and Wander

Palacio Real - Alain The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real) is an epitome of opulence of the Spanish monarchy. It is the official residence of the Royal Family but it’s only used for state ceremonies of visiting dignitaries and other famed VIPs. The facade itself is as impressive as the palace interior. The queue outside is really long in the summer months. However, it’s all worth it when you see all the original artworks of Bernini and Caravaggio. They will blow your mind away – and in my case, I had goosebumps! Travel Tip: You can avoid the queue if you buy tickets online. There’s a special entrance for those who bought online. It’s fast and most of the time, it’s door is empty. And it’s also helpful if you have an audio guide, instead of going a group tour. The nearest metro / subway here is the Opera Station. As you can see, the building itself screams luxury and opulence.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Madrid Gay Travel Resources

]]>

Bogotá, Colombia: A Pleasant Surprise – Globetrotter Girls

Bogotá - Dani I’ll admit it: Bogotá was the place I was the least excited to visit in Colombia. I even almost skipped it because I had read so many horror stories of muggings and I hadn’t found any articles in which people were raving about the city. It seemed like most people were rushing through Bogotá, hitting up the most important museums and moved on to the next place. There were only two reasons that made me want to go to Bogotá: I had heard that it was the city with the best street art scene in all of Colombia and it happens to be home to El Theatron, the largest gay club in all of South America. I had to check it out, even though that meant leaving my hotel after dark, a thought I found somewhat daunting before I even arrived in Colombia’s capital. Once I got to Bogotá, however, my fear vanished almost immediately. The day of my arrival I was already meeting friends in Plaza del Chovorro De Quevedo in La Candelaria, Bogotá’s oldest neighborhood, which I had heard wasn’t very safe at night. Apparently this plaza is where the city was founded in 1538, and the surrounding neighborhood with its still intact and well-preserved Spanish-colonial buildings quickly became my favorite neighborhood in town. It was a drastic difference from the shiny office towers in the Chapinero neighborhood, where I was initially staying. In La Candelaria, I found myself surrounded by small, one-story, colorful Spanish-colonial houses, there were still some cobble-stone streets, and there were several colonial churches. I could barely put my camera down on my strolls through the neighborhood!

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

]]>

Byron Haven – Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Byron Haven Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: These cabins are ideal for people who desire a relaxing experience whilst close to the town and beach. These one bedroom cabins sleep up to two people and provide an ultimate getaway accommodation with views of calming greenery in a very quiet neighbourhood. Due to our convenient location it is a 3 minute walk to the beach and a 7 minute walk into town. The rooms are spacious and showcase a full ensuite that includes a personal bathroom, a queen sized bed, polished timber flooring, newly fitted furniture and large verandahs. In addition, Ceiling fans compliment the cabin to assist in keeping you cool and comfortable on those hot summer nights. The Belongil creek reserve runs at the rear of the property making it a very quiet place to stay.

  • Relax on the beach & meet Byron Bay’s colourful characters
  • Hang out and relax at the colourful weekend markets & shop till you drop in local boutiques and shops

See the Byron Haven Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in the Northern Rivers Region

 ]]>

Ecuadorian Quesadillas – Nomadic Boys

Ecuadorian Quesadillas Quesadillas are normally associated with Mexico as tortillas with melted cheese. In Ecuador, quesadillas are a pentagonal shaped pastry filled with both sweet and savoury flavours, similar to Portuguese queijada, which also has a sweet/savoury crumbly cheese filling. We learnt to make these treats during our foodie tour with Urban Adventures in Quito. They are a popular breakfast treat made fresh at the Panaderia y Pasteleria de San Juan bakery (located at N13-140 Deifilio Torres) and sold throughout the city.

By Stefan Arestis – Recipe at the Nomadic Boys

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

]]>

View From the Hollywood Hills – Globetrotter Girls

Hollywood Hills - Dani This week I finally made it up to the famous Hollywood sign – a hike that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. After two failed attempts (traffic, cloudy skies), I found myself scrambling up the rocks to a small hill above and behind the actual sign, which me and my hiking buddy reached after about an hour’s walk, just in time for a brilliant sunset. You can’t get to the sign by car, the only way to get up, close and personal with these giant white letters that have become an American icon, is on foot or by horse, and you can’t get in front of the letters, only above them. Funnily enough, the sign didn’t have any association with the movie industry when it was put up in 1923. Instead, it was supposed to promote local real estate during a time when the Hollywood Hills weren’t the prime real estate location that they are today. Back then it still read Hollywoodland. After years of deterioration, Hugh Hefner started a fundraiser to save the sign, and $250,000 were raised to restore the sign that had fallen into disrepair. It used to be a bit tricky to get up to the sign until a few years ago, unless you were a local and knew your way around. The Trust For Public Land, that is in charge of protecting the sign and the surrounding lands, has made it much easier now to find the right paths and not get lost in the relatively remote and rugged southern side of Mount Lee, on which the sign is located.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Greater Los Angeles Gay Travel Resources

]]>

El Retiro Park, Madrid – Keep Calm and Wander

El Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain, Alain, Kep Calm and Wander, El Retiro Park in Madrid is one place you can go when the summer heat is too much to bear. It’s a pleasant place to escape from all the academic shit I had last summer. The park has vast greenery and cool shades everywhere. But, I think the best way to explore the park is through a bicycle. Don’t make the mistake like I did – walked around for 5 hours (with rest intervals) under the searing heat. I slept that night with nasty burns on my shoulders and neck. Here are some things to do at El Retiro Park (aka Things I did at El Retiro) Walk and explore the gardens. This well-manicured garden below is the most interesting and photogenic one. Look at those trees! They’re instagram-perfect, right?

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Madrid Gay Travel Resources

]]>

10 Interesting Facts About Uruguay – Nomadic Boys

Nomadic Boys - Uruguay Uruguay is like the Netherlands of Latin America – an extremely liberal country and global leader of LGBT rights. Same sex sexual activity has been decriminalised in Uruguay since 1934, anti-discrimination laws in place since 2003, adoption laws since 2009 and gay marriage implemented in early 2013. There are also many government supported events, in particular the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Uruguay‘s annual gay travel conference in September. In addition, Uruguay was the second country in Latin America (after Cuba) to legalise abortions in 2012 and the first in the continent to establish a welfare state in 1903. There’s of course another reason why it reminded us a lot of the Netherlands, which kicks off our 10 fun and interesting facts about Uruguay:

#1 POT PARADISE: LENIENT MARIJUANA LAWS

The coffee shops of Amsterdam are famous worldwide; Holland’s cannabis laws are well known for being one of the most relaxed in Europe. Uruguay has the same reputation amongst its Latino neighbours. In December 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalise the cultivation, sale and consumption of marijuana for recreational use. Instead, the focus by the Uruguayan government is to prosecute large scale traffickers and regulate the industry by taxing it.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Uruguay Gay Travel Resources

]]>

GaySail: Gay Tour Operator in Amsterdam

GaySailPeriodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly tour operatorsy: At GaySail we organize about 50 gay sailing cruises a year, all over the world, for single gay men, -couples, -friends and private gay groups. We sail in Greece, Croatia, Ibiza, Virgin Islands, St. Martin & St. Barth, Bahamas, Brazil and Thailand. With our team of 22 fully licensed gay skippers and gay cooks/co-skippers we can offer you a wonderful one- or two week gay sailing vacation. We offer regular GaySail sailing cruises but also a lot GayNudeSail sailing cruises and GaySail Exclusive luxury sailing cruises, both monohull- and catamaran yachts. Cruises with gay skipper only, or skipper and cook for breakfast and lunch. Something for everyone! No sailing experience needed. If you like, you can take the wheel and learn to sail and navigate, if you just want to relax, soak up in the sun on the front deck, watch out for the dolphins, it’s your holiday! We usually sail about 6 hours a day. Most of the time we anchor for lunch and swim. At night we dock in little in local harbor and have dinner in the local restaurants of we stay overnight in a bay under the stars and have dinner on board.

See the GaySail Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in the Netherlands

]]>

Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid – Keep Calm and Wander

Mercado de San Miguel Mercado de San Miguel is Madrid’s most famous food market. It’s where you can get a lot of tapas and other small food potions for €1. And they’re quiet good, too! If there are glorious food, there are good drinks, too. The market has a variety of wines, beers and cocktails. You must try their mojitos and Asturian cider! 😉 This is a market that mostly caters to tourists. You can see a few locals showing off the place to their friends. There’s always something for everyone. The market is a Spanish culinary experience. The market is clean but has limited seatings. It’s not really ideal for group gathering and stay there for long. It’s a market, so don’t expect tables and chairs for a longer, good chat.

By AUTHOR – Full Story at SOURCE

LOCATION Gay Travel Resources

Other Gay Travel Events

]]>