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bountyofbeads · 5 years ago

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Hong Kong riot police, armed with pepper spray and batons, clash with protesters at airport

https://wapo.st/2P34EQO

Trump is silent on the pro-democracy protesters in both Hong Kong and in Moscow. As a *Beacon of Democracy", the silence of Trump is deafening. SHAME SHAME SHAME

White House delays some new China tariffs until Dec. 15

By Damian Paletta and Heather Long |

Published August 13 at 12:15 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 13, 2019 12:50 PM ET |

The White House on Tuesday said it would delay imposing tariffs on Chinese imports of cellphones, laptop computers, video game consoles, and certain types of footwear and clothing until Dec. 15, significantly later than the Sept. 1 deadline President Trump had repeatedly threatened.

The announcement, which came from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, ensures that Apple products and other major consumer goods would be shielded from the import tax until at least December, potentially keeping costs on these products down during the holiday shopping season.

The announcement moved stocks sharply higher. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed close to 500 points, or nearly 2 percent, on the news. The stock prices of Apple, Best Buy, Mattel and Macy’s were among those that rallied on the announcement.

Trump told reporters that he delayed the tariffs “just in case” they would have a negative impact on U.S. shoppers this holiday season.

“What we’ve done is we’ve delayed it so they won’t be relevant in the Christmas shopping season,” Trump said before boarding a flight to Pennsylvania.

His comments marked the most explicit admission he’s made so far that the tariffs could have raised costs for American consumers and businesses and had a negative impact on the economy.

A number of companies had petitioned to the White House to exempt items they import from the new tariffs, saying the costs would be either passed along to the consumer or threaten the solvency of individual firms.

USTR said the 10 percent tariff would still go into effect in September on some items, including many food products, gloves, coats and suits. But it said tariffs on other items would be waived completely “based on health, safety, national security and other factors.”

Trump, in a Twitter post and comments to reporters, suggested that the announcement was meant as an overture to Chinese officials.

“I’m not sure if it was the tariffs or the call, but the call was very productive,” Trump said, referring to a conversation this week between top Chinese and U.S. negotiators.

But he added a warning on Twitter that China needs to buy more from the United States, “As usual, China said they were going to be buying ‘big’ from our great American Farmers. So far they have not done what they said. Maybe this will be different!”

USTR provided a list of products that were exempted and would face the delayed tariff implementation date, which included highchairs, strollers, cell phones and many toys.

The announcement is the latest in a herky-jerky trade war between the White House and China. Trump has levied tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports, beginning last year, as he has tried to pressure Chinese leaders to change their trade practices. Chinese officials have negotiated but refused to agree to the terms Trump has demanded, leading to a prolonged standoff.

Trump has frequently threatened dramatic penalties, however, only to back away. His threat of imposing a 10 percent tariff on an additional $300 billion in Chinese imports starting next month spooked investors and many lawmakers, and it has led to a steady slide in the stock market in the past two weeks.

“These tariffs were Trump’s idea. Now his team is trying to clean this up,” said Steve Pavlick, a former Trump Treasury Department official who is now head of policy at Renaissance Macro Research. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you see this right before Christmas. They are trying to minimize the impact.”

Many businesses had worried that higher tariffs on consumer goods ahead of the Christmas shopping season could severely damage the economy at a time when some are warning that the risk of a recession next year has increased.

Trump has pressed China for months to change its trade practices, calling on it to change the way it subsidizes domestic companies, among other things. The White House has also accused China of stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies and forcing U.S. firms to transfer technology to Chinese firms.

But Trump’s demands in recent weeks have shifted, a sign of the political peril that the prolonged trade war has raised.

Trump had originally threatened to impose these new tariffs on $300 billion in consumer goods by early July, but at a June meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump agreed to hold off. At the meeting, held during the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Trump said the Chinese had agreed to dramatically increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, a nod to the U.S. farm industry that had become increasingly incensed about being caught in the middle of the trade war.

But Chinese officials never agreed to purchase the farm products Trump had promised, and this soon became clear to the U.S. agriculture industry.

Several weeks ago, U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew to Shanghai to meet with Chinese leaders about restarting trade negotiations. Those discussions went poorly, people briefed on the outcome said.

Trump had recently said that the Chinese seemed intent to wait until after the 2020 election before they would cut a deal with him, and he seemed content with that. But when he heard back from Mnuchin and Lighthizer about how poorly the trip had gone, he announced that he would move ahead with the 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese goods in September.

USTR’s announcement on Tuesday that it would delay the imposition of these tariffs on some of the most popular consumer goods was the first sign that Trump was backing down from this demand.

Still, the mid-December tariff deadline could raise fears among major retailers and importers about higher costs during a crucial window for revenue.

“It would be a whole lot easier if the tariffs started in January,” said Win Cramer, chief executive of JLab Audio, which makes wireless headphones and ear buds. “It would still be awful, but the fact of the matter is our holiday promotions, which are with every major retailer nationwide, are already designed and ready for print.”

Hong Kong riot police, armed with pepper spray and batons, clash with protesters at airport

By Gerry Shih and Timothy McLaughlin| Published August 13 at 11:49 AM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 13, 2019 12:52 PM ET |

HONG KONG — Riot police armed with pepper spray and batons clashed with protesters late Tuesday at Hong Kong’s airport, bringing violence to the doors of the key international hub while passengers remained stranded inside after many departing flights were canceled.

Anti-government protesters brought chaos to the airport for a second consecutive day Tuesday as demonstrators extended their standoff with authorities who have been unable to quell months of dissent. Protesters forced the cancellation of flights by cramming into terminals and refusing to let passengers through, sparking confrontations with travelers desperate to return home.

Later in the evening, a group of demonstrators also seized a man they suspected to be an undercover Chinese police officer, cable-tied his hands and refused to let him through a large crowd. The incident showed increasing brazenness on the part of demonstrators in confronting what they perceive as symbols of the Chinese state.

Police entered the airport to help the man, whom paramedics tried to remove on a stretcher. The presence of officers sparked chaos, as protesters spilled out of the airport and began attacking police vans with officers inside.

At one point, an officer was overrun and his baton taken by protesters, who beat him with it. The group retreated only after the officer appeared to pull his gun from its holster.

After mass cancellations Monday evening, flights had been gradually returning to normal throughout Tuesday, even as thousands of black-clad demonstrators returned to occupy parts of the airport, carrying placards denouncing police brutality and calling for freedom for Hong Kong.

But by late afternoon, with protesters using luggage carts as makeshift barricades and blocking passengers from reaching the departure gates, causing long lines, authorities said they were suspending check-in at both of the airport’s terminals.

Arguments erupted between frustrated passengers and protesters, with some stranded passengers crying and saying they just wanted to get home.

Pavol Cacara, a Slovakian machinery importer who faced off with protesters, said his flight to Istanbul was canceled once already.

“You cannot make freedom by taking freedom from others!” he bellowed, shaking with rage, at a mass of young demonstrators in black T-shirts. “This is what the Chinese want you to do, to make you lose support of the world. You are helping them!”

Tensions soared. As Cacara fumed, some protesters tried to calm him down and offered to help him find alternate flights while others pleaded with him to see Hong Kong’s plight. “You don’t die if you leave! We will die here!” called a voice in the rear.

After a 20-minute standoff, protesters parted to form a narrow channel to let a few passengers through. “Thank you for understanding. Please tell the world!” one yelled after Cacara.

A more disturbing scene began taking shape later in the day when a group of protesters surrounded a man they believed to be an undercover police officer from Shenzhen, the Chinese city across the border from Hong Kong. There was no confirmation of the man’s identity or profession, but the protesters did not let him move or leave for hours.

The man appeared to fall unconscious, but protesters refused to let paramedics through. When about half a dozen paramedics reached him, they struggled to move him through the crush of protesters that formed around them. Those closest to the melee held their phones aloft and tried to film the struggling man. Some protesters jeered and laughed at the man. Paramedics also pleaded with protesters to hand them water to give him as he sat motionless on the ground.

Protesters held a handmade sign over the man that read in English, “I am China’s police. I pretend to be protester,” as he struggled to remain conscious.

Earlier, some protesters chanted “return the eye” — a reference to an incident Sunday night when a young woman was shot in the eye, possibly by a bean bag round, during a clash between police and protesters. Senior officers said Tuesday they were unsure how the woman was injured but could not promise that she would not be charged with rioting.

Police said they were closely monitoring the situation at the airport, working with airport authorities, and would carefully consider the need to use force.

Confusion descended over the airport by evening as passengers tried to scale barricades of luggage carts and human walls formed by protesters, who tried to hold them off with outstretched arms.

Still, the confrontations stopped short of violence. Time and again, protesters scolded their peers when tempers flared. Chants of “Lang jing!” — Calm down! — rang through the departure hall when arguments threatened to boil over.

Roving teams of protesters handed snacks to stranded passengers and appealed for understanding as they distributed pamphlets detailing their case against police brutality. Others bowed repeatedly and said “sorry” without yielding their ground in the face of angry passengers.

“Sorry for inconvenience. We have no choice,” said a sign held in front of a barricade blocking departures.

Other passengers took a more sympathetic view.

Krishna Hariharan, a 27-year-old IT engineer from Chennai, India, said his five-day holiday in Hong Kong was already extended to seven days because of canceled flights. His boss was not pleased, and he had to sleep in the terminal because he was running out of money, he said.

But he praised a group of protesters who had come over to apologize and give him bottled water and biscuits.

“I can’t blame anyone,” Hariharan said. “They are seeking justice, and it just happens that our fates are intertwined like this. If the government comes down hard on them — then what are they governing for?”

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s leader, said the city risked being “pushed into an abyss” and warned that it could be “smashed to pieces.”

“The stability and well-being of 7 million people are in jeopardy,” Lam said.

As the summer of unrest rolls on, the situation is becoming increasingly tense. Statements from Chinese government officials and state media have grown steadily more shrill, accusing protesters of “terrorism” and warning of an impending crackdown in the semiautonomous financial center.

The political crisis, triggered by now-suspended plans to allow extraditions to mainland China, has swollen as Hong Kongers demand the bill’s full withdrawal, an independent inquiry into police actions toward protesters, greater democracy and an amnesty for those arrested in clashes between demonstrators and police.

The upheaval has come at a politically sensitive time for Chinese leader Xi Jinping, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which the ruling Communist Party plans to mark with a military parade in October.

Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific, which has drawn the ire of Beijing after some of its staff recently joined protests, said Tuesday that a second pilot from the airline has been suspended. The pilot, a second officer working on a flight Tuesday from Manchester to Hong Kong, was suspended for “misuse of company information in violation of the company’s internal code of conduct,” the company said in a statement. It added that internal disciplinary proceedings were underway.

On Saturday, Hong Kong’s flagship airline said it had suspended a pilot who was arrested during earlier protests.

International calls grew, meanwhile, for authorities in Hong Kong and China to dial back tensions in the city.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged authorities to immediately investigate police use of force in their recent crackdown on protesters. Her spokesman said there was “credible evidence” to suggest that Hong Kong law enforcement officials had used less-than-lethal force in ways that are “prohibited by international norms and standards.”

Chris Patten, the last British governor of colonial Hong Kong before the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, warned that a Chinese intervention would be a “catastrophe” for both Hong Kong and China.

Speaking to BBC radio, he urged Lam and Xi to find a way to bring people together.

“There is a degree of frustration and anger at the government refusing to give any sensible ground at all, which probably provokes more violence,” Patten said.

Anna Kam in Hong Kong and Shibani Mahtani in Cadiz City, Philippines, contributed to this report.

Protesters shut down Hong Kong airport as China warns of ‘terrorism,’ raising fears of military crackdown

By Timothy McLaughlin and Anna Kam |

Published August 12 at 12:34 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 13, 2019 1:18 PM ET |

HONG KONG — Thousands of protesters shut down Hong Kong’s international airport Monday, defying an intensifying police crackdown, as China issued ominous warnings that described the protests as “terrorism” and began massing a paramilitary force in a southern border city.

Fears have been mounting that Beijing — squeezed by a trade dispute with the United States and approaching a nationwide celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China — will soon resort to military action to quell the pro-democracy protests in the semiautonomous territory. Chinese officials and state news media actively stoked those fears Monday.

“The radical demonstrators in Hong Kong have repeatedly attacked police with extremely dangerous tools in recent days, which constitutes a serious violent crime, and now they are descending into terrorism,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office in Beijing. It was the first time the office had portrayed the protests in Hong Kong as “terrorism.”

“We should relentlessly crack down on such violent criminal acts without mercy, and we firmly support Hong Kong police and judicial authorities in bringing the criminals to justice as soon as possible,” Yang told reporters from state and Hong Kong media.

The nationalist Global Times tabloid tweeted a video showing Chinese armored personnel carriers heading toward the southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, ahead of what the paper called “large-scale exercises” by the People’s Armed Police, a paramilitary unit. “The tasks and missions of the Armed Police include participating in dealing with rebellions, riots, serious violent and illegal incidents, terrorist attacks and other social security incidents,” the newspaper elaborated in an accompanying story.

And China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, issued a commentary Monday night headlined “Alert! There are signs of terrorism on the streets of Hong Kong,”in which it warned: “No country can accept terrorist acts in its own country … Hong Kong has reached an important juncture. ‘End violence and restore order’ is the most important, urgent and overriding task of Hong Kong at present!”

Earlier, the Chinese government department responsible for Hong Kong held its third news conference in three weeks — it previously had not held a briefing in the 22 years since Britain returned the territory to the mainland.

Some of the protesters who had been occupying the airport’s arrivals hall swarmed into the departures area Monday, prompting authorities to cancel all flights and advise travelers to leave one of the world’s busiest hubs. Airport operations resumed Tuesday morning, though there were some delays and cancellations stemming from the previous night’s disruption.

Monday’s protest came in response to a sharp increase in the level of force employed by Hong Kong’s embattled police. Hours before the airport shutdown, two police officers elsewhere in the city pinned a black-clad demonstrator to the concrete, one officer’s knee pressing the young man’s face into a pool of his own blood.

“I’ve already been arrested,” the man yelled as he cried for help. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you.”

The scene, captured Sunday night by a cameraman from the Hong Kong Free Press, was jarring even in a city now accustomed to weekends awash with tear gas. It unleashed a fresh wave of anger toward Hong Kong’s police force and the government more broadly, spurring thousands of demonstrators to respond by occupying the airport.

At the airport Monday, officials had halted all departures by late afternoon, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.

Hong Kong’s airport authority said all flights were suspended Monday at about 3:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. Eastern time).

After sitting in the arrivals hall for much of the day, many protesters began leaving the airport in the evening amid rumors on social media and messaging apps that police were preparing for a large clearance operation. The protesters, many dressed in black, streamed across the roads around the airport, bringing traffic to a near-standstill. Some travelers abandoned buses and taxis and wheeled bags through the traffic. Many said they were headed to a nearby bus station.

On Sunday night, Hong Kong police intensified their crackdown with new and more aggressive tactics after more than two months of sustained protests and more than 600 arrests.

Officers disguised themselves as protesters to arrest suspects, launched tear gas inside a subway station and fired on protesters at close range with less-than-lethal ammunition. One young woman was shot in the face with what appeared to be a bean bag round, severely injuring her eye. Police said Monday that the videos and photos had to be verified and that they could not confirm “the reasoning behind this lady’s injury.”

But the incident provided the latest rallying point for protesters.

“The police have had enough, to be honest. They feel like they have been bullied for two months now, and they knew themselves more than capable to use real force and tactics to control the situation,” said Clement Lai, a former police superintendent who now runs his own security firm.

“If the order was given that they need to escalate their action and their force, these guys are more than happy to do that.”

Mel, 40, who took part in the airport demonstrations and carried a sign with pictures of bloodied protesters, said she wanted “to show the world that what we are looking for is freedom.”

She said she was angry about the “dirty methods” police used Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Mel, who gave only her first name, added that a decision was made among many protesters to leave early Monday evening because of fears that police would forcibly clear the airport.

The police actions appear to be part of broader efforts by the Hong Kong government, with the support of officials in Beijing, to end the political crisis, through an approach that includes ramping up pressure on businesses, leveling heavy charges against arrested protesters and using state-controlled media to pump out increasingly shrill, conspiratorial claims about who is organizing the demonstrations.

“After a period of several weeks of uncertainty as to who was coordinating the government response, last week saw the rollout of Beijing’s multipronged, comprehensive strategy to deal with the protests,” said Sebastian Veg, a historian of China and a professor at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences in Paris. “It consists in uniting all forces with whom common ground can be found to isolate and defeat the enemy.”

He added, “The aim is to turn public opinion against the protests by drastically raising the cost of participation.”

The new police tactics came after former deputy police commissioner Alan Lau was called out of retirement last week to help the embattled force.

Lai credited the new approach, in part, to Lau’s return. “He is coming back with a mission,” the former superintendent said.

Hospital officials said that 45 people were injured in weekend protests and that 25 remained hospitalized. Two were in serious condition.

One police officer who has worked on the front lines over the past month said officers’ new ploy of disguising themselves as protesters — wearing masks, yellow hard hats and black civilian clothes — was a deliberate tactic from the police Special Duties Unit, nicknamed the “Flying Tigers,” to sow mistrust among protesters.

This is a tactic they will continue to use, the officer said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Police on Monday also displayed trucks mounted with water cannons that they could deploy to disperse crowds.

One 22-year-old protester who has been on the front line for weeks admitted that the more aggressive moves by police had caught some demonstrators off guard and yielded results.

“It was quite effective for them; they are changing their strategy,” he said. “We know now the police have no limits. They will not follow the rules and the law.”

The government, in what has become a weekly ritual, condemned protesters Monday and said a police officer was injured after being hit with a firebomb tossed by a demonstrator.

Protests began earlier this year over the government’s attempts to push through a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China. The legislation, which numerous critics said would be a severe blow to Hong Kong’s autonomy, was suspended by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam in June.

Lam, however, has refused to fully withdraw the measure. She has issued apologies as well as condemnation, none of which have quelled the crisis. Most recently, she has pivoted to focus on how the unrest is damaging Hong Kong’s economy.

Protesters have offered a list of five demands that has shifted slightly in recent weeks. Much of the focus is now on the creation of an independent commission to investigate the handling of the bill and the subsequent fallout.

An inquiry has drawn wide support, with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, law groups and civil-society organizations backing its creation, but the government continues to resist such calls. Lam has said she thinks an in-house investigation by police of their actions is sufficient and has not addressed the other demands.

The front-line protester said the new police strategy would only harden those who have already dedicated themselves to the fight.

“You can see our equipment — shields, helmets — is for defense, not for offense,” he said. “From now on, I think that will change. Some types of weapons will be used. We are standing there and getting beat by them.”

Anna Fifield, Shibani Mahtani and Tiffany Liang contributed to this report.

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rapsody123me-blog · 6 years ago

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#Travel

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dknuth · 2 years ago

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Istanbul Airport

I transferred at the Istanbul airport last night. Since we were last they’ve opened a new terminal which is really massive and amazing, especially in comparison to the International Terminal at O’Hare.

At O’Hare there was one dining spot for gates 10 - 40! That was Tortas Frontera, a good place, but with a small seating area. But better than their Terminal 1 spot. Everything else was back at gate 1.

But Tortas closes at 9 PM. In an international terminal where flights leave at all hours that’s a bit of a problem. Even more so, the carry-out line and the dining areas were closed by 8 PM. So there was one line for both carry-out and to get a space at the small bar, and a long line.

At the same time around the gates the seating is over full and people camped all over the floor.

Here in Istanbul the international terminal is huge with hundreds of shops and restaurants and cafés with ample seating, all of them still open at midnight when I left.

The impression is that the O’Hare international terminal is more like an airport like Madison than to a truly international airport like Istanbul.

#istanbul airport

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rozisblogbinder · 2 years ago

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Lisbon in Four Days

If you’re here, you probably are looking for my Lisbon recommendations. Lucky for you, I’m stuck on the airplane with no sleep, no downloaded podcast, or a book, so I’ve decided to write it all up.

Highlights:

- Sintra’s Quinta de Regaleira park. National park that used to belong to royalty. Gorgeous gardens - straight out of a fairytale. 1-hour car ride from Lisbon.

- Lisbon Botanical Gardens - not large or special, I just loved the different trees and the huge monestera deliciosas.

- Tuktuk rides 😅 such a fun way to see the city.

- Timeout Market for food.

- Palace Fronteira for sociocultural history.

- Buying tickets online to skip lines.

Here’s our itinerary + my review:

Arrival day!

- Airport transfer is really easy with taxis outside, about 18-20 EUR to city center (I gave cash).

- We stayed at the Bairro Alto neighborhood. Central and safe, it has great public transit access and surely is walkable, along with lots of cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops.

- For an early welcome dinner, we went to the TimeOut Market down the hill, near the water. It’s a large food court style gourmet local + global food market. We got a delicious & cold rose wine to share for just 14 EUR with our meals.

- We then went out in the Bairro Alto neighborhood. It was fun to see locals heading to bars and having a good time, along with tourists.

Day 1: Lisbon by Tuktuk!

- We took a tuktuk tour which is super common and fun, as you go up and down the hills of the city. Our guide wasn’t originally a tour guide but a therapist. It would have been superb if we had a qualified guide as well.

- The tour stopped at a 12th century church, a Roman theater, the Alfama neighborhood (of crypto Jews), and took us to a few more central historical squares.

- Lunch was at A Muralha Tapas e Vinhos https://goo.gl/maps/jCVSXT9FQDqUVuWa8 in the Alfama neighborhood, at the recommendation of our tuktuk guide. Small restaurant with good food, and nice staff. Tasted the local sardines. While it has a different method of cooking and I want a fan, it’s the thing to try!

- We then went over to Monsantos Open Air for live music and chill food. The garden on Saturday nights is apparently the place to be for local 20-30 somethings but we did get down with some Gloria Gaynor and gladly added tourists and the older generations to the demographic. It was sort of a DJ / karaoke setup with a great front singer. Don’t get lounge seats - too close to the speakers. Do get tickets in advance. Dancing, drinks, burgers/ nachos. Restaurant has entrance to the 11pm club for which we did not take part :)

Day 2: Make-Your-Own Lisbon Cultural Tour!

- We first visited the Jeronimos Monestary. It’s been around since the 15th century and its stone structure survived the 1755 Lisbon earthquake that destroyed most of the city. The church is also worth a quick visit.

- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (pictured above) was our next stop, endowed by its namesake who was originally from Uskudar, Istanbul. Both the permanent and temporary exhibitions had some interesting pieces. The curation didn’t seem to have a common thread but it was still pretty interesting, eclectic, and global. Its garden was also lovely, framing views from inside the museum’s windows.

- For dinner, we went back for seconds at the Timeout Market. Worth it! Had the best fish & chips I’ve ever had, along with more delicious gelato.

Day 3: Sintra Day!

We drove out to Sintra with a private tour, and unfortunately our guide didn’t know much aside from logistical details. We were still able to read up and make the most out of the day!

- First stop: Quinta da Regaleira. This is a national park with a small guest palace and gorgeous gardens. A masonic well with stairs is worth seeing, though walking up and down its hills and towers is already amazing. It was straight out of a movie scene.

- On our “break,” we decided to go to Palacio National in the Sintra city center. Recommended - beautiful rooms, lots of great views of Sintra, along with Portuguese tiles with Moorish influence everywhere.

- For lunch we had a delicious and affordable three-course meal at Incomum by Luis Santo.

- Next, we went to royal Disneyland, and by that, I mean, Pena Palace (pictured above). Though it was packed, the palace and its colors along with architecture reminded me of Disneyland.

If I went again, I’d also try to fit in the Moorish Castle up the hill, and go with a qualified guide!

Day 4: Culinary & Cultural Lisbon Day

This was another free day, and not beach weather, so we found other activities.

- We started the day with a tour of the Palace Fronteira de Marquisse. A private home opened up as a foundation and a cultural center by its most recent heirs, it surely has an interesting garden, great private tours in the home, and lots of between-the-lines art that tell the sociocultural stories of Lisbon starting from the 17th century.

- We headed over to a Michelin-star hip lunch spot, Tapisco, back in the city. Absolutely delicious culinary experience.

- Down the street, we found the Botanical Gardens of Lisbon, a small and fun park with lots of different species of trees, small lakes, and educational areas. Some activities that curious little ones, like my nephews, would surely enjoy.

- For our final dinner, we went to a surf & turf style restaurant, Solar Dos Presuntos, in a nearby neighborhood. Delicious rice with seafood, good fish, and great dessert. I heard the meat is good too but I can’t speak to that :)

- On our way back, we found the memorial stone for our ancestors who were exiled from Spain and Portugal. Not much to see there but it was meaningful to us.

Pictured: Jeronimos Monastery which survived the 1755 earthquake to this day.

And that’s it! We’re about to land and this blog post has saved the last hour of this flight!

Enjoy! Bom dia 😊

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ashbyshaw48-blog · 6 years ago

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Personal Tourist Guide And Driver.

Paris Chauffeur Guide offers the best experience to find beautiful monuments, museums and sights in Paris and France. We also utilize Licensed English Speaking Guides at significant monuments and museums throughout Italy, to enrich your cultural experience and optimize your time in our lovely nation. Our company believe that our professional driver service guarantees our consumers' peace of mind, security and trust. Such a special event deserves a really unique wedding automobile service. A Mr. Angelo from Warner Discoloration Glass Company called today to compliment not only his chauffeur Olim, which he would like as his favored motorist because he is the very best driver" but Aurora because he said he has actually never ever been dealt with nicer and more professional then he has actually been with Aurora. The tour includes 2-hour directed tour of Pompeii with an expert certified guide.

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istanbulairport15 · 3 years ago

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Airport Transfer

London Airport Transfer is now going to be more fun from the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. The latest addition to Heathrow Airport is ready for 21st Century travel available for air passenger transport from 27th March 2008.

This is the UK's brand-new flagship airport transfer terminal built for 21st Century travel. Opened by the Her Majesty The Queen a few days ago, terminal 5 is available for air passenger transport since 27th March 2008.

This terminal is being used solely by British Airways from June 2008 as they will move out of terminal 1 and 4 completely (after they have streamlined their current baggage handling hiccups). This will mean that all of BA customers will be able to enjoy super fast track check-in and security clearance and be able to board their flight within minutes instead of hours in the Summer.

Also applicable to incoming BA flight passengers is the great speed of exiting the terminal after landing with your baggage. You should be able to exit the terminal within 15 minutes of landin at Terminal 5 with express customs clearance.

At terminal 5 the planes actually allow the passengers to disembark right by the terminal instead of hundreds of yards away. In addition the automation and staff set up will mean fast track clearance of all incoming travelers into terminal 5. Know more here Fast track istanbul airport

If you need a London Airport transfer we strongly recommend that you book your car or minibus before you arrive at the airport, as the airport taxis will charge you a fortune for excess luggage if you have any. If you prebook the car or minibus service and select the correct vehicle, then you will not be surprised with a large additional cost if you have too much luggage for a black taxi to cope with!

For your transport requirements in London, you have a large range of vehicles to choose from such as top of the range 3/4 seat Mercedes sedans, 8 seat stretch limos, 16 seat minibus and super long body Navigator Limousines, 34 seat coaches and also 53 seat coaches as well.

Choose a company to place your order with that has been around for several years thus ensuring a reliable service from the drivers and management of the transport firm.

You may depart from all London airports and UK cruise ports for single and group travel for private or business purposes. When you pick an estblished hire company, they will also be able to assist you with you tours in London and the rest of the UK.

How about a sightseeing tour in one or more of the following great places: London Central, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace, Whitehall, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, British museum, London Eye, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Greenwich, Windsor, Eton, Runnymede, Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick Castle, Cotswolds, Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Dover, Leeds Castle, Canterbury or Cambridge.

Extremely popular with American Visitors are the ship cruises leaving regularly from Dover, Harwich and Southampton going to many continents all over the world. It shows the modern attitude to world travel that this sector of the market is growing very nicely and the fact that more people can afford it.

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wanderingfadz · 7 years ago

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I was in Istanbul for two days which does not give justice to this historical city. It was just enough to visit the main attractions. This is my itinerary of the places that I went and visited during my short visit assuming that it is also your first time there.

I landed at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport (IST) at around 6pm on a Saturday. The immigration queue was very short as it was not busy which mean the free airport wifi also worked. After immigration, I proceeded to the basement floor to catch the metro heading to the city centre.

The Istanbulkart costs TL6 with each trip costing around TL2-3 and can be bought from convenience shops or ticket vending machines. The approximately 35 minute trip to my hostel in Sultanahmet involved a transfer from the metro to the tram line making the total trip costing around TL6.

One thing you’ll notice is the amount of mosques with their minarets piercing through the city skyline. After checking in, I walked around the Sultanahmet area dominated by 3 mosques namely the Hagia Sophia/Aya Sophia, Sultanahmet/Blue Mosque and Firuz Aga mosque ( a smaller mosque just next to the Sultanahmet tram stop). Be captivated by the adzan or call for prayers from these mosques as well as the other numerous mosques in the vicinity. It is an experience that will be hard to miss.

Because it was already night time and all the attractions were closed, I just walked along the main road called Divan Yolu. The tram line follows along this road. Shops and restaurants line both sides of this road and is one of the main tourist areas of the city hence the prices are more expensive. Following a westerly direction, the next station after Sultanahmet is Çemberlitas and then Beyazit. This tram stop is where the name of the road changes to Yeniçeriler Caddesi as well as where you stop to visit the Grand Bazaar. You can also walk around 10-15 minutes to get here from Sultanahmet.

Because I was only there for 2 days, I had to plan carefully so that I can visit the places that I wanted to go. Bear in mind the museums have closing days usually on Monday or Tuesdays. My first full day was the next morning which was a Sunday.

TOPKAPI PALACE

First stop the next morning was Topkapi Palace at the entrance next to the Hagia Sophia and Carpet Museum. It’s closed on Tuesdays. The first gate with guards is just for security checks. After passing through security, you will see a big park with Hagia Irene to the right. You will need to walk in a bit more to buy tickets.

The queues were not as bad as I thought it would be maybe because it mid May and not the peak tourist season yet. Ticket counters open at 9am and I was there at 8.30. So I just queued while enjoying the park view with its red roses and cool spring morning air. The walls of the palace were stacks of old stones around 4 -5 metres high.

There were a lot of renovation and repairs work when I was there. Similarly in Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I bought the Istanbul Museum Pass card for TL125. It’s valid for 5 days but you can not enter the same museum twice even on a different day.Individual access to Topkapi Palace was TL40 and an extra TL25 for the harem. with the card, both were included.

Fearing a long queue, I started my visit at the Harem but there was no queue. Inside the harem ( and other rooms/buildings inside the palace) , there were a lot of Arabic writings on the marble walls which were also decorated with flower motifs. The doors in the harem were of wooden panel doors.

I particularly liked the Queen mothers apartments and the best I think was the Imperial Hall. The hall had a blue and red theme with couches for the sultan to sit in the middle of the hall. The background Turkish music played in the background when you are in this hall helps to bring you back in time. I am in no way an expert in art but it was beautiful and there are descriptions about the building structures, its’ functions as well as the materials used for construction that you read from the information panels.

Topkapi Palace

Outside the harem, there are various parks and buildings that you can visit such as the Royal Kitchen, Audience Hall, Armoury Museum and Imperial Council Hall. There’s also some points you can go to see the views across the Bosphorus Straits.

For those interested in Islamic history, there’s the Privy Chamber – The Sacred Trusts Section containing among others ancient swords as well as various exhibits from the Kaaba in Mecca such as a Kaaba key from the 15th Century and Hajar Aswad.

There’s also information regarding Islam history and the prophets. As I approached the exit, I can hear the Koran recitation which I thought was a recording but it was actually a real person reading it from a small desk at the corner of one of the exhibits. All in all, I spent around 3 hours to finish visiting the palace. When I exited at 12 pm, there was a queue of around 100 metres for tickets.

Next, I went to Hagia Irene which is located within the compound and included in museum pass or else it will cost an extra TL20 (also closed on Tuesdays) . I don’t think it’s worth the extra fee and if it was not included in the museum pass, I wouldn’t have entered. I spent 10 minutes inside the old church which unlike Hagia Sophia, was not converted into a mosque.

Exiting Topkapi Palace from the same gate that I entered from, the next place I visited was the Tomb of Sultans which is located within Hagia Sophia but entered from a separate entrance. It is free to visit and you need to take off you shoes when you enter each building with the tombs.

HAGIA SOPHIA / AYASOFYA MUSEUM

The queue was around 100 metres at 1pm on Sunday. Do make sure that if you have a museum card, you have a look at the front of the line to see if you are actually in the queue to go through security and not in the queue to buy tickets. Hagia Sophia is included in the museum card or else it’s TL40 to enter. Closed on Mondays.

I have always wanted visit this place. It used to be a church which was then converted to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and now it is a museum. However the night before, I saw a small mosque that was still in use next to the building and can be entered from a door located close to the entrance of Topkapi Palace and Carpet Museum.

While I walked around the insides of Hagia Sophia, I overheard tourist guides explaining the structure of the building. Some parts of the walls near the roof above are black because back in olden days they needed to burn candles and the smoke rose up the building which made the walls turn dark.

Also, the Kiblat which is in the direction Mecca is slightly off by around 1 metre to the right of the altar ( as explained earlier it used to be a church ) . Instead of destroying the structure to realign it, they set up the mihrab ( indicating the direction of Kiblat/ Mecca) a bit to the right. Hence, you will see that the mihrab and the windows are not aligned and it is set up a bit to the right of the windows . On top of the mihrab is where you will see the picture of Virgin Mary.

You can get a view from above by going up the stairs where there will be more paintings/mosaics from the days when the building was still a church. Before you exit, there’s a wishing column where if you can manage to twist your thumb in a hole in the column, it is said your dreams will come through. My visit was around 1 hour and there are some repair works inside so I didn’t get the whole view like the ones you see in the tourist brochures.

View from the upper floor

The mihrab is not aligned with the windows and is slightly to the right with the image of Virgin Mary above

ARCHAELOGICAL MUSEUM

After that, I went to the Archaeological Museum next to Topkapi Museum ( TL 20 or included in the museum card ) . You can also go here before Hagia Sophia but I decided Hagia Sophia was more important. I was right. I have little interest in looking at ancient ruins and artefacts or the mummification process. I still spent an hour there though. There were renovation works at the main building.

MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ART

At around 4.30 pm on the way to the museum, I stopped by Sultan Ahmed’s Tomb located a 2 minutes walk away since it was closing at 5 pm. The museum of Turkish and Islamic Art is open everyday 9 am to 7pm during summer time. It’s across the park close to the Sultanahmet/Blue Mosque. Not sure how much it costs to enter but it’s also included in the museum card. I also did not find it particularly interesting apart from some of the exhibits such as the Kaaba door covers. I spent around 45 minutes here.

ARASTA BAZAAR

After visiting the Turkish and Islamic Arts museum, I decided to walk around the nearby Sultanahmet park. Behind the mosque, there’s a bazaar selling Turkish arts and some restaurants/cafes called Arasta Bazaar. The buildings are colourful and worth passing through if you happen to be in the area. Maybe it used to be a residential area because some of the buildings nearby the bazaar looked really old.

An old building behind Sultanahmet Mosque on my way to Arasta Bazaar

WHIRLING DERVISHES

Before exiting Topkapi Palaces earlier, there were people distributing leaflets about Whirling Dervishes at Marmaray Sirkeci Train Station. It was reasonably priced ( for tourists coming from countries with weak currencies like me ). It costs TL50 or TL40 for students and included free tea which were given before the start of the performance ( I’ve seen the prices for other Whirling Dervish performances going as much as 40 Euros per person). It starts at 7.30 pm so I had to go buy my tickets because it was on a first come first served basis. I took the tram to Sirkeci station and the train station is just across the road.

Music players and singers

Whirling Derwishes

It starts with 4 people playing music instruments and singing followed by another 4 people coming in and whirling their way around the centre of the room. It was an interesting experience but the millennial in me found it hard to not record the event which did take some of the fascination and mystique away. Same when I see other guests moving to other parts of the room to get the right angle for a shot. I did not want to look rude since it was still a religious ceremony. So a compromise was that I recorded on and off and not the whole performance. The show lasted around 50 minutes. Information about the show was detailed in the brochure.

That’s the end of day one.

SULTANAHMET / BLUE MOSQUE

Because i was staying in the area, I started my second day visiting the mosque. You need to take off and bring your shoes with you. Plastic bags to put your shoes are provided. There was no queue when I went there around 10am. I spent around 30 minutes inside. There’s also an Islamic Information inside the mosque which is opened to everyone to drop in but it is only manned at certain times. Before you leave, you have an option of giving a donation for the maintenance of the mosque after which you will be provided with a receipt.

GRAND BAZAAR

Going to the grand bazaar is like walking through the Ottaman times. The building itself is from the 1461. Next to the main grand bazaar is a maze of small alleyways and old buildings selling various goods and merchandise. All around and inside the grand bazaar you can hear people calling for customers, workers transporting goods and people sending tea and food to their customers. It seems like there’s a theme inside the bazaar with some sections selling gold and silver, some selling arts and clothing etc. The interior of the building had beautiful paintings some of them having faded with time and barely visible.

Grand Bazaar Entrance

EMINONU / SPICE BAZAAR

After the Grand Bazaar, I went down to Sirkeci Station in Eminonu to explore the area. Eminonu contains a lot of buildings with Victorian designs. It has a European vibe with exception being there are numerous amounts of mosques around the area such as the Suleymeniye and Rustem Pasa Mosque. Similarly with the Sultanahmet area, it is quite breathtaking to hear the call for prayers as you walk the streets in this area.

There’s a big square located across the road from the ferry piers. It’s also where the spice market is located. As with the Grand Bazaar, the place was an assault to the senses. It is busy with people calling for out for customers and was very crowded. The air smelled of spices, soaps and perfumes. Other things sold around the market include arts, seafood and Turkish sweets/desserts.

BOSPHORUS CRUISE

Also nearby Sirkeci is the Eminonu pier where various boat and ferry services departs. I took the Bosphorus Boat Cruise from Turyol Company which costs TL15 , lasting 1.5 hours and departed almost every hour ( at least that’s what is put up on the ticketing window ). If you want the view of the city, you should sit on the left side of the boat ( i.e the right side of the boat when you enter from the pier ). Board early if you want to get a good seat. Someone will walk around selling drinks if you need it.

The boat cruises across from Eminonu to Karakoy which is still the European side of the city. It is the part that is most visible from the pier. I made the mistake of thinking that Karakoy was the Asian side. The Asian side is the landmass that’s further away in the distance across the sea.

The cruise continues north along the coast before it starts turning underneath a big bridge ( Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge ). That bridge crosses to the Asian side. Once the boat has turned, it will now cruise along the coast of the Asian side before coming back to Eminonu.

Turyol Ticketing Office

European side on the left and the Asian side on the right linked by a bridge

View from the boat

TAKSIM SQUARE / ISTIKLAL ROAD

After the boat cruise, I took the tram from Sirkeci to Kabatas (last stop of the line) then change to another funicular service to Taksim Square. Nearby the square, Istiklal pedestrian shopping street begins. Left and right of the road are various international brands selling clothings and food just like any other shopping streets you can find in Europe. The road is quite long and I did not have that much time to explore everything. There’s also a church along the road ( St Anthony’s Church ).

Taksim Square

Istiklal Pedestrian Shopping Street

St Anthony’s Church

That’s the end of my 2 day stay in Istanbul.

Recapping the places I went to in the two days :

Day 1

Topkapi Palace ( closed on Tuesdays )

Hagia Sophia ( closed on Mondays )

Archaeological Museum

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art

Whirling Dervishes at Marmaray Sirkeci Train Station

Day 2

Sultanahmet Mosque

Grand Bazaar

Sirkeci / Spice Bazaar

Bosphorus Cruise

Taksim Square / Istiklal Pedestrian Shopping Street

PRACTICAL STUFF

Weatherwise it was cool and not too hot during the day when I was there ( between 14-24C )

If you’re staying in the Sultanahmet/Çemberlitas area, I stumbled on a small supermarket near Çemberlitas tram station. Exit the tram station via the turnstile that’s towards Sultanahmet then turn right into Peykhane Sokagi. Walk around 150m it’s on the right side of the road.

Another small supermarket called “Greens” along Kazim Ismail and Nur-u Osmaniye road. There are a lot of convenience stores that sell similar stuff but maybe a bit more expensive e.g 1.5L water for TL 2 instead of just TL 1 -1.25 at supermarkets.

I got my local simcard direct from Vodafone at their shop close to Beziyet/Grand Bazaar tram station. It was TL130 which included 12 gb of data, 1000 minutes local calls and 30 minutes local calls. That was the only package they had. I was expecting to stay in Turkey longer hence why I took the bigger package. I’m sure you can get cheaper maybe from other operatos such as Turkcell. I couldn’t find any Turkcell shops that were opened ( not the agents that sell Turkcell products ). I only saw a lot of Turkcell shops in Sirkeci and Istiklal Road. So head there if you want to get one.

As for the Museum Pass, if you just want to visit Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia then it’s better to just buy separate tickets as it would only cost TL105. The only drawback is the need to queue for to buy tickets.

However, if you visit an additional one or two more museums, then it’s better to get one. I managed to just barely the cost of mine though since I did not enjoy the two other museums (Archaeological as well as Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum), I should’ve just bought two separate tickets for Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia.

EXPENSES

Istanbul Kart for transportation = TL6

Istanbul Kart top up = TL24

Istanbul Museum Card ( valid for 5 days )= 125

Whirling Dervish =TL 40 (student) ( or full price TL50 )

Vodafone Simcard = TL 130

Drinking water (1.5L) ranged from TL0.99 to TL2 = TL7.50

Food (mostly fast food, some pastries, doner) = 23

Other expenses ( such as souvenirs, juices, blue mosque donation) = TL14

TOTAL = TL370

Two Days In Istanbul I was in Istanbul for two days which does not give justice to this historical city. It was just enough to visit the main attractions.

#2018 #cost #europe #hagia sophia #istanbul #itinerary #topkapi palace #turkey #wanderingfadz

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greenbagjosh · 4 years ago

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Feb 2006 Days 1 and 2 THY to Istanbul TR

EN Hi everyone, today we are going to Southeast Europe! We will fly first from DFW to JFK by American Airlines, then fly to Istanbul Atatürk Airport, and take an airport transfer to the hotel in the Sultanahment district. We will take the tram to Eminönü and Karaköy, funicular to Tünel Beyoglu and a nostalgic tram to Taksim square. Then we take the metro one stop to Osmanbey to see a Mehter military band performance, return to Sultanahmet for a genuine Döner Kebab dinner and then plan for the next day(s).

TR Herkese merhaba, bugün Güneydoğu Avrupa'ya gidiyoruz! Önce American Airlines ile DFW'den JFK'ye, ardından İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı'na uçup Sultanahment semtindeki otele havalimanı transferi yapacağız. Tramvayı Eminönü ve Karaköy'e, füniküler Tünel Beyoğlu'na ve nostaljik tramvayı Taksim meydanına götüreceğiz. Daha sonra bir Mehter askeri bandosunun performansını görmek için metroyla Osmanbey'e bir durak gidiyoruz, hakiki bir Döner Kebap yemeği için Sultanahmet'e dönüyor ve ertesi gün (ler) i planlıyoruz.

BG Здравейте всички, днес отиваме в Югоизточна Европа! Първо ще летим от DFW до JFK от American Airlines, след това ще летим до летище Ататюрк в Истанбул и ще вземем летищен трансфер до хотела в квартал Султанахмент. Ще вземем трамвая до Eminönü и Karaköy, фуникулер до Tünel Beyoglu и носталгичен трамвай до площад Taksim. След това се отправяме на метрото до Османбей, за да видим представление на военната група на Mehter, връщаме се в Султанахмет за истинска вечеря на Döner Kebab и след това планираме следващия ден (дни).

RO Bună tuturor, astăzi mergem în sud-estul Europei! Vom zbura mai întâi de la DFW la JFK cu American Airlines, apoi vom zbura la Aeroportul Istanbul Atatürk și vom lua un transfer de la aeroport la hotelul din districtul Sultanahment. Vom lua tramvaiul către Eminönü și Karaköy, funicular către Tünel Beyoglu și un tramvai nostalgic către piața Taksim. Apoi, luăm o stație de metrou până la Osmanbey pentru a vedea o reprezentație a trupei militare Mehter, ne întoarcem la Sultanahmet pentru o cină autentică Döner Kebab și apoi planificăm ziua (zilele) următoare.

SR Поздрав свима, данас идемо у југоисточну Европу! Прво ћемо летјети из DFW-а до ЈFК-а Америцан Аирлинес-ом, затим летјети до истанбулског аеродрома Ататурк и превести се аеродромом до хотела у округу Султанахмент. Возимо се трамвајем до Еминону-а и Каракои-а, успињачом до Тунел-а Беиоглу-а и носталгичним трамвајем до трга Таксим. Затим се метроом заустављамо до Османбеиа да бисмо видели наступ војног оркестра Мехтер, враћамо се у Султанахмет на истинску вечеру од Донер Кебаба и планирамо за следећи дан (е).

HU Sziasztok mindenkinek, ma Délkelet-Európába megyünk! Először DFW-ből repülünk az American Airlines JFK-be, majd az isztambuli Atatürk repülőtérre repülünk, és reptéri transzfert viszünk a Sultanahment kerületben lévő szállodába. Villamossal megyünk Eminönü és Karaköy felé, siklóval a Tünel Beyoglu-ra, nosztalgikus villamossal a Taksim térre. Ezután metróval indulunk Osmanbey-be, hogy megnézzük egy Mehter katonai együttes fellépését, visszatérünk Sultanahmetbe egy igazi Döner Kebab vacsorára, majd megtervezzük a következő nap (oka) t.

CZ Ahoj všichni, dnes jedeme do jihovýchodní Evropy! Nejprve letíme z DFW do JFK společností American Airlines, poté letíme na istanbulské letiště Atatürk a letištním transferem do hotelu ve čtvrti Sultanahment. Půjdeme tramvají do Eminönü a Karaköy, lanovkou do Tünel Beyoglu a nostalgickou tramvají na náměstí Taksim. Pak jedeme metrem o jednu zastávku do Osmanbey, abychom viděli představení vojenské kapely Mehter, vrátili se do Sultanahmetu na skutečnou večeři Döner Kebab a poté plánovali další den (dny).

DE Hallo allerseits, heute fahren wir nach Südosteuropa! Wir fliegen zuerst mit American Airlines von DFW nach JFK, dann zum Flughafen Istanbul Atatürk und nehmen einen Flughafentransfer zum Hotel im Stadtteil Sultanahment. Wir fahren mit der Straßenbahn nach Eminönü und Karaköy, mit der Standseilbahn nach Tünel Beyoglu und mit einer nostalgischen Straßenbahn zum Taksim-Platz. Dann fahren wir mit der U-Bahn eine Station nach Osmanbey, um eine Mehter-Militärkapelle zu sehen, kehren nach Sultanahmet zurück, um ein echtes Döner Kebab-Abendessen zu genießen, und planen dann die nächsten Tage.

Thursday the 9th February 2006 would be the start of a unique journey, one that would take a part of the route of the Orient Express train, and that would also go off the beaten path part of the way. Where does the Orient Express go? Originally it went between Istanbul, Bucharest, Budapest, Vienna, Zurich and Paris. Later it would change its course from Bucharest to Sofia and Belgrade. My route was Istanbul, Bucharest, Sofia, Belgrade, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Berlin (via Dresden and the former Schönefeld Airport), Cologne and Frankfurt am Main.

I had to get a shared ride to DFW airport because in 2006, there was no useable airport connection from Frisco, TX, where I was living at the time, other than DART's 500 bus line and Trinity Rail Express. From there, I depart from either A or C, cannot remember just now, and arrived at JFK Airport in Terminal 8. My flight to Istanbul would depart from Terminal 1. The only way I could get there was by Airtrain JFK. The outer train was in operation that day, so I took that to Federal Circle and back by a train going in the opposite direction.

Terminal 1 had the Turkish Airways / Türk Hava Yollari checkin for Istanbul. The flight would leave about 5:30 PM and arrive the next day in Istanbul about 9:30 AM, seven hours past Eastern time. I was in the middle of coach class in a Boeing 777, with a window seat. The flight took off on time. About an hour or so after takeoff, the inflight crew served drinks and snacks. One snack I remember was a bag of unsalted roasted hazelnuts. I asked for raki, an anise-flavored liqueur, and I was given one glass of the raki and another of ice water. The raki went from clear to milky after putting a bit of water in it.

An hour later, when the onboard entertainment was turned on, dinner was served. I chose the cheese tortellini and Turkish red wine. It came with an appetizer of salmon and lemon. On the food container, there was a 3 inch by 2 inch disclaimer that the food did not contain any pork or alcohol in English, Turkish, Arabic, German and French, and a pictogram of a pig crossed out to eliminate any doubts.

I think I may have slept a while on the plane, but I cannot remember what movies I watched. I remember on one of the audio channels "First there is no mountain" by Donovan. About 7:30 AM the sky started lightening, and breakfast was served. I had the eggs and chicken sausage. Along with the meal was another 3 inch by 2 inch disclaimer, again with a pig crossed out. I would not have pork again until late evening on the 13th February when I would have arrived in Bucharest.

The plane landed about 9 AM at the Atatürk airport. Since 2019 it is no longer the official airport, as the new airport is located closer to the Black Sea and also Anadolu Kavagi. Atatürk Airport is located near the Ataköy district. I had my passport and entry visa stamped and then I went to collect my suitcase with nothing to declare. At the exit, was a man with a sign with my name on it, and he led me to his minivan to take me to my hotel in the Sultanahmet district. It was an 8 mile / 12 km journey. The passenger seat belt did not work, but the driver said to not worry about it (reminding me very much of the Kelal Yildirim Driving School sketches as played by Kaya Yanar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhxGyz8YldY).

About 11 AM I arrived at the hotel on 82 Akbiyik Cadessi. It was close to the Blue Mosque. I paid in advance for my room which I would have for three nights. I think it was about $100.00 for all three nights including breakfast. There was no elevator and my room was on the third floor. The breakfast room was on the fourth floor. Before going to the Military Museum near Osmanbey, I took a shower and changed clothes. I left my belongings in my room.

As Akbiyik Cadessi was downhill, I had an uphill walk to the Sultanahmet tram stop. The fact that the temperature was around 35 degrees did not help. I had to buy a token for one Turkish Lira (one million old Lira which had long since been converted) to get to Sirkeci rail station. At the "Giris" gate, I had to drop in my token. Why was I going to Sirkeci before the Military Museum? I wanted to be sure that on the 12th February about 8 PM I would have a place to sleep on the train to Bucharest. When I arrived at Sirkeci station, I found the ticket office to buy a sleeper ticket supplement, with my Eastern Europe rail pass. They had a lower level bunk. I think the ticket may have cost $ 20.00.

After leaving Sirkeci, I took the tram to Karaköy where there was an underground funicular train to Beyloglu. The funicular train did not accept the regular tokens so I had to buy one for about one lira. Once I arrived at Beyloglu, I had a snack of a ring bread. The bread was similar to a sesame bagel but was a little larger. I used to get those also in Greece when I was very young. The tram from Beyloglu to Taksim Square had not yet arrived but when it did, I bought a separate ticket. Not everything in 2006 was fully integrated. When I took the M2 from Taksim to Osmanbey, I could easily use a token, or I could use an Akbil, which was a stored value device consisting of a thumb sized piece of plastic and a hearing aid battery sized stored value disk. Earlier I send a picture of it. Those went out of use in 2009. Taksim Square station was very deep and trains must have been at least three stories underground. The situation was the same at Osmanbey station where I had to alight in order to reach the military museum.

When I went to the military museum, there was a scheduled band performance about 2 PM. I had arrived just in time before the performance started. I had to pay about 12 Lira for entrance and the privilege of filming and photography. The band performance started with a slide show narrated in Turkish about the long history of the band, with its origins about the time of the pre-renaissance Crusades, circa 1290 AD. A few minutes later the entire band appeared on stage, about 50 people or so, maybe 20 of them as vocalists singing the traditional marching songs. And almost all had long moustaches, very fitting with their Ottoman-era costumes. The band must have played eight songs.

After the performance, there was some time to see the rest of the museum. I looked at displays of the musical instruments, including the percussions and wind instruments (trumpet, zurna, clarinet). I was thinking at the time, maybe go to the grand bazaar near Cemberlitas, and buy a similar outfit with instrument.

I took the M2 back to Taksim, and then walked along Istikal Caddesi. It is on the same route as the nostalgic tram that goes to Beyoglu. I found a record store where I could buy Turkish-language music. I bought a couple of CDs from Mustufa Sandal, in particular "Yamali Tövbeler" that also included "Isyankar" and "Gel Askim". I should have also looked for music by Mirkelam. I only know of his "Her Gece".

Soon it became dark, I took the funicular back to Karaköy, the tram to Sultanahmet and then I found a place to eat Döner Kebap with rice. It was located at 12 Divan Yolu Cadessi. I ordered a can of Uludag soda and a shot of raki with that.

I walked back to the hotel and went to sleep. As it was a day that I had arrived from overseas, it was understandable wanting to go to bed around 9 PM EET (+2 GMT). The next day I would go to Asia by boat.

Next adventure – Calls to prayer at 5 AM, breakfast on the "roof", boat ride to Haydarpasa in Asia, ride on the Moda tram, first Lahmacun in Asia, the Grand Bazaar Experience, metro ride to Otogar and back, Iskender Kebab on the Mimar Mehmet Aga Cadessi

Sonraki macera - Sabah 5'de ezan sesleri, "çatıda" kahvaltı, Asya'da Haydarpaşa'ya tekne yolculuğu, Moda tramvayı, Asya'da ilk Lahmacun, Kapalıçarşı Deneyimi, Otogar'a metro yolculuğu ve dönüş, İşkender Kebab Mimar Mehmet Ağa Cadessi

Следващо приключение - призиви за молитва в 5 ч. Сутринта, закуска на "покрива", разходка с лодка до Хайдарпаша в Азия, каране на трамвай Мода, първият Лахмакун в Азия, опитът на Капалъ чарши, пътуване с метро до Отогар и обратно, Ишкендер Кебаб на Мимар Мехмет Ага Кадеси

Următoarea aventură - Apeluri la rugăciune la ora 5 dimineața, mic dejun pe "acoperiș", plimbare cu barca la Haydarpasa în Asia, plimbare cu tramvaiul Moda, primul Lahmacun din Asia, Grand Bazaar Experience, plimbare cu metroul până la Otogar și înapoi, Ișkender Kebab pe Mimar Mehmet Aga Cadessi

Следећа авантура - позиви на молитву у 5 сати, доручак на „крову“, вожња бродом до Хајдарпаше у Азији, вожња трамвајем Мода, први Лахмацун у Азији, Гранд Базаар Екпериенце, вожња метроом до Отогара и назад, Искендер Кебаб на Мимар Мехмет Ага Цадесси

Következő kaland - Hívás imára reggel 5 órakor, reggeli a "tetőn", hajóút az ázsiai Haydarpasába, a Moda villamos, az első ázsiai Lahmacun, a Grand Bazaar Experience, metrózás Otogarig és vissza, Işkender Kebab tovább a Mimar Mehmet Aga Cadessi

CZ Další dobrodružství - výzvy k modlitbě v 5 hodin ráno, snídaně na „střeše“, jízda lodí do asijské Haydarpasy, jízda tramvají Moda, první asijský Lahmacun, zážitek Grand Bazaar, jízda metrem do Otogaru a zpět, Işkender Kebab dále Mimar Mehmet Aga Cadessi

Nächstes Abenteuer - Aufruf zum Gebet um 5 Uhr morgens, Frühstück auf dem "Dach", Bootsfahrt nach Haydarpasa in Asien, Fahrt mit der Moda-Straßenbahn, erste Lahmacun in Asien, Grand Bazaar Experience, U-Bahnfahrt nach Otogar und zurück, Işkender Kebab weiter der Mimar Mehmet Aga Cadessi

#Türk Hava Yollari Türkiye Cumhuriyet Turkey Istanbul Atatürk Sultanahmet Blue Mosque Eminönü Golden Horn JFK Airport transfer #Türk Hava Yollari #Türkiye #Cumhuriyet #Turkey #Istanbul #Atatürk #Sultanahment #Blue Mosque #Eminönü #Golden Horn #JFK #transfer #airline #tram #Tünel #Bosphoros

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wecityguidecom · 5 years ago

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Ski Resorts in Turkey: 51 Winter Holiday Destinations

If you like to spend your winter holiday in ski resorts, you should visit one of the ski resorts in Turkey as soon as possible. Turkey is a generally well-known country among the traveler for summer holidays because of its unique beaches and blue seas. But Turkey has very good ski resorts for the winter holidays. So, you will find 51 different ski resorts in Turkey in this post. Any of them would be a nice destination for your winter holiday.

Gear Up for The Winter Holiday

Skiing born in Siberia and Mongolia at first and became very popular around the world. If you are an experienced winter traveler you can pass on to the next chapter. But if you are not please continue to read. Skiing is a very famous sport between winter lovers. However, you should have the right equipment for skiing or snowboarding during your winter holiday. Because winter sport is way more dangerous than any other sports based on my personal experience. Because you can lose your focus in a second while you are skiing and it is possible to get very badly injured. You will need the equipment given below. But if you go to any of the ski resorts in Turkey they will provide whatever you need for a small price. Snow glasses Gloves Ski socks Headgear or helmet Sun cream Lip moisturizer Knee and wrist protectors

51 Ski Resorts in Turkey: Full List for Your Winter Holiday

Yes, there are 51 ski resorts in Turkey. Of course, not all of them have the world standard but you can visit at least 15 of them without thinking. If you ever go to the ski resorts at the end of the list you may need your own gear for skiing. You may find the locations of 51 ski resorts in Turkey on the map given below. Let start to ski in Turkey :) Uludag Ski Resort (Bursa) Uludag Ski Resort is the most famous and well-known ski resort in Turkey. There are more than 25 hotels to stay in Uludag Ski Resort. Also, the longest ski slope is more than 2500 meters. Uludag Ski Resort is one of the major destinations for the winter holiday in Turkey. During winter there will be many concerts, parties and other attractions for the visitor. There are also multiple cable cars more with the capacity to transfer more than 1000 people in an hour. Also, please be aware that the prices may be higher than the other ski resorts in Turkey. Because Uludag Ski Resort is very close to Turkey and you can go there in your car in a couple of hours. Also, it is possible to go to the Bursa with intercity buses or fast sea buses. You can rent a car when you to the Bursa and then go to the Uludag Ski Resort.

Uludag Ski Resort may be very crowded during January and February (Source). Palandoken Ski Resort (Erzurum) The second place for the winter holiday can be the Palandoken Ski Resort. Palandoken Ski Resort is in the Eruzurum, on the eastern side of Turkey. The weather is very cold during winter even in the Erzurum city center, image how cold can be the Palandoken Ski Resort. Palandoken Mountains are more than 70 km long and this area declared one of the most important winter tourism destinations in Turkey in 1993. Also, Palandoken Ski Resort was the home of the World Winter Olympics 2011. Because of the World Winter Olympics 2011, Palandoken Ski Resort has one of the best facilities in all ski resorts in Turkey. There is a ski slope more than 12 km in Palandoken Ski Resort is the longest one in Turkey. You can go to the Palandoken Ski Resort by car or daily buses from Erzurum city center. Also, it is possible to go to the Erzurum with daily flights from Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

There will be 5 months long snow on the ground in the Palandoken Ski Resort (Source). Erciyes Ski Resort (Kayseri) Another important ski resort in Turkey is the Erciyes Ski Resort. Erciyes Ski Resort in the Kayseri where is the center of the Anatolia. During the winter, snow thickness in the Erciyes Ski Resort varies around 50 to 100 cm. The total capacity of Erciyes Ski Resort is around 2000 people per day which is quite enough for the region. You can also visit the Erciyes Ski Resort during the summer to enjoy nature Erciyes mountains. It is possible to go to the Kayseri from Istanbul. There are multiple daily flights to Kayseri from both airports in Istanbul. So, you should add Erciyes Ski Resort you ski resorts in Turkey list. You may find the detailed map of the Erciyes Ski Resort Map from here.

The highest point of the Erciyes Mountain is 3917 meters (Source). Kartepe Ski Resort (Kocaeli) If you are looking for a ski resort where is very close to Istanbul, Kartepe Ski Resort is the answer. Kartepe Ski Resort doesn't have very much option to spend the night. Because the number of hotels are quite low. However, you can go there and come back to Istanbul in a day. There are 4 different ski slopes in Kartepe Ski Resort.

It is possible to go to the Kartepe Ski Resort from Istanbul within 1-2 hours (Source). Kartalkaya Ski Resort (Bolu) If you are looking for another ski resort close to Istanbul you can go to the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu. Kartalkaya Ski Resort is one of the oldest ski resorts in Turkey. It is possible to go to the Kartalkaya Ski Resort from Istanbul and Ankara by renting a car. Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen and Ankara Esenboga Airport are the same distance to the Kartalya Ski Resort. It may hard to find regular bus services from Bolu city center. If you are not going on a tour or something the best option is renting a car.

There are enough facilities at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort to spend the night or a couple of days (Source). Sarikamis Ski Resort (Kars) At the very edge of the eastern side of Turkey, you may find another beautiful ski resort in Turkey, Sarikamis Ski Resort. Sarikamis Ski Resort is located on a plateau between 2200 and 2900 meters high. In total, Sarikamis Ski Resort has a capacity of more than 15.000 per day to serve the skiers daily. There is a 30 km long cable car system for visitors in Sarikamis Ski Resort. Sarikamis Ski Resort is only 1.5 km away from the Kars city center. That means it is very easy to visit the Sarikamis Ski Resort. You can even go there by taxi. Also, there are daily flights from Istanbul to Kars.

The number of visitors coming to Sarikamis Ski Resort is increasing every year (Source). Zigana Ski Resort (Gumushane) You may never hear this ski resort. Zigana Ski Resort is not a very popular ski resort in Turkey but it is a really good alternative. Especially the people who are living in the East black Sea region in Turkey prefer to go to Zigana Ski Resort. Zigana Ski Resort is located in Gumushane. The height of the Zigana Ski Resort varies between 2000 and 2500 meters. There are daily flights from Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Gumushane Airport. When you land to Gumushane you can rent a car to go to the Zigana Ski Resort. Please dont forget you may need to bring your own gear if you are going to Zigana Ski Resort. You can ask your hotel if they will provide you a gear. Saklikent Ski Resort (Antalya) Antalya is one of the most touristic cities in Turkey. Saklikent Ski Resort is located at the west of the Antalya city center, very close to the Cakirlar/Doyran village. The motto of the Saklikent Ski Resort is "Skiing in Morning, Diving in the Afternoon". Yes, that's true! You can ski at the Saklikent Ski Resort in the morning and go to one of the beautiful beaches of Antalya in the afternoon. There are regular buses to the Saklikent Ski Resort from the Antalya. There is a big mall whose name is Migros 5M. You can get on the buses from there at 08.00 and come back at 16.00 on the same bus. You can find direct flights to Antalya from most destinations, especially Europe. Even if you don't there are multiple daily flights to the Antalya from Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara.

You can enjoy both snow and sea in Antalya (Source). Ladik Akdag Ski Resort (Samsun) Samsun's Ladik Akdag Ski Resort is more like a regional ski resort. It is not a big one like others but becoming more popular every year among local tourists. You can also visit the Ladik Lake where is very close to the Ladik Akdag Ski Resort. There is an also 1500 meters long cable car for visitors at the Ladik Akdag Ski Resort. Davraz Ski Resort (Isparta) Another minor ski resort in Turkey is the Davraz Ski Resort. Davraz Ski Resort is very close to the Isparta city center and located in the east of it. Davraz Ski Resort is also very close to another natural beauty of Isparta, Egirdir Lake, and Kovada National Park. For here my suggestion is to stay in Isparta city center and visit all these three places during your time. 3 or 4 days would be enough. There are daily flight from Istanbul to Isparta from both airport in Istanbul Atabari Ski Resort (Artvin) There is a small ski slope at the Atabari Ski Resort. Lenght of the Atabari Ski Resort is around 800 meters. Atabari Ski Resort is located within the Hatila Valley National Park. There are daily flights to Artvin from Istanbul. You can also join other natural sports activities during your time in Artvin like trekking and rafting. Elmadag Ski Resort (Ankara) There is a 650 meters long ski slope at the Elmadag Ski Resort. Elmadag Ski Resort is located in the capital of Turkey. It is not one of the major ski resorts in Turkey but most of the people who are living in Ankara prefer to go to the Elmadag Ski Resort daily. Elmadag Ski Resort is at the southeast of the Ankara city center and it is possible to there within half an hour by car. Hazarbaba Ski Resort (Elazig) There are 8 different ski slopes at the Hazarbaba Ski Resort. The longest ski slope at the Hazarbaba Ski Resort is around 3000 meters which is very good. There is also a cable car system longer than 100 meters. Because of the structural properties, Hazarbaba Ski Resort is one of the hardest ski resorts in Turkey for skiing and snowboarding. You can also visit the Hazar lake very north of the Hazarbaba Ski Resort. Esentepe Ski Resort (Bolu) Here is the second ski resort in Bolu but a small one. Esentepe Ski Resort has two ski slopes with a length of 1500 and 5000 meters. If you are new at skiing Esentepe Ski Resort is right to train yourself. Esentepe Ski Resort is just over the Istanbul-Ankara highway just 5 minutes from the Gerede highway exit. Ergan Ski Resort (Erzincan) Ergan Ski Resort is very close to Erzincan Airport, just 15 minutes! Because of its connection to the airport number of people visiting Ergan Ski Resort is increasing every year. But it is still not one of the major ski resorts in Turkey. Ergan Ski Resort has the longest ski slope of Turkey. Also, have a cable car which can carry 450 people at the same time! Ilgaz Ski Resort (Kastamonu) Ilgaz Ski Resort is one of the most important ski resort at the Black Sea region of Turkey. Every year thousands of people from region are visiting Ilgaz Ski Resort. Ilgaz Ski Resort is located between Kastamonu and Cankiri and can be reached from two cities.

Other Ski Resort in Turkey

There are of course other ski resorts in Turkey. There are not like the ski resorts given above but ıf you are around these cities you may visit them. I'm just writing the name of the ski resort. You can check their location from the map given above. Abali Ski Resort (Van) Alacam Ski Resort (Bursa) Arkut Mountain Ski Resort (Bolu) Bolkar Ski Resort (Erzincan) Bozdag Ski Resort (Izmir) Bubi Mountain Ski Resort (Agri) Catak Ski Resort (Ordu) Cambasi Ski Resort (Ordu) Cibiltepe Ski Resort (Kars) Catak Ski Resort (Van) Ciftkaya Ski Resort (Bitlis) Denizli Ski Resort (Denizli) Dranaz Ski Resort (Sinop) Erikce Ski Reosrt (Gaziantep) Guzeldag Ski Resort (Mus) Guzeltepe Ski Resort (Mus) Hasan Mountain Ski Resort (Aksaray) Haserek Ski Resort (Bingol) Kabaduz Ski Resort (Ordu) Kandilli Ski Resort (Erzurum) Konaklı Ski Resort (Erzurum) Kop Mountain Ski Resort (Bayburt) Kupkiran Ski Resort (Agri) Laleli Ski Resort (Erzurum) Mersivan Ski Resort (Hakkari) Murat Mountain Ski Resort (Kutahya) Nemrut Kardelen Ski Resort (Bitlis) Nikfer Ski Resort (Denizli) Rahva Ski Resort (Bitlis) Salda Ski Resort (Burdur) Yalnizcam Ski Resort (Ardahan) Yedikuyular Ski Resort (Kahramanmaras) Yildiz Mountain ski Resort (Sivas) Yogunyokus Ski Resort (Sivas) Yolcati Ski Resort (Bingol)

What Should You Do in Emergency?

I think this is a very important and crucial subject for you. If you are skiing you are in danger always. You can be lost anywhere at any time if you get off the radar. If you are in one of the ski resorts in Turkey please read the list given below. I wrote down the things you should be careful about. Always give information to the official at your ski resort. Know the contact information of your ski resort Know the emergency numbers 112: Main emergency number (Free) 155: Police emergency line (Free) 156: Gendarme emergency line (Free) Do not leave the ski slopes Have the map of the ski resort Take of power bank with you in case of an emergency. You may need your phone. I hope that this post will be useful to you. If you are planning to visit ski resorts in Turkey or planning to spend your winter holiday around one of these ski resort please share your questions in the comment section. Note: There are some affiliate links in this post. If you anything buy through those links we may gain some commission that will be spent on the expenses of wecityguide.com Read the full article

#palandokenskiresort #skiresortsinturkey #uludagskiresort

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arplis · 5 years ago

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Arplis - News: Good value, but not much more: A review of TAP Air Portugals A321LR in business class, Porto to Newark

TPG Rating

70 100

Pros

Fresh new cabin with comfy throne seat. Tasty food and drink.

Cons

Very poor ground experience and the service could have been more polished.

10 Ground Experience

25 Cabin + Seat

10 Amenities + IFE

14 Food + Beverage

11 Service

Since joining TPG at the start of the year, Ive been fortunate to do an eclectic mix of reviews. From my first time flying Virgin Atlantic to the shortest scheduled flight in the world, Ive had unique and unforgettable experiences. On a recent trip to the States for work, I was looking for an interesting route, aircraft or airline that I could take that had never been reviewed before. TAPs A321LR was exactly that: The more modern, technologically advanced and fuel-efficient version of the A321 I flew back from Amman, Jordan, earlier in the year. It was a no-brainer, it had yet to be reviewed, and it meant my inner AvGeek would get to fly a new aircraft and airline for the first time. But did my experience live up to the self-generated hype?

In This Post

Booking

Another reason that this was a great product to review is the fact that a one-way in business class from London Gatwick (LGW) to Newark (EWR) via Porto (OPO) was pricing at a very reasonable $965. If youre willing to spend the night in Porto which, by the way, I highly recommend you can even find fares as low as about $780 for a one-way ticket. Considering one-way flights between London and New York routinely sell for about $8,000, the stopover is well worth it if youre looking to fly in business class without breaking the bank. Round-trip tickets booked in a similar way also save significant amounts of money compared with the nonstop flights between the two hubs.

As TAP is part of Star Alliance, there are plenty of miles and points redemptions for this flight, too. TAPs own Miles&Go program was showing the one-way OPO to EWR ticket in business class at 145,000 miles and $72. Not cheap. Luckily, though, there are programs that will allow you to book for both fewer miles and less of a cash outlay.

For example,through Uniteds MileagePlus program, if you can find business saver availability, youll pay for 70,000 miles and $45. Another great option is Air Canadas Aeroplan program, where you could use 55,000 miles for a one-way ticket. You can earn both United and Aeroplan miles very easily, as Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer at a 1:1 ratio to United, and American Express Membership Rewards transfer at the same ratio to Aeroplan.

And, right now, TPG readers can get an exclusive 150% bonus on purchasing Lifemiles, another excellent option for booking Star Alliance flights.

Ground Experience

TPG Rating

10/20

CS-TXC

Tail

17:31

Departure

7h 45m

Duration

I was scheduled to fly from Gatwick at 1 p.m, land in Porto at 3:15 p.m. and depart for Newark at 4:55 p.m. With one hour and 45 mins to transfer, what could go wrong?

I arrived nice and early, as my business-class ticket gave me access to the No1 Lounge in Gatwicks South Terminal. There was not one single person in either the premium or economy lines at check-in, which meant the process was super quick. TAPs check-in area was in Zone E, next door to Turkish Airlines, which had about a dozen people waiting in line. I had my bag checked and boarding pass in hand in no time at all. No mention of delays was made to me, either.

Related reading:Comparing British Airways and Turkish Airlines Business Class between London Heathrow and Istanbul

Walking toward the escalators up to departures, I turned around to view an eerily quiet check-in area.

I breezed through the terminals priority security, again, thanks to my business-class ticket. The terminals lounges were on the upper level of departures, on the opposite side to where I came through security.

There was a small queue of people waiting to get into the lounge. When it was my turn, the staff member scanned my boarding pass and handed me a menu. Just like Heathrows No1 Lounge in Terminal 3, the menu was la carte. As always, I did a tour of the lounge to find the seat with the best view and I quickly found this spot. I also noticed that the departures board was suspiciously showing gate displayed at 1:10 p.m., which was after my flight was due to depart. It was just the start of my troubles.

Set up and ready for some work before my flight, I headed to the bar to order something to eat. What Id forgotten is that you could only order once from the menu and had to hand it in when ordering. Breakfast options before 11 a.m were poached egg (singular) and avocado muffin, classic sausage sub and toast and preserves. I was absolutely starving and love my eggs in the morning, so it was an easy decision to make.

I actually laughed out loud at the size of the portion that was plunked down in front of me.

The saving grace was that the yolk was perfectly runny.

Two bites later, I was done and still hungry. I then received a text from the airline. Thankfully, I speak Portuguese, so could see that my flight would now depart at 2:20 p.m., which would mean I would now land in Porto only 30 minutes before my flight to New York. The plot thickens.

As I had more time to kill, I went to see what other delights were on offer.

The lounge was quite busy, so a few of the options were pretty spare and could have done with being refilled.

I dont think anyone had done a quick clean and tidy of the food service areas for a while, either.

After being rather disappointed with the cold buffet, I got back to my seat to find my neighbor had left without ordering any food, so I smugly headed straight back to the bar to order a bacon roll from the all day favourites section of the menu. It was equally as disappointingly small as my egg and avocado but tasted good nonetheless. Other all-day options were a fish-finger wrap and beans on toast. No expense spared there.

In terms of beverages, there was a soft drink, water and juice refill station.

And a coffee machine. I say coffee because it was so bad I almost spat it back into my cup.

The lounge was fairly busy and has a nice variety of different seating areas.

Thats including a cozy TV area sectioned off from the noise of the main lounge area.

I headed to my gate, where boarding was supposed to start at 2 p.m.

The gate area was cramped, and the scene resembled something akin to boarding a Ryanair flight at Stansted (STN). I didnt see any power sockets, and there definitely wasnt enough seating. It didnt help that a Norwegian Dreamliner bound for LAX was boarding at the gate next door. TAPs lounge and boarding experience were distinctly average and certainly not what I would call premium.

Once we were on board, the pilot announced a slot delay due to weather in Porto, which meant we would land at around 5 p.m. Seconds later, I received another text from TAP advising me that I had been rebooked on the flight the following day. On arrival at Porto, there was a huge queue for TAP customer services, so I figured there had been many flight issues that day. I headed straight to the front to find out if I were in the right queue, and a member of the TAP team said she had been waiting for me and that transport and accommodation had already been arranged for myself and the other two business-class passengers from my flight who were also due to fly to Newark. This finally felt like the service that a business-class passenger should receive, as it meant that I didnt have to wait in the queue with over 100 irate Brazilians who had had their flight home canceled.

After an impromptu and fun-filled evening in Porto, a car picked me up from the hotel at 2 p.m. the next day, and I headed back to the airport with the hope that my ground experience would be distinctly better than the day before. Once again, there was nobody waiting in the check-in area for premium passengers.

After a slight technical issue with tagging my bag, I was on quickly on my way toward security, where there were two Fast Track lanes for premium passengers.

Unlike at Lisbon Airpot (LIS), there was no TAP Premium Lounge at Porto. Instead, there was a business-class lounge shared by seemingly every airline with business cabins that used the airport, as well as Priority Pass, Dragon Pass and Diners Club International cardholders. My expectations were low.

Entertainment-wise, there was a sparsely filled magazine and newspaper stand by the entrance.

There was also this phone charging stand, which at first I thought was a great addition, but maybe more so in the 2000s, when portable battery packs werent a thing. Still, it would be a lifesaver if you forgot your charger.

Aside from the main room, which was pretty clinical to start with, it reminded me of a dentists waiting room.

It was a bit nicer and brighter out on the terrace.

But the view was mainly only of the terminal with a bit of the runway in the distance.

The buffet area in the middle of the main room was on the small side.

Though they were cold, I liked the variety of Portuguese and Brazilian snacks and street food. Coxinha are my favourite!

I was less impressed by the tray of sad-looking sandwiches.

And the bowls of stale pastries.

On the plus side, drinks were aplenty.

Including a Nespresso coffee machine. A slight shame, though, as Portuguese coffee is some of the best Ive ever tasted!

There was a variety of local wines.

Some middle of the the road spirits, and other assorted drinks.

After stuffing my face with coxinha, I checked the departures board before 3:30 p.m. when I saw head to gate displayed next to my flight. I thought it was quite early but did what I was told and headed to the gate. As often is the case with European airports, there was a second security area to clear before passing through into the gates area. This process took around 20 minutes.

Once I got to the gate, there was yetanother security screening to clear before I could get on the plane. It was a rather slow and arduous process where I had to take everything out of my bag, remove my shoes and have a full pat-down by a rather stale-breathed guard. Good job I left the lounge on time.

The boarding area was really full.

There were a few charging points around the space. Most were poorly located, meaning passengers sat on the floor to charge their devices.

There was no premium seating area, merely a sign pointing right for premium boarding and left for everyone else.

A day later than scheduled and after a very subpar ground experience first at Gatwick then in Porto, I finally boarded the 2-month-old CS-TXC around 4:30 p.m.

An hour later, we departed slightly later than scheduled at 5:30 p.m.

Cabin and Seat

TPG Rating

25/30

22.3

Width

80in

Bed Length

Lavs

I had high expectations for what I would find inside the cabin, and for the most part these were met. The throne seat was in a class of its own. No neighbor, space galore and two greatly positioned windows all to myself.

The small, 16-seat business-class cabin comprised five rows. Odd rows were in a 2-2 configuration, and even rows were in the coveted 1-1 formation arguably one of the best in the sky.

Storage was significantly less in the 2-2 rows.

The cabin was cozy but doesnt feel cramped, considering it was only a narrow-body aircraft.

I did a quick inspection of the seat area and noticed a few sloppy cleaning oversights that could easily have been rectified with a bit of care and attention.

The footwell was actually quite dirty.

The seat controls were easily accessible. The seating positions were fixed, and there was no way of altering them to your own preference.

The footwell was spacious and didnt go too narrow at the end. Perfectly comfortable for me, but not sure it would be as good for those around 6 feet or taller.

There was a shoulder-level reading light and a hook for stowing headphones once in flight.

Then there was what Id call a cupboard rather than a storage compartment.

As well as a headphone hook, there was also a water bottle holder, great for when turbulence hit.

The safety cards and inflight magazines were stored in a small pouch on the other side of the seat next to the window.

Then there was final additional storage gadget in the form of a mesh on springs. Not really sure what it was for, but it was there if you needed it.

Nope, it was not a door. It was the meal tray. It slid out from next to the storage cupboard then flipped down at a 90-degree angle then rotated another 90 degrees into the right position for eating.

The tray table itself was definitely big enough.

There was a 90-degree swivel, but I think this was just part of the stowage process, as it didnt really make leaving the seat any easier.

My 13-inch laptop fit comfortably on the table with enough space for a drink. Or two.

But there was plenty of surface space either side of the side if you wanted to continue working in an office in the sky while dining.

The seat lowered nice and easy into a fully flat bed. The blanket was basic, but I liked the thickness and quality of the pillows. So much so that I asked for a second, which was brought to me with no problem.

There was nothing premium about the single lavatory in the business-class cabin. It was rather small.

And it didnt even have any special amenities.

Due to the narrowness of the plane, the bathroom was almost cut in half diagonally by the wall of the fuselage. It was definitely not the most comfortable of spaces.

Amenities and IFE

TPG Rating

10/15

101

Movies

Tailcam

Yes

Headphones

About 10 minutes before takeoff, I received the TAP-branded amenity kit by Portos very own Castelbel. From what I could gather, there were two or three different designs that were handed out at random to passengers.

Inside, there were all of the usual suspects: eye mask, lip balm, earplugs, pen, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, some body lotion and a pair of socks. Admittedly, the eye mask felt pretty cheap, but I liked the colorful on-brand design of the flight socks.

I was pretty impressed with the size of the inflight-entertainment screen. The picture was crystal-clear, and the tough screen very responsive.

I rarely pay attention during the safety video (naughty, I know) as there are usually far more interesting views to be had out of the window. But not with TAP. I was completely engaged by the airlines fresh, unique and emotive use of expats who have moved to Portugal and learned Portuguese to explain the safety briefing.

In total, there were 101 films, plenty by anyones standards. I liked that there was a selection of Brazilian and Portuguese films, too.

The earphones did not appear to be noise-canceling at all, despite being advertised so.

There was also a wine experience included in the entertainment section, which I thought was pretty cool. But when I asked the crew member serving me if all of the displayed wines were available, she didnt seem to know what I was talking about it. She then explained that there was only the selection of two red and two white wines that she had on the trolley.

The Wi-Fi was the biggest letdown. There were prices ranging from free for messaging to Total Wi-Fi for 24.99 euros, which would mean being connected for the entire flight or so I thought.

Once I had connected, it was immediately clear that it would only be for 200 MB of data. Needless to say, it was less than 30 minutes before I had run out.

Food and Beverage

TPG Rating

14/20

Meals

Yes

Champagne

Dine on Demand

The focus of this review the Porto-to Newark segment of this trip, but I had such a great food experience on the short flight from Gatwick to Porto that I thought it deserved a mention.

Drinks on that first flight were served pretty much as soon as the seat belt signs went off.

A full meal was served with sizable starter, delicious main course and dessert. The main course was a thick, juicy and perfectly cooked veal tenderloin. I would go as far as to say that it was the best intra-European business-class meal I have ever eaten.

Back to the main event, Porto to Newark. For some reason there was no preflight drink offered before takeoff. About 45 minutes after takeoff, the first drinks were served note the Coke Zero and gin and tonic theme. I rate airlines that serve full fat Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. I wasnt a massive fan of the Sunbites, though.

Around half an hour after that, dinner was served. There was only one starter: codfish carpaccio with Algarve salad topped with a random sprinkle of olive shavings. The soup was not cream of pumpkin and beetroot mousse, as advertised on the menu, but it was delicious, nonetheless. I think this was the first time Id ever had my soup served from a Thermos, too. I was also asked at this point if Id like another drink.

The bread was really poor. If Id fed it to the ducks, it would have probably knocked one unconscious.

The main course, just as was the case on the Gatwick-to-Porto flight, was my favorite part. The heartier and more comforting the food, the bigger the thumbs up it usually gets, and this was definitely up there with one of my favorites. It was roast lamb in a crispy dough with pumpkin pure. As much as Ive pretty much cut out red meat from my diet, I couldnt resist the sound of this, and Im so glad I chose it.

Shortly after mains had been cleared, a selection of chocolate was offer to cleanse the palate before dessert.

I was given the choice of ice cream, cheese plate or fresh fruit. Naturally, I went for the cheese, which I was told was a strong local cheese, perfectly accompanied by a glass of Portos finest port.

The cheese was indeed strong.Very strong. That still didnt stop me from scraping every single bit out of the rind.

About 90 minutes before landing, I was offered the second meal service. This was no better or worse than the usual half a meal that is served on transatlantic flights before landing. It was a nice snack, but I was certainly still hungry afterward. And the bread? Probably another concussed duck. The presentation was nice, and the food itself was fresh and tasted good. It just wasnt enough to be called a meal.

Service

TPG Rating

11/15

Extra Pillows

Turndown Service

The service wasnt bad by any means, but it wasnt a particularly memorable experience. The one standout moment for me was that the ground staff at Porto were expecting me and had already arranged ground transportation and a hotel for my unexpected night in Porto. That did feel like business-class service. I thought it strange that there was no preflight drink served after boarding the A321LR to New York.

The crew made sure I had enough to drink and responded in under 30 seconds when I tested the call button, which is certainly commendable. The whole thing just lacked a certain personality not once was I called by my name, and neither did any of the crew try to establish any kind of rapport when I attempted jokes or small talk. That could simply be because Im not funny, but it definitely wasnt a language thing, as falo portugus.

Overall impression

This was by far and away the least premium-feeling premium flight experience I have had so far. But I would much rather have a long-haul flight in the comfort of a lie-flat, throne seat than in a cramped, upright economy. That being said, you really do get what you pay for. If you really want to fly business rather than economy to New York and back, then I would seriously consider this as an option. It can save almost 2,000 on the cost of a direct return flight from London to New York. The bed is flat, and the food is good, and these are probably two of the main differences between economy and business class. What TAP lacks is a real business-class ground experience and a little extra something from its staff. Fix those two things and this lesser-known route might a have a better chance against the competition.

All photos by the author.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/good-value-but-not-much-more-a-review-of-tap-air-portugals-a321lr-in-business-class-porto-to-newark

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