Agh...I'm back & I now have 5 currencies in my wallet!
Recap:
* China - same old. Unfortunately I didn't get to go anywhere new & exciting.
* London (airport only) - long enough to do some splurge shopping @ the duty free Agent Provocateur! I bought the Spellbound set - (bra & suspender brief)
http://www.agentprovocateur.com/spellbound.php
& the rope bondage printed cami & boy shorts! However this almost made me miss my connecting flight & I felt like I was in a sitcom running through the airport! Both sets are sooo worth it!
* Amsterdam - I thought I was going to love it & I actually didn't even like it. #1 - I don't smoke that much to visit a city just for it (I fall into the opposite category of illicit stuff). #2 - I was extremely disappointed in the Red Light Distrcit & didn;t find any part of it remotely tantalizing. I went to a see sex show @ Casa Rosso - there was a Batman seen. It was sooo awful & ironically I was in the midst of reading Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman & the next morning I read his memories of his highschool chearleaders being obsessed w/Batdance & doing cheers to it - it just brought back the horrible caped, sex scene
#3 - I also tried to do explore their fetish scene & it appeared dead until Sept I went to Absolute Danny looking for new latex & didn't like anything - they only stocked a fraction of the styles shown on their website. That said the architecture & canals are quite charming, there were 2 great restaurants (11 & Onassis), we frequented Hill St Blues "Coffee Shop" & I found some beautufully designed rollers / stamps - now I just need to come up w/a DIY project for them.
* Croatia - BEAUTIFUL!!! I would highly recomend it! By accident, we we 1st went to Villa Stevinia (sp), which is ~45 min away from the Jelsa port on Hvar island. Stunning, picturesque cliffs overlooking the turquoise sea. But, we were supposed to go to Hvar Town so this was a bit too secluded. The next day we went to Hvar Town & wow! Very glamorous...lots of boats & yachts. Ferries to small, beachy islands - we visited Stepenska & Mlini. I LOVED Stepenska & would have gone back everyday, but my boyfriend had some issues with all of the male nudity there. The final 2 days we stayed in Hvar Town & discovered a great area for swimming ~20 minutes away from all of the commotion. We hung out at a waterfront bar called Carpe Diem every night & met some interesting people. As far as the food - I was expecting to be wowed by the restaurants & wasn't - I ended up eating grilled squid at least 1 x per day. Side note: Hvar was pricey - I spent a lot more $ than I had wanted to or intended (shouldn't have really splurged @ AP!). Also, it is ALL rocks - no sand! Before going, I really thought this had to be an exaggeration, but no! How I wish I brought my aqua sock w/me & we stayed in private accomodations, which weren't soo romantic. I'll definitely go again, but will stay in a hotel & bring my aqua socks 
It has also renewed my interest in sailing lessons even if only to rent a small boat to go from island to island around Hvar Town....
Recap:
* China - same old. Unfortunately I didn't get to go anywhere new & exciting.
* London (airport only) - long enough to do some splurge shopping @ the duty free Agent Provocateur! I bought the Spellbound set - (bra & suspender brief)
http://www.agentprovocateur.com/spellbound.php
& the rope bondage printed cami & boy shorts! However this almost made me miss my connecting flight & I felt like I was in a sitcom running through the airport! Both sets are sooo worth it!
* Amsterdam - I thought I was going to love it & I actually didn't even like it. #1 - I don't smoke that much to visit a city just for it (I fall into the opposite category of illicit stuff). #2 - I was extremely disappointed in the Red Light Distrcit & didn;t find any part of it remotely tantalizing. I went to a see sex show @ Casa Rosso - there was a Batman seen. It was sooo awful & ironically I was in the midst of reading Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman & the next morning I read his memories of his highschool chearleaders being obsessed w/Batdance & doing cheers to it - it just brought back the horrible caped, sex scene
#3 - I also tried to do explore their fetish scene & it appeared dead until Sept I went to Absolute Danny looking for new latex & didn't like anything - they only stocked a fraction of the styles shown on their website. That said the architecture & canals are quite charming, there were 2 great restaurants (11 & Onassis), we frequented Hill St Blues "Coffee Shop" & I found some beautufully designed rollers / stamps - now I just need to come up w/a DIY project for them.
* Croatia - BEAUTIFUL!!! I would highly recomend it! By accident, we we 1st went to Villa Stevinia (sp), which is ~45 min away from the Jelsa port on Hvar island. Stunning, picturesque cliffs overlooking the turquoise sea. But, we were supposed to go to Hvar Town so this was a bit too secluded. The next day we went to Hvar Town & wow! Very glamorous...lots of boats & yachts. Ferries to small, beachy islands - we visited Stepenska & Mlini. I LOVED Stepenska & would have gone back everyday, but my boyfriend had some issues with all of the male nudity there. The final 2 days we stayed in Hvar Town & discovered a great area for swimming ~20 minutes away from all of the commotion. We hung out at a waterfront bar called Carpe Diem every night & met some interesting people. As far as the food - I was expecting to be wowed by the restaurants & wasn't - I ended up eating grilled squid at least 1 x per day. Side note: Hvar was pricey - I spent a lot more $ than I had wanted to or intended (shouldn't have really splurged @ AP!). Also, it is ALL rocks - no sand! Before going, I really thought this had to be an exaggeration, but no! How I wish I brought my aqua sock w/me
& we stayed in private accomodations, which weren't soo romantic. I'll definitely go again, but will stay in a hotel & bring my aqua socks It has also renewed my interest in sailing lessons even if only to rent a small boat to go from island to island around Hvar Town....