Cinque Terre, Italy
When one mentions Italy the first city that probably comes to mind is Rome, followed by Venice, Milan and probably Lake como thanks to dashing George Clooney. One of my favourite Italian destinations (and one that is starting to get more popular) is the stunning area of Cinque terre.
Situated a 2 hour train ride north west of the famous leaning tower lies 5 quaint towns culminating the Cinque Terre National Park – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Being a Unesco heritage listed site, cars are not able to access these towns, in fact the only way to get from town to town is via train, alternatively you can walk from town to town and from the takes 8 hours if you do it continuously.
My itinerary was a 3 day one, during the peak of summer in Mid July. The 1st night I stayed in Pisa, from memory the last train from Pisa central to Monterrosso was at 9.30pm and to be conservative I did not think I would arrive in time to make the train. No matter though, it does give you an opportunity to visit one of the most iconic sights in Tuscany being the leaning tower of pisa!
I opted to stay in a bnb (bed and breakfast). I like the homely feel of a family run establishment. It gives an authentic touch which you cannot get anywhere else. We met a kind lady who I believe ran the bnb with a younger member of her family, however upon arrival, she was the only one there and did not speak a word of English. But to her credit… she was able to work the wonders of google translate and my travel buddy and I camped around her desktop and were able to communicate without issue!
Its moments like these – where you face an obstacle (like basic communication) and persist to find a solution that makes travelling such a rewarding experience. It also makes me regret not learning a second language (Doh!). When things are too easy, you take it for granted, you think you are entitled to it. But it’s not until you are in a situation that requires some thinking outside of the square that makes the end result so satisfying – like being able to check in!
After a quick visit to the leaning tower – off we went to cinque terre. To get there just buy your ticket from the train station should cost about €15 one way and takes no longer than half an hour.
*Mamma Mia* – I almost forgot to mention that Italians are the kings of coffee. Get a cappuccino and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Back home in Melbourne “getting a coffee” can last anywhere between half an hour and several hours. The locals in Italy get the job done in about 30 seconds! Coffees are consumed standing up at the expresso bar in Italy. Sit down tables usually attract a price premium (as it is often in place to cater for tourists).
The trains are actually quite modern and are in fact very similar to the train depicted the classic 2004 movie “eurotrip”
Monterosso
Is the largest and most populous of the five towns. It also boasts a proper beach, which due to size gives it a unique advantage over the other towns. I chose to stay one night here being the farthest most town (from pisa) and another night in Riomaggiore the first town, so Sunday would be an intense hiking day. Over the past few years torrential rain has played havoc with the walking trails. In 2011 or 2012 I believe there was some intense flooding which rampaged through some of the towns. As a result , it is common that not all of the walking trails will be open at the same time.
I stayed at B&B Il Parco (which I highly recommend). The accommodation is split into different private villas. As it is situated quite high up the hill, there are some breath-taking views to be had when either early morning or at dusk. The breakfast provided is pretty tasty as well.
I suppose the only thing to be aware of is that is slightly up in the hills, the walk to the main beach and town did take some time, however there is a free shuttle bus which can transport to and from the town centre and specified. Stay here if you want to lounge around in the sun and having a relaxing experience of cinque terre!
Vernazza
I think this is the prettiest of the four towns. Can be found on many a post cards and if you time it right and hike from monterosso to vernaza and dusk you may be lucky enough to see pink skies in the backdrop. The reward for an hour and a half hike can be seen below. Due to poor exposure settings the photo doesn’t quite do the view justice!
Corniglia
Probably the smallest out of the 5 towns towns, due to time constraints didn’t get a chance to explore the town as much as I’d like. Just as colourful as the others and a little less quaint. Not as many tourists seem to spend much time here. After a quick pit stop, we followed the pack and moved onto….
Manarola
Competes with Vernazza as the most photographed landscape amongst cinque terre. There is a path which leads you slightly out of the town to a small park and you can take amazing photos looking back onto the city. If your game there are also some swimming holes for you to cool off and mix it with other holiday makers and locals. Sunbathers can also be found lying of many of the rocks and stairs during the summer months! Strange but I guess you gotta make do with what you have!
Riomaoggorie.
Stayed at Locanda Dalla Compagnia. Wouldn’t be my first choice of accommodation, but if you are struggling to find accommodation it will do the job. Don’t expect anything above the basics and you’ll be fine.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/locanda-dalla-compagnia.en-gb.html?sid=55d90259de8ddce7056c733dd4f99767;dcid=2
Quite a large town with a number of hidden alleyways and paths to get lost it in. Plentiful amounts of decent restaurants with local produce and seafood.
Cinque terre boasts some of the most spectacular scenery that I have seen during my time so far in Europe. Definitely put it on your to do list if you find yourself in Italy. If you are looking for a party vacation probably don’t head here, but if you’re after a relaxing/rewarding weekend away you won’t be disappointed!
JD
Palma, Mallorca
After so much exploration of my other destinations around Europe I was due for a trip away that involved a whole lot of nothing. That destination so happened to be in Majorca one of the Balearic islands in the south of Spain near the infamous party island of Ibiza.
In the UK – Majorca is a popular destination amongst young British teens who run amok in the beachside town of magaluf in the summer time. Often this is their first overseas destination according to the TV show ‘Sun, Sex & Suspicious parents’. When you combine teenagers, sun and booze your sure to end up with an ‘explosive’ trip away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z18a34PliiU
But thankfully I had conducted some research and chose to stay in the main town of Palma city. That particular weekend it was in the peak of summer. Temperatures hovered around 35 degrees during the day and marginally cooler during the evenings. For those who hail from warmer climates, you will know that anything above 30 degrees makes it difficult to get out and explore as your energy levels are instantly drained by the heat. 
The main tourist attraction in Palma City is the cathedral, which you cannot miss. For some reason we couldn’t go inside… but with the combination of the sapping heat, it was actually very relaxing to sit outside the cathedral in the shade with the warm breeze coming across your face and a cool drink in hand. To top it off there was a Spanish guitarist playing beautiful melodies in the background – pretty special in my opinion
Palma has a great vibe about it, there are little side streets all over the town and you can quickly get lost and discover an array of side streets. It came across to me as a relaxation destination for holidays makers. There are some quality restaurants in town and we checked two highly rated restaurants on tripadvisor. The first night we checked out Misa Bar and Brasserie, the chicken here is the signature dish and highly recommended – however I was craving something a little more fancy (see pictures below)! http://www.misabraseria.com/en/location.php
The second night we went to Bunkers which I would describe as a Fusion/European restaurant. The food is delicious, artistically presented and with generous portions to keep the all hungry hippos satisfied! What is most appealing about this establishment is that it is a family run business and it is made to feel very homely with the use of communal tables and an ‘open styled’ kitchen where you can see the chefs work their magic! https://www.facebook.com/BunkerPalma
For those seeking some nightlife I can recommend Titos club which was great fun. Not the cheapest night out.. but it is a very posh club with pumping beats and a beautiful crowd to go with it! The other popular option is the well known club Pacha with multiple locations around the globe.
Yet another place I’ve fallen in love with in Spain…. if only there was a way to stay there permanently! Gracias Mallorca – I’ll definitely be back!
JD
Riga, Latvia
Known for: Having a currency stronger than the British pound ) GBP
This week see me in Riga, the capital of Latvia in eastern part of Europe. Sadly this city has been hotspot for Brits who visit this city for their Stag do’s / Bucks parties as alcohol is quite cheap and local women are drop dead gorgeous. I had also read that the Latvians aren’t as found of Brits, as the Brits are of their women and as a result some bars do not allow tourists in (Even if you are of the Asian persuasion in my case lol).Unfortunately for me, I was stuck in a plane with at least 3 different stag groups. One of the groups were extremely rowdy, trying to create what they called a “party atmosphere” with their slurred northern English accents, unfortunate looks and lack of respect of other people. One of them even had the nerve to tell a Latvian man to his face “we’re going to F*** up your town something stupid this weekend …”. There were also young children within earshot of this bell end. For those don’t know what a bell end is… check it out on urban dictionary 😛
I don’t normally speak negatively about places/people but this kind of behavior has to be publicly shamed and discouraged. I’m all for stag do’s but being a public nuisance is a different thing altogether.
Plane ride aside I quickly (along with my travel crew of 3 other people, Ann, Ada and Kev) navigated our hotel in the city of Riga. My initial perception of Eastern European cities was one of war torn cities in the rebuild stage…(damn that Eurotrip movie!) however to my surprise Riga City’s centre was very clean, modern and quite pretty with the mix of old and new architecture throughout the city. As we landed on a Friday night, the locals we passed were extremely well dressed and you could have easily been mistaken into thinking you were in Paris or Stockholm or some other cosmopolitan city.
Our Friday night landed us in McDonalds satisfying our hungry bellies (yes Big Mac’s tastes the same in Riga as it does in London and Melbourne!) and chatting about why the local kids we’re staring through the window at us. We deduced that it was either
a) They thought PSY and his crew were in the house and wanted us to “Gangnam style“ (so 2012)
b) A little curious – as not too many Asian peeps pass through the city.
c) Combination of both!
The Following day we took a bike tour around the city to see the sights both around the city centre and also the surrounding suburbs to see the “Real Riga”. The bike tour was more bike ride than tour so I cannot unleash too much trivia knowledge for you this time round! The one thing that was explained is that Art Noveau is very popular in Riga, so much so the city centre (Albert street) is a UNESCO heritage site celebrating the collection of Art Noveau buildings. I think the distinguishing feature of this art style is the decorative pieces on windows & balconies which differ from traditional architecture. Ok you got me… I got no idea on art… but at least I tried right?!
The other main site is the Freedom monument which pays tribute Latvia’s independence from Russia (Geez I hope I remembered that correctly!) Sitting atop the monument is ‘Milda’ holding three rings representing the three regions of the country. The Opera house is another landmark building in Riga. It is a majestic building which sits next to one of the city’s park and on a summers day it is a popular venue for newlyweds (wedding photos) and sunbathers/people watchers alike. We watch about 3 different newlyweds take photos in the same spot within an hour!
We also managed to eat some traditional Latvian grub which was described to us as pork and potatoes! Nonetheless we tried the local food at a traditional “pub” which had let’s just say a very unique atmosphere to it (smelt too much like tinkle for my liking!) but the locals there were HUMONGOUS! I guess the pork and potatoes must work after all.
The nightlife in Riga is surprising diverse and we didn’t come across any stag groups at all. I’m guessing they must have been busy exploring the seedier side of town! Riga has numerous hole the wall bars and some very plush clubs. We checked out “The Club” (original name right!?) I must add this place had THE BEST music I have heard in a club for awhile and it was good the ENTIRE night. It played commercial house/party anthems… the kind of songs where everyone has heard it on the radio and probably know the words too. We met a few locals, who were very friendly, but the music was kind of loud (and damn catchy!) so we figured it was more fun to speak a little less and dance & drink a little more!
After a serious zumba-type workout we slowly stumbled back to our hotel… but something was a little different with the night sky… it still looked like 9pm! Either way it was a good opportunity to take some panoramic photos (at 3am) and some selfies for good measure!
After almost missing breakfast the following morning what better way to recover from a slightly boozy night but to head to the local beach!
Jurmala is the town’s local beach with its own outdoor beach bar and some of the best beach shore I have seen in Europe. The water was a tad murky but it was too cold to swim anyway! To get there it’s a short 20 min train ride of the city’s central station (near the opera house). Ticket costs around £1 one way. Almost everyone who catches this train is a local so it’s fun mixing in and amongst the local crowd. Turns out the day we went it also coincided with big cycling event which gave the beach town an awesome buzz.
Riga has opened my eyes to how beautiful and underrated Eastern Europe is. Of course when people think Europe its more the western countries in the spotlight, but for those who have time and are a little curious definitely check out Riga! I hear the neighbouring country of Estonia is just as pretty and I one day hope to check it out for myself.
Paldies!
JD
San Sebastian, Spain
Known for: Tapas (pintxos), Real sociedad,
Ola from San Sebastian’s Spain situated in the north east of España which also extremely close to the French border (as many people fly to the nearby town of Biarritz and then catch a bus toward the township).
FOOD / PINXTOS
The main attraction of San Sebastian is the food, the town has several Michelin starred restaurants however budget constraints did not allow me to scope out those restaurants this time round. I instead checked out the numerous pintxos bars (tapas bar) and gorged myself on snack sized dishes of culinary perfection. One thing I can say about Spanish food is that it is very diverse. They have a vast variety of food options on their menus, including fresh seafood, chicken & beef kebabs and foie gras.
Some of the ‘signature pintxos’ from the area included mushroom risotto, beef steak (tender and juicy) and a simple yet sublime calamari dish.
It’s an uncomfortable feeling at the end of each meal after having stuffed your face with as much food as you can, but I’m sure my taste buds were loving it at the time! Even the solo traveler would love this concept as they would be able to sample numerous dishes without filling up too quickly.
Drink sizes follow suit and are ample amount to give you a flavour for the local drinks without overdoing it too. The pintxos staff work up quite a sweat serving loads of customers streaming constantly, but they manage to get to everyone in a speedy and efficient manner which is a spectacle in itself and they do it with a smile on their face the whole time.
MORE THAN JUST FOOD
By some stroke of luck, that weekend the town was holding a music and culture festival where various performances “popped up” throughout the town, ranging from reggae to big band to even a full on opera performance(which I checked out for the first act and left because I was falling asleep lol). It’s great to see that live music is well alive and was very grateful to have experienced it during my stay.
SUN AND SURF
Part of me was really looking forward to some sun, surf and sand. After booking this trip well in advance (6 months!) I was hopeful that I’d return to London looking like a bronzed Korean pop star.
I’ve realised that as an Australian I have never ever surfed. Don’t get me wrong I love the water (after all I’m an Aquarius) and a good beach, however back in oz the closest surf beach was over 2-3 hours away so it’s one of those things I put off till later…. Sadly it will have to wait a little longer. While the town has one of the most scenic bays and surf beach within a 5 minute walk of each other, the weather was not on our side this time round. San Sebastián is renowned for its surf scene and pro surfers pass through the town fairly regularly.
La Concha bay is one of the prettiest bays I’ve ever seen, I could only imagine a populated sand shore on a hot summers day, with the aqua waters crashing softly whilst sun bathers lay there trying to achieve their perfect tan. There are also other H2O related activities (when the sun is out) jet skis, kayaking etc.
If the weather is not so great whilst you are travelling to San Sebastian I HIGHLY recommend paying a visit to the only spa and relaxation centre in the town called La perla.
This unique spa centre offers the usual gym and spa facilities you would expect from a decent establishment, however they differentiate themselves but having salt water spa pools and a salt water ice bath as well. They have different pools which have spa jets targeting different areas of your body. It also backs on to the beach, so if you feel like taking a refreshing dive into the ocean that’s an option too!
A 5 hour pass will set you back about 35 euro…. But it’s worth every cent 🙂
If the weather is on your side I would also recommend hiring a bike to cycle around the town. The city centre (old town etc) can be explored by foot, but to cover the city fringe areas and the various lookout points its far quicker (and easier on your feet if you cycle) just remember . A day’s bike hire is around €15 but you will get to see a lot more this way.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE WALKING:
Mountain Igeldo is the mountain furthest away from the old town and has the better view of the bay and the city, you can take a cable car there or sweat it out like we did and walk up the hill lol.
There is also a dated theme park atop of the mountain. And by dated I mean 1990’s
Monte Urgull Closer to the old a 20 min hike a castle awaits at the top, a steep and scenic walk, although views are blocked by the treetops, but a good way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the ever so busy old town.
BLOOPERS
With every trip I encounter my fair share of bloopers, luckily this trip they were all concentrated in the first few hours of me being there!
Faulty GPS (again) this time the gps on my phone told me we were roughly three kilometres from our hotel. So why not take a cab…. Off we went, loaded our bags, “Hotel Silken please” I asked in my best Spanglish accent.
The driver gave me an confused/irritated look and pointed to the building 20 meters to the right of the taxi and began unloading our bag lol with this I sheepishly retrieved my bag and laughed all the way to the reception of the hotel. In the picture the hotel is the building just behind the buses!
- After successfully finding the hotel we grabbed a quick bite to eat from the pinxtos bar across the road from our hotel and the bus station. We finished our meals and paid for the delicious food. I strangely however thought it was okay to leaving the premises and take my drink and the glass with me lol… luckily my mate Kevin reminded me that I may have to return it to its rightful owner.
- Lastly somehow I managed to lose my camera charger somewhere along the way. I searched high and low but to no avail, but back in London I ordered a new one (original!) online conveniently, The only supplier of original canon chargers online hail from…. Spain how ironic!
Gracias San Sebastian for your delectable pintxos, picture perfect beach and musically talented citizens, this has been one of my most enjoyable and relaxing trips in a while and a destination I would most definitely visit again.
JD
Amalfi Coast, Italy
Known for: Towns on cliff faces, Breath-taking scenery, Crazy drivers, Tasty food
This week sees me travel to Italy for the second time this year, but this time to the Amalfi Coast. For those not too familiar with the area, you may have heard of famous volcano – Mt Vesuvius and the nearby town of Pompeii which was covered in ash/molten rock in 79AD I believe? Basically the Amalfi coast is a spectacular coast line which starts in the quaint and friendly town of Positano, and stretches all the way passes several towns and finishes in the urban streets of Salerno.
Pompeii and Sorrento:
After catching the “red eye” flight, the first flight of the day that leaves London at 6am I arrived a few hours in the 3rd largest Italian city in Naples. Unfortunately due to time constraints I chose to skip this town and head straight toward Pompeii. Traveling with my friend and his sister we backed our Asian driving skills and equipped ourselves with a car (The good ‘ol trusty fiat) and a gps in search of Pompeii.
Lesson learnt: Italian drivers are crrazzzzzy drivers!!
After pulling out from the rental hire car spot we were tasked with trying to turn left from the right hand lane. Sure this sounds simple enough for all those countries not in the commonwealth, but for us folk who are used to driving on the left hand side of the road and a right hand drive car, this was especially nerve racking. Let me illustrate
Ideally this is how you should turn left (on the left). In Naples it look more like this (right) lol. The blue car represents the car we were in. Chaos reigns and the bravest individual turns first lol. Eventually, we made it after about 10 minutes giving way to all the crazy Italian drivers and waiting for a clear passage (well as clear as it could be)
Having reached Pompeii about an hour later we explored the ruins of the city. The site itself is humongous and it’s hard to conceive that a prosperous town (it had its own amphitheatre! ) such as Pompeii was decimated in a matter of moments. I would have liked to explored more of the ruins and learnt about the history, but as fate would have it we were on a fairly tight schedule. After a quick 1 hour tour of the site, off we went back toward the first night stop in Sorrento.
50 minutes later we arrived in the vibrant town of Sorrento. The town is predominantly all tourists, as this is the closest port to the popular island of Capri. It is very clean and in most stores you will see the word ‘limoncello’ throughout the town.
Limoncello is a lemon liqueur famous throughout the region and the citrus fruit grown locally. The lemons look like they are on some “fructose steroids”! They are humongous. It is consumed chilled and by chilled I mean the alcohol is stored in the freezer so it is very refreshing on a warm day. Since I have been in London for the past year, 19 degrees is hot in my books!
Unfortunately the hotel we were staying it is quite far away from Sorrento town centre. The GPS to this point had been in great getting us to where we needed to get to, however finding this hotel seemed to be an issue as the GPS would tell us that we had reached the hotel several times however we found ourselves outside abandoned churches and down little streets that just seemed odd.
With each turn the GPS told us to go down, the roads got progressively narrower and narrower until BOOOMMMM…HISSSSSSSSSSs…. “lucky we got the added insurance ey!” I commented at the busted tyre.
I suppose it was a blessing in disguise because after playing charades with a friendly Italian man he informed us that the roads would only get narrower meaning that we would have got stuck sooner or later!
10 mins later and a calm head my friend and I managed to change the tire in quick smart time.
A special shout out to Dad! Thanks for teaching me / forcing me to jack up the car for you on several occasions throughout my teens, it came in very useful this time.
After that hair raising encounter we returned back to the town centre in Sorrento, enjoyed the beautiful sunset, and tucked into some delicious seafood pasta. Not a bad way to end an eventful day.
The Isle of Capri. (Pronounced caar-pree)
Just as a side note I’ve noticed that there seems to be a love affair between Americans and the country of Italy, I haven’t figured out why, but I’ve been told it has something to do with Rick Steves. If anyone knows why please comment, I’m just curious :o)
But I digress, the second day was a full day tour to the island of Capri. The Island of Capri only has if I recall like 13,000 full time residents yet more than 2 million people pass through every year.
One of best known sites of Capri is the blue grotto, where it was said to be Julius Caesar and Tiberius private pool back ancient roman times.
In fact they enjoyed living in Capri so much the Roman empire was ruled from Capri for a period of time. To get into the grotto itself you board a tiny row boat, duck your head and let your boat captain pull you through the entrance. 
Once you are in, the sunlight gives the water this luminous & emerald/sapphire glow which is quite special indeed. If you look carefully you can also see plenty of fish swimming about too.
There is a beautiful lookout point (Monte Solaro) at Anacapri where you take a scenic 15 min chairlift up to the summit and marvel at spectacular views. From the summit you can see the famous Faraglioni – three towering rocks that are on most Capri postcards and tourist campaigns.
The Augustus gardens are also worth checking out and yes there are more beautiful viewpoints to see when you get there. There are a few public beaches about too for those sun lovers. Be careful though as the beaches are pebble beaches! I’ve only listed a few of the places we checked out, but if want to get a little more detailed information about the place I’ve placed the link below. http://www.capri.com/
For such a small island there is so much on offer! A burning question which I forgot to ask was – do capricciosa pizza originate from Capri? I guess I’ll never know lol
Ravello/Positano
Next stop was the charming town of Positano with its every so friendly locals, and labyrinth like streets. This picturequese towns lies on a cliff face is a sight to behold on a clear day. As the sun sets over the mountains the town starts to light up and the panoramic view is simply stunning. The drive into the town is like something out of a movie.
The road is a one way street which takes you from the top of the mountain to the city centre, passing restaurants, shops, mechanics along the way. The road is wide enough for one small European car, and you are so close to the buildings you could quite easily steals someone’s lunch if you put your hand slightly out of the window!
The hotel we stayed at was a charming and welcoming family run establishment. When we arrived we greeted the lady at the desk with the standard “Ciao” and introduced ourselves and mentioned that we had a booking. She smiled warmly and commented “I know, I’ve been expecting you”. Talk about impressive customer service.
One of the towns we stopped off at was the quaint town of Ravello. The main attraction of this town are the two villa’s. We visited the larger of the two (villa Cimbrone) which sits atop yet another cliff face and overlooks the ocean.
Apart from being slightly motion sick on the way to the town, from the sharp turns as a result of my friend thinking he was a rally car driver, it was a great way to start the morning. We stopped off for lunch at an ex-Michelin starred restaurant with a marvellous view. In the afternoon we took to the pebble beach in Positano and sleep the rest of the day away! The relaxing pace of this trip truly was fantastic 
Mt Vesuvius
Only the final day we decided to visit Mt Vesuvius. After an epic 3 hour drive (yes we got lost) traversing through impossible roads, cows and climb
ing the mountainous roads to the top of Vesuvius national park, we thought we had reached the summit. Until we realised we had only reached the entrance to park lol. We then embarked on a hike to the top of the volcano top glimpse into the crater. Apparently this is still the only active volcano in Europe, but is considered dormant, (otherwise we’d be toast!) so its active but not exploding I guess.
It was a bit misty that day which was not ideal, but the crater was huge so it is hard to comprehend what the area would have been like when it was shooting out molten rock.
An action-packed 4 day weekend away to the Amalfi coast was exactly what just what the doctor ordered. There is so much variety and if you cannot find something you enjoy along the way, I’d be very surprise. Amazing food, breath-taking scenery, life threatening traffic, chapters and chapters of history. This could be a few of the reasons as to why the Americans love Italy so much!
JD
Stockholm, Sweden
Destination: Stockholm, Sweden
Other names: N/A (or if anyone knows please feel free to comment)
Known for: ABBA, Tennis talent, Good looking people, IKEA, Nudie Jeans, a Swedish House Mafia
Ah Stockholm, legend tells of a city where blond haired, blue eyed GQ and Victoria Secrets Models roam the streets, in a picturesque city and probably one of the world’s most liveable too. This weekend was an excursion to explore unofficial capital Scandinavia!
Attractions
Usually the way I like to approach weekend excursions is to pack the days full of sightseeing and understanding the history of the city. A few people I know often ‘wing it’ and stroll through the city. I have tried this before and while it is very relaxing it does not provide any context to appreciate the historic sights and buildings you pass by. So I try to get on a city tour of some sort at the very least and the best tours are usually the Free walking tours. They are free in that there is no set amount for the tour, but if you think the tour was worthwhile (normally they are very information and fun) a tip will be graciously accepted.
I managed to get onto a walking tour with an excellent guide who explained the history of Sweden, how it territory once included Norway and Finland as well. He went on to speak about the Swedish Royal family throughout the ages including the most recent princess who married her gym instructor!
We were educated about other interesting facts including the concept of ‘Stockholm syndrome’ which refers to a phenomenon where hostages empathise with their captors and take their side. This actually happened in a bank central Stockholm back in the 70’s.
The city itself is extremely clean and sits on a number of islands. It has a charming old town where ‘hole in the wall café’s and souvenir stores can be found on every corner. One of the main attractions in the old town is the Nobel Museum, dedicated to one of Sweden’s most famous personalities, Alfred Nobel (Creator of the Nobel Prize).
I had always heard of the Nobel peace prize and the prize for economics but did not realise that there were 5 prizes in Alfred Nobel’s original will (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace). Being the inventor of dynamite and unlucky in love he was set to leave a large fortune behind, it wasn’t until his own brother was killed in an explosives accident and a French newspaper mistook his brother for himself, that he realised what the world thought of him. Labelled the “merchant of death” as many lives had been lost through the use of his invention, Alfred wanted to leave his mark on the world for the better, hence the creation of the Nobel prizes which is awarded to those who brought the greatest benefit to mankind. Famous recipients include Marie Curie, Mother Teresa, Martin Luthor King, Albert Einstein just to name a few
The other placed we checked out was Skansen island. Unfortunately the number 1 attraction on trip advisor ‘Vasa museum’ was under renovation so I checked out the open air museum instead, which is HUGE and a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon in the Scandinavian sun.
Nightlife
A quick google search of Stockholm nightlife warned visitors about how difficult it can be to get into nightspots, especially for guys. Glad to say playing it safe and packing an extra pair of shoes and blazer granted us entry into two of the swankiest clubs in town! Ambassadeer Club & Berns Hotel.
Both highly recommended – just an FYI entry is usually £20-£30
Below is a link to pictures from nightspots in Sweden. I can confirm that the girls and guys do look just as good in real life!
Http://stureplan.se/bilder/nattklub/
Swedish Myths & Legends!
MYTH: Everyone is Sweden is good looking and 6ft plus. Women look like Scarlet Johansson and the men look like Thor (Chris Hemsworth – even though he is Australian lol).
RESULT: Fact, on a whole Swedish people are definitely trendier, well groomed and fashion forward. Thier natural beauty are very easy on the eyes. I would say 8/10 people could easily become fashion models in other countries.
Height wise the average height of Swedes is noticeably higher than say Spain or Portugal so yes I’d say that this is fairly accurate (generally speaking). I also noticed the split of brunettes to blondes is roughly 50:50 and not 100:0 as I once thought lol.
MYTH: Sweden is ridiculously expensive.
RESULT: Fiction, I would say it’s slightly more expensive than other “liveable cities”. Alcohol is an exception, as it is highly taxed (a round of top shelf gin and tonics (3 drinks) cost £50/$75), however that was probably more my own fault for buying the most expensive drink in the poshest club in Stockholm. Food is reasonable and of very good quality as well. Swedish designed clothes are apparently cheaper here as well (although to be honest, I had ran out of money by Sunday lol so this could be seen as hypocritical). A Big Mac meal and Mc Flurry cost 80SEK / £8 / $12
Having missed breakfast on our last day, on a count of arriving home at 4am and spontaneously singing Peter Andre’s mysterious girl, there was definitely a feeling of not enough time and unfinished business in Sweden. I’m very sure I’ll be back again! Stay beautiful Stockholm I’ll see you real soon!
JD
Meribel, France
Bonjour from Meribel, France This is the first time in almost a year that I have been able to have a week off without the stress of trying to find a job. Goes without saying I was really excited for this trip, more so to have some time off work and recharge
This post is dedicated to the spectacular scenery of the French alps. I highly recommend getting a 3 valley pass if you go, as there are a tremendous amount of runs you can navigate down and the queues for the lift are minimal, at least when I went
A Big Thank-You to my good friends Tak and Michelle, for organising the trip, although battered and sore at the end of the trip, one of the highlights over here that’s for sure!
Lisbon, Portugal
Destination: Lisbon, Portugal
Other names: Lisboa
Known for: Peri Peri, Portuguese Tarts, drinking in the streets,
Food:
At the beginning of this trip, if someone were to mention Portuguese food, I would immediately think peri peri chicken and nandos. The ‘real’ Peri-Peri Chicken is perfectly cooked and not dry at all, the peri peri sauce is brushed onto the chicken and adds a nice heat kick. We were recommended Bonjardim by a friend and it did not disappoint.
The Portuguese tarts are highly recommended by the locals. From the way they described it I thought I had tried something similar back home (egg tarts you get at yum cha)). These “sugar bombs” are the perfect afternoon accompaniment with the strong (and I mean strong) local coffee.
Seafood is astoundingly affordable and for someone who is not big on seafood I found it delicious. We had booked a restaurant on a friend’s recommendation and also our friends we were with saw the restaurant on travel show. This restaurant serves the freshest seafood and to my knowledge is the only one with their signature dessert as a steak sandwich… that’s right the real surf n turf. Garlic prawns were amazing (I’m salivating as I write this).
Nightlife:
Two words Barrio Alto . The drinking district in Lisbon’s city centre. The norm in Lisbon at least, is to purchase your drinks from one of the many “hole on the wall” type bars and take into the streets and drink. Although it was raining for the two nights we went out there I could imagine the vibe on a summer’s/spring day. Most of the locals speak English quite well (the younger generation at least) and for some strange reason heard this song at least 14 times each night lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITzNPZPhT64
sadly the parties we attended were not like that in the video clip 😛
Attractions/History:
The Alfama district is the where the Portuguese locals and older generation hang out. Whilst I didn’t spend a whole lot of time it was described as an area of the city that still has ‘village’ feel to it, where everyone knows everyone and you can really feel how proud they are to live in the alfama district/ old town.
Fado tour:
A common performance which can be found at most bars within the al fama district is the traditional music known as fado. It involves two guitars, a traditional 12 string Portuguese guitar and regular 6 nylon string guitar. A singer will then takes to the stage and do their thang. The music can be described as emotional, slow or depressing but we were told it is about yearning for something, whether it be for home or for a loved one. It may not be for everyone, however I found it to be very entertaining as I am a fan of any kind of live music (bar death metal).
Portuguese empire – was the first global empire (thanks Wikipedia) for myself the architecture in Lisbon reminded me of some of the buildings in my hometown in Melaka, Malaysia as the Portuguese’s landed there in early 1500s. There is a monument in belem which celebrates the accomplishments to all the the Portuguese explorers and maps out over the centuries the regions which fell under their empire.
The area of Sintra is about an hour’s train ride away from Lisbon city centre, here you will find many historic castles and parks. Be prepared to walk, or wait hours for the one bus which services the many kilometres of road linking the various tourist attractions. We visited Pena national castle which is definitely a site to check out. The castle was inspired apparently by Disney type castles and the first thing you notice is how vibrant colours of the castle walls. The inside is furnished with the finest furniture and accessories for those times. There is even a dedicated ladies waiting room, where the monarch would hold his mistresses I’m assuming before having his way with them.
Apart from the lousy weather in which it rained 3 out of the 4 days we were there, Lisbon is a city which has something for everyone. From party goers to young families, its an affordable destination and one I want to come back too in the not too distant future (hopefully when the sun shines a little brighter! :P) I should also mention the hostels in Libson are world class, in fact 3 of the top 4 hostels in the world are in Lisbon so definitely consider staying in a hostel if you can! You are bound to meet some amazing people to share the city’s experiences with.
Lastly I want to say a big THANK YOU to Celine for basically planning my whole Lisbon trip with her fantastic recommendations! Getting local insight to a city always help!
Obridgado Lisboa!
Venice, Italy
Destination: Venice, Italy
Other names: Venezia, Queen of the Adriatic,City of Bridges
Notable people: Marco Polo (explorer), Antonio Vivaldi (muso)
Other known associations: Masks, Blinds lol
Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LAPFM3dgag (vivaldi)
Did you know that the city of Venice actually sits within a lagoon? It is made up of roughly 120 islands and to manage your way across the various pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is ‘Venezia’, you must navigate one the 400 odd bridges that be found within the city. Now while I come across as extremely worldly person :P, I must admit I have plagiarised these facts from our lovely tour guide on a recent trip to Venice.
Now I have seen many photos and paintings of Venice but it is a very surreal feeling to see the famous city of canals in real life. Visually, it is a city like no other….
The first thing, I noticed about Venice was how few venetians actually reside in the city. Whilst there are many rustic residential homes it feels like a ghost town (in winter at least). It feels like it a grown up “Disneyland” in that it is set up for tourists and is bustling by day, however at night all the locals go home to the nearby town of Mestre. Now this could be Combinations of factors including;
a) Time of year – Apparently in summer it is almost claustrophobic with the amount of people in the city.
b) The fact that it’s a pain in the bum to get home from a big night out as gondoliers only work during the day. The other alternative is a water taxi but no one wants to pay €100 to get home!
c) All those car lovers who refuse to live in a city where they cannot drive their luxurious European cars, as cars are banned.
d) The smell – some parts of Venice city have a very ‘funky’ smell that have you covering your nose and mouth almost immediately.
I found Venice to be a city rich in culture with opera and classical music performances being a major centre piece of the city’s entertainment offering. There are hundreds of little alleyways and shops where you can easily lose yourself. Venetians masks, Casanova hats, Quill pens are among the more popular venetian souvenirs that are sold all over the city.
The iconic gondolas can be seen moving effortlessly almost anywhere throughout the city. Although, I think it is a myth that all gondoliers sing opera, our gondolier instead whistled the Popeye theme song for our 40 min journey,( but was entertaining nonetheless). Rustic and beautiful baroque style churches are fairly common in the city landscape as well.
Most importantly Seafood and traditional Italian food is done so well it is easy to see why this city has been so popular with tourists for decades.
For the coffee lover, it is a well-known fact that Italians are the masters of coffee and the coffee here definitely did not disappoint. We were recommended café del doge by a friend (thanks Anne!) which served the perfect ‘wake-me-up’ cappuccino.
An interesting fact is that during the winter and autumn there is a phenomenon know as high tide where water levels rise and parts of the city begin to flood. To allow people to traverse the labyrinth of passage ways and bridges, planks are strategically placed those common routes tread by tourists.
My good deed this weekend was to piggy back a Singaporean aunty onto one of these planks because my shoes were fairly waterproof and she was stuck….I was also tricked into carrying my 80kg travel buddy as well…only to realise later had we turned the corner we could have easily access the planks. #sorebackfornothing (I’m new to the hashtagging thing so forgive me if it’s wrong!)
5 observations.
1. Seafood is amazingly fresh
2. Almost all the pasta is homemade – delicious
3. Even in winter gelato is still in demand!
4. Tap water is not drinkable
5. Venetian blinds are not commonly found in Venice!
A city like no other and one that would suit the hopeless romantic and curious traveler alike with its majestic buildings with hundreds of canals and bridges scattered throughout this stunning city.
JD
Belfast, Ireland
I recently took my first UK trip which landed me in Belfast, Northern Island. This was my first trip in 2013 and hopefully the start of a jammed packed year full of travel!
Having grown up with an Irish godmother I’ve always thought the Irish people to be the friendliest people in the world. From the moment we landed, the locals were more than happy to help and point us in the right direction. They did so with a big smile, a sing-a-long voice and a jig (okay so maybe the jig is a little embellished lol).
We hired a car and went on a road trip around northern Ireland. Below I’ve listed a few of the places we visited.
Mussenden Temple:
Built in 1785 as a Library, it sits atop a 120 ft cliff face with ocean views in the backdrop. There was sheep poo all around for some reason that day which made the walk there slightly harder than anticipated.
Dunluce Castle:
An impressive medieval castle perched atop another cliff with spectacular sea views. It was however extremely misty that day and visibility was not the greatest, but still worthwhile checking out.
The Giant’s Causeway:
A Unesco heritage listed site with 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed from volcanic eruptions which covers the Causeway Coast. A stunningly beautiful site and scenic walk to get to the causeway.
Carrick-a-Rede:
Unfortunately this bridge was closed and we were not able to cross, but this was my favourite place of the trip, the views really highlight the natural beauty and coastline of Northern Ireland.
Titanic Museum:
A very interactive museum about one of the greatest love stories ever known (Jack & Rose), and also something about a ginormous ship too.
Chinese New Year – Irish style:
What I didn’t realise was that this weekend also coincided with Chinese New Year. Having been described as a “banana” (yellow on the outside, white on the inside) and someone not in tune with their Chinese heritage, this was certainly not helping my case! We did manage to bring the new year with some lobster noodles at a surprisingly authentic Chinese restaurant in Belfast, so all was not lost.
The great thing about flying back from Belfast is that it is considered a “domestic” flight and therefore no immigration checks necessary Woohoo!
Belfast is an underrated destination which you can explore at your own pace and enjoy the natural beauty and history.
JD
The JD Chronicles 