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amphtaminedreams · 5 years ago

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My Amateur European Travel Guide

Hi to anyone who’s reading!

I spent just over a month in Europe over the summer and have far too many good food pics that deserve more than sitting in my camera roll untouched and thus I thought I’d do my very shitty, amateurish version of a travel guide, basically a run down of my favourite things that we did in each city. From touristy shit like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum to some equally beautiful but lesser known places, getting an inter-rail pass gives you the time to see everything whilst not spending an absolute fortune.

I went with a friend and we did the basic, first-time traveller route: Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, Venice, Rome and Milan. The pass, which allowed us to use domestic and international trains on 10 separate days within a month, for students only cost £230. We did then have to pay extra for the Eurostar from St.Pancras to Paris, and additional “reservation” fees to get seats on the trains in Italy and between France and The Netherlands, but all in all this didn’t cost us anymore than about £50. The flight back from Milan to Southend Airport cost £30, though be warned that it’s actually pretty hard to get from Southend to central London; if we hadn’t been able to get a lift, we probably would’ve spent an extra £30 getting home from there.

We were away for 3 weeks and 4 days in total, and on top of the approx. £700/£800 we spent on hostels and air b&bs, I spent about £1500 whilst I was away. You could probably get away with taking about £1000 with you if you’re willing to cook while you’re away. We did a couple of nights whilst we were in air b&bs, but on the whole, we usually ate out. The hostel kitchens were a bit of a nightmare, though I’m not going to pretend it was anything other than a combination of laziness and gluttony that stopped me from cooking, lol. HOW CAN YOU GO TO ITALY AND NOT GO OUT FOR PASTA EVERY NIGHT?! It can’t be done. With my non-existent self-control anyway.

Once I got back from inter-railing, I also then spent a week with my family staying in the cutest seaside town about half an hour outside of Barcelona, Sitges, which we’ve visited a few times before. For that reason, I thought I’d write about some of my favourite things to do in and around Barcelona, not just from this trip but from all the times we’ve visited over the last few years.

I’ll start, though, with the first place we visited on our inter-railing trip: Paris.

Paris, France

It might be because it was the first place we went and the place where I had the most energy and drive to explore, lol, but Paris was my absolute favourite of the cities we visited. I know a lot of people seem to be disappointed with it but there’s just so much to do and so much culture; gorgeous architecture, art, fashion, food, I feel that it lives up to its reputation in every way if you really utilise your time there properly. The public transport is easy to understand and use and my only gripe with the hostel is that it was a little far out. This didn’t really limit us in any way though, so it didn’t bother me.

The Hostel

Our first hostel, Jo&Joe’s in Gentilly, was a really cool place. I believe it was around £30 a night (one of the more expensive hostels we stayed in) to stay in a room like the one I've included a photo of. The beds were comfy and you had a decent amount of space, and the wi-fi was good. My only issue is that there wasn’t much privacy in terms of the bathroom; there was one toilet room and one shower room in the actual bedroom to be shared between the 6 of us. There didn’t really seem to be much about in Gentilly but to be honest, we didn’t venture very far and there’s more than enough to do in central Paris.

Paris Top Things to do:

1. Palais de Tokyo

Probably my favourite art museum we visited our entire trip, Palais de Tokyo was...an experience.

Costing £8 for a student ticket, almost every piece of artwork in there was strange as hell. That being said, it was all very immersive and interactive and like nothing I’d seen before which is why I liked it so much.

Well, apart from the dirty sock. Literally. There was a dirty sock on display. Art, right?

2. Musee D’Orsay

I’d say if you only had time to do one of the “big” art museums in Paris, do Musee D’Orsay, not the Louvre.

It’s a lot more compact and has a wider range of styles, plus a lot more modern art, including some Van Gogh and several Degas. I had so many favourite pieces from Louise Abbema’s Allegories of Spring and Winter, to Thomas Couture’s Romans in their Decadence:

Plus I’d take Amaury Duval’s portrait of Marie-Anne Detourbay over the Mona Lisa any day. The staring into your soul game she’s got going on is unparalleled.

3. Eiffel Tower

I think the level of dumbassery involved in my decision to wear heeled boots to make the 500 or so step journey up the Eiffel Tower cancels out any smarts that went into us saving €3 by booking in advance and walking instead of getting the lift, but it’s all about the experience, lol, and I would do it again for the view. It only cost €5 in total and by booking online about a month before, we didn’t have to wait in what is usually about a 3 hour queue if you turn up on the day.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Museum

It only took us about an hour to do the Yves Saint Laurent museum but it was definitely worth the £10 for entry if you are interested in fashion. It was pretty quiet when we went which I liked as it made for a much more peaceful experience than say, the Louvre, and the museum is very well laid out. There’s a load of original pieces in there and I feel like I learned a lot about Saint Laurent himself too. I also learned that I am very unsophisticated (I really didn’t feel posh enough to be walking into the building, lol) but we been knew.

5. Sacre Couer

Warning: The Sacre Couer is a very steep walk from the nearest tube station. I internally died. Several times. But it’s very beautiful once you get up there.

6. Monmarte

I wish we’d had more time to explore Monmarte as it was one of the prettiest places I saw on our trip, with so many cute restaurants and cafes. Top things to see in the area are the Wall of Love and though we didn’t actually go there, Montmarte Cemetery too. I found out when we got back that the latter is supposedly inhabited by a load of stray cats and now I am severely disappointed that we didn’t have a look. I guess I’ll just have to go back! You know, just to check if it’s true about the cats. And also eat some more of the food, ofc.

7. Vintage Shopping

We had a quick look in two of the vintage shops whilst we were in Paris, Kilo Shop and Tilt Vintage, and I saw a lot of really cool things. Unfortunately, because I couldn’t really fit anything else in my backpack and was being pretty tight with money at that point in the trip (an attitude my bank balance probably wishes had been sustained throughout, lol), I didn’t get anything. Still, I’d definitely recommend checking the shops I mentioned and the other vintage shops in that area out if you are interested in buying some clothes whilst you’re away. The only thing I’d say is to avoid them if you have trouble with crowds and/or small spaces as there were a shit tonne of people in pretty much all the ones we went in and because of the layout, not much room to move. And protip: if you like breathing non-body odour tinted oxygen, don’t venture in any of them in the middle of heatwave. Not fun.

8. Champs Elysees

I think it’s kind of a given that you see the Champs Elysees whilst you’re in Paris, but last time I was there, I only really saw it from an open top bus and was quiet underwhelmed. On this trip, we walked from the Louvre through the Tuileries and then slowly made our way down towards the Arc de Triomphe, having a look down the streets that run perpendicular to the Champs Elysees on our way, which were all very typically Parisienne. At the bottom, you have Aventue Montaigne which has all the fancy, designer flagship stores, and then down Avenue FDR (where we went for lunch) there are plenty of places to stop and have a bite to eat. I thought I’d been all French getting a baguette from down here before realising it was from a glorified Paul which we have all over London, BUT, if you’re into açai bowls, my friend had a really good one at a place called Cojean.

9. Versailles

Before we went to Versailles, a lot of people told me that it was really crowded and not worth going to but I couldn’t disagree more. It was so beautiful both on the inside and out and there’s so much to learn! I’ve always been fascinated by Marie Antoinette so I might be slightly biased but I was totally in my ex-historical nerd element. I would definitely recommend arriving as early as possible if you’re not paying for skip the line tickets, since we got there for around 10 and had to stand in a very long queue to get in. It did move quickly but looked very daunting at first and I imagine it only gets worse as the day goes on.

10. Disneyland Paris

I mean, we didn’t got there this time and technically, it’s not Paris. But come on, it’s Disney. I couldn’t leave it off the list.

Future Paris Bucket List:

Moulin Rouge

Musee d’Orangerie

Jardin du Luxembourg

Louvre Highlights Tour

Louis Vuitton Foundation

Paris Museum of Modern Art

Get dinner in Trocadero

Centre Pompidou

Paris Catacombs

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of my favourite places ever. It’s picturesque, easy to find your way around, and full of amazing food. It was my second time here and my friend’s third so we had a pretty chilled out time but still did a lot. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back again.

The Hostel

The hostel we stayed in in Amsterdam was called ClinkNoord and was a short (and free!) boat ride away from the city centre. Also at around £30 a night, the rooms were basic yet comfortable and the place as a whole had a modern, utilitarian vibe to it which I really liked. The bathrooms were a short walk down the hall, a more private alternative to the bathrooms in our Paris hostel, and were pretty much always free. As for the showers, they were a wet room kinda situation and a little bit grim at times but as long as you bring flip flops (I didn’t, another example of dumbassery, lol) you’ll be fine. Maybe this is the 10 year old in me leaping out but I really loved the bar area at this hostel too: drinks were cheap, but more importantly, it had table football, pool, AND a ping-pong room. WITH A BLACK LIGHT MIGHT I ADD!

Amsterdam Top Things to do:

1. Electric Ladyland

The edibles had already began to kick in a little bit by the time we got to Electric Ladyland so this might be a bit of an overstatement but this place was, in a good way of course, very trippy. It’s basically a mini fluorescent art museum and exhibition in this guy’s basement (not as weird as it sounds, lol), and for £5 you can go in and see it and then, if you hang around, watch him give a demonstration on how it all works and where he sourced his paint from. It says on the website that it’s by appointment only but we just turned up on the day just as a slot was about to start and were allowed in. In terms of taking an edible before you go in, maybe don’t, lol. It was a bit of a surreal experience; in a very dark room, listening to an old American hippy talk about how he explored caves in Utah to find mineral rocks, the weed-induced paranoia low-key kicked in. I did, at points, momentarily forget that there was a room around the point I was immediately focussed on and started panicking that we were just drifting through space. And then there was the occasional fear that I was trapped in some kind of eternal time loop where the man would just keep on talking in circles and I would be stuck down there forever, not wanting to be rude and leave whilst he was mid-sentence, as part of the universe’s karmic punishment for my impractical level of politeness and need to people-please. Climbing the ladder up out of the basement was...a little tricky, to say the least.

2. Pancake House

You have to have pancakes in Amsterdam and my friend recommended this place as the original one. I had a pancake with ice cream, caramel sauce and chocolate sauce and whilst a little sickly, it was tasty af. If I went again, I think I’d just stick to one sauce; it was so sweet that I had to admit defeat about halfway, something I do not look back on with pride. Next time, I will be victorious over one of these beasts of a pancake. Speaking it into existence.

3. Hire a bike and visit Vondelpark

There are plenty of ways to get about in Amsterdam and the trams are super easy to use but hiring a bike for the time you’re there is probably the cheapest and most Amsterdammy (I know, not really a word) way to get around. We hired our bikes from Starbikes by the central station and it was a very simple and affordable process which I would definitely recommend; their shop has some of the best reviews on Trip Advisor for bike hire. Riding along the canals is quite chilled but if you’re not super confident, the best place to go is probably Vondelpark, as it has wider lanes with the added bonus of not living in semi-permanent fear of being yeeted off your bike into the canal by a car coming up behind you. It also has friendly ducks! How can you say no to that? I mean, ignoring the fact that male ducks have like, 9 inch corkscrew penises which apparently spin when they mate. Thank Reddit for that life-altering and mildly disturbing piece of information.

4. Mannekin chips

The BEST Belgian fries which I spent the entirety of the rest of our trip craving. Best sauce combination is ketchup and samurai sauce, and I recommend going for a regular portion. The large is insane and I am very much in awe of anybody who can finish it.

5. Van Gogh Museum

We didn’t actually visit the Van Gogh museum on this trip but I went on my first visit to Amsterdam and you really can’t miss it. Not only does it have a lot of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including sunflowers, it has a lot of the work of the artists who inspired him as well as pieces from some of his contemporaries.

7. Stedelijk

Really cool modern art museum with an interactive room where you can take part in activities relating to the current exhibition too. Though I guess it really depends on your art preferences, if you do only have time to do either this or The Rijksmuseum, I would definitely say Stedelijk.

8. The Rookies Coffeeshop

So I can’t say I’ve tried a lot of the coffee shops in Amsterdam as on our first visit we only really went to this one and The Bulldog chain, and this time we didn’t go as much, but they do the best space cakes. They’re genuinely really tasty but they can be quite intense if you haven’t smoked in a while or don’t do so regularly so make sure you’re in somewhere you feel safe and have other people with you.

9. Amsterdam Dungeons

Though the Amsterdam Dungeons were more similar to the London Dungeons than I thought they would be, with less of a focus on the dark history of the area and more on general dark European history such as the Spanish Inquisition and witch trials which also came up a lot in the London run through, I would still thoroughly recommend them. The Dungeons are definitely a tourist trap but they’re also just hilarious and you genuinely do learn a little, so I think worth the money!

10. The Blonds Cafe

I wasn’t crazy about the menu here as I’m a ridiculously fussy eater but I think most people will easily find something they like, and the actual cafe and presentation is really cute. The grilled cheese sandwich I ended up having was really good and even if you end up just having a cake, I’d recommend it. They had lemon AND mint infused water dispensers, which, now I’m writing down doesn’t seem very exciting at all, but I got hyped up, okay? And worst case scenario, it’s not for you, there are loads of other cool and very hipster-y looking (lol) independent cafes in the area.

11. Anne Frank House

Again, this was something I did on my first trip to Amsterdam, but you can’t miss it. From a history standpoint and as someone who read Anne Frank’s diary several times when I was younger, I found it very surreal to actually visit the house I’d heard so much about. You definitely get a sense of just how stifling and claustrophobic living in that annex was and even if you’re not into your history, I do think a lot of insight can be gained from taking a trip here!

12. Go to one of the Pastry Shops

If you go to Amsterdam, you’ll see them everywhere, the little slightly shabby-looking cafes with all the amazing waffles and donuts and crepes and cupcakes in the window. Go to one! I had a waffle covered in white chocolate and Oreos and it was 1000% as good as it looked.

13. Moco Museum

The last thing on my Amsterdam list and another thing we did on my first trip, the Moco Museum is one of my favourites I’ve ever been to. It’s pretty small and doesn’t take you that long to look around but it’s full of contemporary, provocative art based around the theme of political and social commentary. Given that description, it’s probably no surprise that it houses a lot of Banksy, but there’s also a fair bit of pop art too, and a very cool gift shop. Because I can never resist a good gift shop.

Future Amsterdam Bucket List:

A day trip to the tulip fields

De Poezenboot

Eye Film Museum

Swing at A’dam lookout

Canal Cruise

Berlin, Germany

Berlin definitely wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. As a capital city, I expected it to be this very built up, bustling, commercial place, but it was actually pretty quiet and very spread out. In a way, it almost seemed a bit left behind and completely deserted in parts. That being said, from a historical point of view, it was probably the most interesting place that we went. It’s easy to forget that just a few decades ago the city was completely divided and you can definitely sense that it’s still rebuilding itself.

The Hostel

We stayed in a hostel that was tucked away in the basement of the Aletto hotel, just a minute’s walk away from the Zoologischer Garden station. I believe it was around £20 a night for an 8 person mixed dorm. The beds weren’t the comfiest and the room itself was a bit dark and dank, given that it was below street level, but all in all, the hostel was decent as a stop-off point. I liked that there was a kind of a small communal area in the kitchen and the bathrooms were spacious and clean, and fortunately, it was pretty quiet when we were there so we usually had them to ourselves.

Berlin Top Things to do:

1. Never Ending Love Story

A really lovely little cafe in a pretty, quiet area, the service here was exceptionally good! I’m not one to complain when workers don’t seem overly enthusiastic, I work in retail so I get that you sometimes can’t be arsed with all the over-the-top politeness, but I do appreciate friendliness and the waitress here was so sweet. I had delicious scrambled eggs on sourdough toast and my friend had pancakes and we both really enjoyed our food.

2. East Side Gallery

I wish I had more to say about the East Side Gallery, but to be honest I was pretty drunk and had half an edible-I thought we were going out out after, don’t judge me-so I can’t remember much. Judging from my very shitty and my friend’s very good (this is one of hers, lol) photos though, it was really interesting. Good street art is up there with the best of them imo and given the context of the gallery, it’s no surprise that a lot of the art is politically charged, which just adds an extra layer of appeal to it. There’s also a lot of good photo ops, or so drunk me clearly thought.

3. Topography of Terror

Built on top of the former SS Reich Main Security Office, the Topography of Terror is a museum I’d say you need to set aside at least 2 and a half/3 hours for to properly do. There’s so much information to get through and I’d say I ended up skimming half of it towards the end because we were short on time; I later found out that there’s even more to see outside which we didn’t even touch.

4. Jewish Museum

Unfortunately, a lot of the Jewish Museum was closed when we went but it’s still a very physically impressive building with exhibitions that are equal parts daunting and thought-provoking, relating to both the Jewish experience during the Second World War and Jewish culture in general.

5. Museum Island

We didn’t actually go in any of the museums on Museum Island but we walked around and sat at a nice little green spot nearby; t’s very pretty to explore, especially as the sun is going down. There were plenty of bars around and people drinking, sunbathing and listening to music by the river. Generally a really relaxed vibe.

6. Fritzies

I know dirty fries aren’t the classiest thing ever but the ones from this place tasted really fucking good. How can you go wrong with a fast food restaurant dedicated to chips?

7. The History: Brandenberg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler’s Bunker, Jewish Memorial

Most of these places are within walking distance of each other and we did them all within a couple of hours. Like I said, the best thing about Berlin is the history so I think making an effort to see all these things is really important. On our last night we managed to find out, via a nearby poster, about a free show on the river (with English subtitles obviously; as the basic monolingual bitch I am, anything other than dankeschön and hallo went right over my head) which covered major points in the history of the Reichstag over the last century; it was the perfect way to round off our trip.

8. KW Institute for Contemporary Art

This museum was half the overly pretentious contemporary art that makes classicists roll their eyes:

-though I do actually like it, sue me-

And half the simple, but millennially-inspired kinda stuff that I love. Like, that top collection got me feeling like the new Van Gogh every time I accidentally screenshot my home screen.

So obviously, I rated it. And side-note, the building in general, which had an old, unused warehouse kinda thing going on, along with a shady little courtyard outside, was very cool.

9. Pizza Nostra

Look at this photo. Do I need to say any more?

Future Berlin Bucket List:

Historical River Cruise

Return to the Jewish Museum

The Story of Berlin Museum

Berghain (even just to see it from the outside)

About Blank, Suicide Circus, i.e one of the tamer, more mainstream clubs

Anne Frank Zentrum

Hackescher Hof

Oranienburger Strasse and Kunsthaus Tacheles

Prague, Czech Republic

I absolutely adored Prague. From the second I stepped out of the metro station into Old Town Square on our first evening, I felt like I was walking into a fairytale. All the buildings were so ornate and beautiful, everywhere you look is like a postcard. There’s so much history there which we only really had time to scrape the surface of and I can’t wait to go back.

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Dakura which was only around £15 a night and a few metro stops from the city centre. As you can see, it’s a little outdated but all in all, still clean and comfortable. The dorm and bathrooms were very spacious and there was an outdoor seating area with benches and ping-pong too. I’d definitely say it was good value for money.

Prague Top Things to do:

1. Explore Old Town

The Old Town part of Prague is definitely the main attraction, from the cute and very typically European seating areas outside the restaurants, to the Trdelnik shops, to the gothic statues, and the colourful buildings that surround them; you'll feel like you’re walking through a mix between a shopping mall and a medieval time capsule. There’s not really all that much point me putting Old Town on the must-do list as it’s pretty much unavoidable but I liked it so much I just couldn’t leave it out. I really haven’t been anywhere like it before. It’s part Westeros, part Fantasyland at Disney (with some stag dos thrown in), and that’s saying something; Disney World comparisons do not come easy from me.

2. Letna Hill

A bit of a steep walk uphill but totally worth it for the view of the city. Lots of cool bars and places to get cheap beer and cider too, if that’s your kinda thing. Spirits, to my dismay, are pretty much the same price as they are back home. Not that it was on Letna Hill but I paid €20 for 2 doubles one night. €20. PRAGUE IS CHEAP FOR ALCOHOL, THEY SAID. YOU CAN GET PISSED FOR A TENNER, THEY SAID. IT’LL BE FUN, THEY SAID. Sigh.

PROTIP: Make sure you have cash on you, especially if you’re heading up Letna Hill, as they don’t take card at any of the bars and there aren’t any cash machines. There also aren’t any water fountains and the tap water isn’t drinkable, apparently. You know what there are, though? Rats.

I’m going to stop before I put anyone off. Our experience wasn’t the best but done right, I think you could have a really chilled evening here. Go to Letna Hill. It’s lovely.

3. Prague Castle

Also a bit of an uphill walk, Prague Castle is a gothic dream with live music, tantalising food stalls (hehe, tantalising, somebody hire me to write their cookbook ASAP) and insane views. Half the time I felt like I was in King’s Landing and the other half Hogwarts, and that is the kind of 50/50 split I live for.

4. Walk across Charles Bridge and walk alongside the Vltava River

I thought our day peaked when I came to the realisation, whilst crossing the Charles Bridge, that we were in fact surrounded by vaguely religious and mildly creepy Jesus-looking statues but then we reached the other side and soon after, became one with nature. We saw ducks! Otters. Swans. Inject that wholesome shit into my veins.

Also, a pigeon landed on me! That’s right, if you stand there with your arm out for long enough whilst walking alongside the Vltava River, you too can experience the fleeting terror that comes with the possibility of being pooed on but then the earth-shattering realisation that comes after: that pigeons, maybe, aren’t so bad after all. That they’re actually kinda cute in their own weird, scavenging way! That maybe the pigeon lady in Mary Poppins made some points! I mean, can’t we all relate to wanting to steal other people’s food? I definitely can. Consider me a changed woman.

5. GOAP Museum

Though I’m not much of a Salvador Dali fan and I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the “artwork” in this museum was actually just prints from google blown up on A2 photo paper, I thoroughly enjoyed the Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol sections of the GOAP.

-Untitled Salvador Dali-

The former is one of my absolute favourite artists so I definitely had to take a moment when I walked in and saw that not only did they have several of his original lithographs, but also a whole wall dedicated to him. I wish I had good photos but the lighting was a bit too artificial to really do it justice. The lithographs came out pretty well though:

Obviously Andy Warhol is an icon too; his exhibition in particular was hugely informative and well laid out, definitely a people pleaser. I couldn’t find all too much online but it seems like the exhibitions mentioned are permanent, so definitely go and check them out.

I also feel the need to mention that it was here I ascended to an elite level of art hoe by buying a Mucha lighter. Jokes on me because it doesn’t work very well, like...at all in anything windier than a very, very mild breeze, BUT it looks pretty, so points for that.

6. Cafe Chloe

Seeing the size of the queue outside Elan Cafe in London, it kinda blew my mind that considering its flower wall, you could just walk into Cafe Chloe and get a table straight away. Obviously the flower wall is a draw for Instagram purposes (yes, I’m a shallow human being, *insert Ariana Grande “and what about it?” gif here*) but the food was really good too. The perfect place to stop off for brunch.

7. Pedalos

Again, the pedalos under Charles Bridge are kind of a tourist trap but it was only around €12 between us to rent one for the hour; most of them appeared to be 4 seaters so you could get 2 more people in there and split the price again, making it even cheaper. Plus, it was really fun and we got to go right up to the ducks!

8. Karlovy Lazne

I’m not gonna lie, tackiness aside, I love a club with multiple rooms and this one had FIVE. There were a lot of English people in there and it did cost about 12 euros in cash to get in (take the cash out in advance as the machine outside charged quite a steep fee), but they played ABBA on more than one occasion so I have zero regrets. I mean, apart from drinking maybe a bit too much once again, but that’s kind of a given at this point. I can only apologise to my liver and what’s left of my dignity.

9. Joy Burger

NGL, the service here wasn’t the best and I kind of felt like I was annoying some of the staff literally just by trying to order my food BUT to be fair, I’d probably be annoyed by me too considering my upholding of the British tradition of asking everywhere if they speak English and hoping for the best rather than actually learning the native language. Anyway, back to the point: look at this burger. Fit. 10/10 would demolish again.

Future Prague Bucket List:

Museum Kampa

Petrin Hill

One of the free city walking tours

Pub crawl

Vienna, Austria

Honestly, of all the places we went to, Vienna was the one I was most pleasantly surprised by. Before going, I’d heard that there wasn’t much to do there and I thought that 24 hours would be more than enough to see the main attractions, but aside from Paris, it’s probably the city I want to revisit most. On every other block there seemed to be some kind of beautiful flower garden or sprawling palace or stately home or elegant cafe, but at the same time, it still had a very modern feel to it. A lot like Paris but more compact, and with a slightly Germanic twist. Plus, I had one of the best Maccies of my life here, so I really can’t complain.

The Hostel

For around £18 for the night we stayed in a 6 person dorm at the Wombats Hostel by Naschmarkt. Because we weren’t there too long, I didn’t get all that much of a feel for it but the communal areas and bar seemed very cool and the central part of the city was in walking distance. The dorms were a little small and outdated and we did get woken up by a fire alarm in the middle of the night but it gave me a kind of primary school trip type nostalgia so I didn’t mind too much. I’d probably look for another hostel if I went back to Vienna just because I think if you were staying for a while, you'd start to feel a bit cooped up in the room. For the one night, however, it was ideal.

Vienna Top Things to do:

1. Museum Quartier

We really only walked through Museum Quartier but there seemed to be loads going on and definitely lots to look at. There’s also a giant astroturf covered waterbed which sounds kinda wack but was actually super fun when I wasn’t fearing my head was going to be squashed like a watermelon by the kids quite literally throwing themselves around on it. So yeah! Check it out!

2. The Traffic Lights

It sounds silly but the traffic lights in the central part of Vienna are super cute. Have a stroll around and see how many of them you can spot. Berlin’s Ampelmann wishes.

3. Belvedere Palace Grounds

Boujie.

4. Schonbrunn Palace Grounds

Even boujier.

5. Volksgarten

I really felt like I was walking through the Red Queen’s gardens. Minus the crochet and threat of decapitation of course.

6. Max and Benito

SO GOOD. And a really funky seating area outside too. Probably best for a quick lunch and I also imagine would make great drunk food if you need an excuse to day drink.

Future Vienna Bucket List:

Natural History Museum of Vienna

Wien Museum

Leopold Museum

Belvedere Museum of Contemporary Art

Cafe hopping

Further explore MuseumQuartier

Naschmarkt

Budapest, Hungary

It might be an unpopular opinion but I didn’t adore Budapest as a city. To be honest, my expectations were probably slightly too high as I’d heard so many people rave about it. I can see why people like it so much: there’s loads of great places to eat, drinks are cheap, and ruin bars are very cool. My issue was just that I thought there’d be more to do in terms of daytime activities. The one art museum we went to was completely deserted and there didn’t seem to be as many historical places to explore as in some of the other cities we visited. Of course it’s all a matter of personal preference and I might have just not done enough research/planned enough, plus that’s still not to say I didn’t have a good time. We had some lovely chilled out days and the city kind of comes alive in a different way in the evening; the boat party we went to was by far the best night out we had throughout our trip and I had some insanely delicious food. We also hired an Air B&B here for about half the price of some of the hostels we stayed in, and so got to actually settle down and spread our stuff out for a few days; something that was much needed after living out of lockers for 2 weeks.

Budapest Top Things to do:

1. Mr.Funk’s

Look at this bad boy and tell me you don’t want to go to Mr.Funk’s and try one of their freakshakes. Tell me that freakshakes being banned in the UK wasn’t a devastating miscarriage of justice and an attack on my human rights. Tell me that I’m not a failure for leaving a donut behind. Pls. Validate me.

2. Street Food Karavan

Street Food Karavan is such a cool little spot with so many delicious looking food stalls, I honestly could’ve eaten there for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Plus loads of vegan and veggie options too.

3. Boat Party

I believe we booked our night through budapestboatparty.com and honestly it was so fun and such good value for money. It may have partly been down to the alcohol and the edible I had before, lol, but everything felt so surreal; I spent 90% of the event just being amazed by how beautiful our surroundings were and the combination of the breeze and the scenery and the music made for the absolute best atmosphere. Everyone we spoke to was so friendly and if I went back I’d love to do it again, maybe slightly more sober (unlikely) so I can take even more of it in. That being said, bear in mind that these kind of things can probably be a bit hit or miss. The friend that recommended the boat party told me that she spent the first half of the event avoiding being hit on by men twice her age, so clearly it depends a lot on the company, lol!

4. Kiosk

We didn’t actually have proper meals at Kiosk but we did find some deck chairs to sit on whilst we ate ice cream from one of the stalls they were running outside. The restaurant itself was inside but the outdoor seating had a stunning view of the sunset and the river and the area in general was really buzzing.

5. Shoes on the Danube

It’s a simple monument but the story behind the Shoes on the Danube makes it one of the most important things to see in Budapest.

6. Szechenyi Baths

Before we actually went into the baths, I was a bit grossed out. Like, it sounded great in theory but then we got there and I realised we were about to step into what is essentially a steaming pit of bodily fluids. BUT, put that minute, mildly repugnant detail aside and you’ll have a brilliant time. Start with the whirlpool in the outdoor area and by the time you’ve done that, you’ll be feeling wild enough to bath and sauna hop to your heart’s desire. Unless you are a real, compulsive germaphobe, pissing yourself at the sight of little kids and adults alike getting uncontrollably whisked around like a bunch of sweaty egg yolks is enough to make you put any (don’t get me wrong, warranted) hygiene concerns to one side. You can shower when you’re dead. That’s what they say, right?

7. Margaret Island

I think we had one of our most relaxed afternoons at Magaret Island, lying out on the grass by the dancing fountains; it’s definitely a great place to sunbathe, read, or grab a cheap alcoholic drink. There’s options for if you’re feeling more adventurous too: on our second visit there, we paid €10 between us to hire a pedal car for the hour and decided to cycle round the island. It was by the grace of god (or for the most part my friend’s very necessary backseat driving) that there was only one casualty of my steering. Angry Hungarian man, if you’re out there, I’m very sorry our pedal car almost knocked you off your bike. My bad. But yeah, my catastrophic attempt at doing the bare minimum physical activity aside, go and chill on Margaret Island. It’s super pretty.

8. Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion

Just a heads up that we paid around €4 or €5 each to go up to the top of Castle Hill with one of the companies giving out flyers at the bottom, so have a look and see if you can find a better deal before paying to ride the funicular. Once we did get up there we could hop on and off, and the ticket included a ride down as well. In terms of what to expect when you get up there, spectacular views. Though I found the castle itself a bit disappointing, Fisherman’s Bastion was really beautiful and had some great photo spots. If I went back to Budapest, I’d probably spend more time in the area as I think that’s where a lot of the history actually is.

9. Szimpla Kert

Probably the most famous ruin bar in Budapest, I really loved Szimpla Kert. It was a bit chaotic and very crowded but the eccentric interiors and open air courtyard gave it an almost magical feel that only a tiny number of bars I’ve been to have anything on. Vaulty Towers and Bar Elba in Waterloo I’m looking at you. Missing you and your overpriced drinks always xoxo

10. House of Terror

The House of Terror was my only real history fix whilst we were in Budapest and I found it really interesting. In particular, I liked how all the visitors took sheets of information in each room to read in our own time rather than us all trying to crowd round one sign. The basement part of the museum is presumably the main draw, and I understand why given how unnerving it is, but I enjoyed the whole museum. Obviously there are things you have to take with a pinch of salt and (our Air B&B host warned in our welcome package that it was slightly biased; I couldn’t find much about public opinion of the museum online so if by the slim chance somebody who knows more is reading this please let me know! Educate me!), but at the same time, if just for walking through the site of the past atrocities, there is definitely something to be gleaned by visiting.

11. Parliament Building

There was really no need for the Hungarian Parliamentary building to step on Westminter’s neck like that but...I guess she did what she had to do.

12. Ludwig Museum

Like I mentioned, this museum was pretty deserted but they did have some cool contemporary art and in particular an exhibition dedicated to the fashion designer Kiraly Tamas which I really enjoyed. His are the pieces in the photo above!

13. Donut Library

Oreo donuts. Need I say more?

14. La Fabbrica

A very boujie but surprisingly affordable Italian restaurant right opposite St.Stephen’s basilica (pictured), I had one of the many top tier spag bols on this trip here. The toilets are also stylish af and made me feel very much like a peasant so maybe wear something nice so you can get those good good HQ bathroom mirror pics. I was certainly not in any shape to do so. Those toilets were really wasted on my scruffy ass that day.

Future Budapest Bucket List:

The Hungarian National Gallery

Műcsarnok

Museum of Fine Arts

Budapest History Museum

Hungarian State Opera House

Flippermúzeum

Instant

Great Synagogue

Memento Park

Secret Walking Tour

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Though we mainly went to Ljubljana so that we could visit Lake Bled, it was still a very cute little area. Pretty small for a capital city but there were loads of day trips out from the centre and for the evenings, a whole range of lively bars and restaurants along the river.

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Kva right in the city centre and paid around €20 a night. The hostel itself was lovely and kind of felt like more of a young people’s B&B than hostel; the communal area in particular had a very cosy, personal feel to it and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. That being said, the actual rooms were very small and I did feel pretty cramped whilst we were there, more so than in any of the other hostels we stayed at.

Ljubljana Top Things to do:

1. Meselkova Mesa

About a 15 minute walk from the city centre, Meselkova Mesa is a very interesting place. I'm not going to lie, I did feel a little on edge whilst we were there, lol; it was pretty deserted apart from a couple of men having a very loud argument. Nevertheless, there’s some very cool buildings and street art so if you’re in a group, check it out.

2. Lake Bled

Our day trip to Lake Bled, a half hour coach journey from Ljubljana Station for IIRC €8 return, was one of my favourite things we did whilst inter-railing. Not only is it absolutely magnificent to look at but there’s so much to do that I feel like you could have your whole holiday there if you wanted to. Assault courses, hikes, swimming, water sports, rowing, tobogganing, chilling on the (yes, artificial) sand, whether you want to relax or thrill-seek, you’re going to have plenty to do.

3. Puffy

These mini pancakes were so good that I didn’t even notice the chocolate sauce was Nutella and that’s saying something because WHY DO THEY PUT IT ON EVERYTHING IN MAINLAND EUROPE!? PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE NUTELLA HAVE RIGHTS TOO!

4. Pop’s Place

The best burger of the entire trip, hands down, and the whole menu looked delicious. Would I fly to Ljubljana just to have another one? Probs.

5. Tivoli Park

A great place to sit down and read a book or go on a bike ride, or alternatively, if you’re me, awkwardly hide from a bunch of people from your hostel you irrationally believed were judging you earlier that day in the bathrooms.

6. Castle Walk

The uphill walk did kill me a little but I am mildly asthmatic so let’s put it down to that. Nothing to do with the fact I haven’t been to the gym in a year. Nothing at all. Anyways, the view was very pretty and though we didn’t go inside the castle, there’s apparently an escape room in there as well as a museum, a restaurant and a jazz club so definitely worth the minor hike.

7. Flower Market

If you go to the square where the food market is, by Dragon Bridge, you’ll find endless stalls of some of the most beautifully arranged flowers I’ve ever seen. It might be a seasonal thing, I’m not sure, but if you’re there in the summer, I’d recommend seeking the market out. They’re a very reasonable price and yes, I did specifically buy a sunflower for a photo op for 50 cent, guilty as charged. When vanity is that cheap I really can’t resist, lol.

8. Illusions Museum

I would definitely recommend going with at least one other person to get the most out of the Illusions Museum and €10 is pretty pricey but if you want to get a cheesy oh-look-I’m-standing-on-the-ceiling photo, here is your best bet.

9. Grefino Frozen Yogurt

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t actually like frozen yogurt myself but I can appreciate good food when I see it and my friend’s portion looked FIT. Plus, I always get excited when anything’s make your own; there will always be a part of me that feels incomplete without regular trips to Pizza Hut to overdo it with the ice cream factory (which this is basically a frozen yogurt, grown up version of). Miss you always.

Future Ljubljana Bucket List:

Escape Castle

Ljubljana Castle guided tour

Tobogganing at Lake Bled

Row to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria at Lake Bled

Škocjan Caves

MSUM

Venice, Italy

Everywhere you look in Venice is picture perfect. It literally looked exactly how it did in all the photos I’d seen beforehand. There’s so much to do and so many amazing looking places to eat, I could easily spend a relaxed week here. Emphasis on the relaxed because getting around does involve a lot of walking and a surprising amount of stairs, and we had to pack as much as we could into the short amount of time that we had. By the end of our first day in Venice alone, the word exhausted had a whole new meaning. In terms of public transport, there’s only really the boat system, and that’s a steep €18 for a day ticket. Probably partly due to my moaning, we did end up getting one of these on our last day, but that meant that we also got to go to the islands of Murano and Burano which are included. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back but it’s quite an overwhelming space: a bit disorientating, crowded, and very expensive! You’d have to give me a few years, lol!

The Hostel

Whilst in Venice we stayed at the Wombats Hostel in Mestre, for around £13 a night. We were lucky in that it had only opened the week before (they were actually celebrating its opening at the Wombats in Naschmarkt when we were there!), and so it was super cheap. I imagine by now the price would’ve increased as it was a lovely hostel. Being new there were obviously some teething problems: queues on the front desk were pretty long, the free drinks vouchers given out had mistakes in that you couldn’t redeem them for one of the drinks that was listed, the kitchens were apparently very overcrowded with 2 faulty hobs between about 50 people, and our room as well as the bathroom in the lobby frequently ran out of toilet paper. Other than that, the dorms were the most spacious, modern and breathable of all the hostels we stayed in and the bar and communal areas were great. The only thing to bear in mind is that you do have to get a train into the main island of Venice, but it’s only about €3 for a return and it’s a short journey.

Venice Top Things to do:

1. Peggy Guggenheim

A really beautiful museum and garden right on the waterfront, there were all kinds of modern and contemporary art and even a piece (pictured above) by Jenny Holzer who is one of my favourite contemporary artists! I definitely fangirled a little! Some other standouts were by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Max Ernst, Joan Mitchell and Willem de Kooning which I’m going to offload here to free up some space on my camera roll, lol:

Composition by Joan Mitchell (1962)

Silver Bedhead by Alexander Calder (1945-1946)

Untitled by Willem de Kooning (1958)

Circumcision by Max Ernst (1946)

2. Liberia Acqua Alta

An eclectic little bookshop tucked away down some Venetian side street with tower upon tower of some of the most random combinations of books I’ve ever seen, my favourite thing about Liberia Acqua Alta was the cat chilling behind the counter. It’s shameful the vigour with which the crazy cat lady in me jumped out but I actually did start tearing up at the sight of it. I hadn’t seen a cat in 3 WEEKS! I missed my babies okay:(

3. Takeaway Pizza

There’s loads of fresh takeaway pizza places around Venice but this particular slice was from a place called Farini. I think there might be more than one of them, and to be honest, when there’s pizza that delicious looking in the window, it would be a crime not to at least seek one out.

4. St.Mark’s Square and Basilica and Bridge of Sighs

It might be a huge tourist trap but you really can’t miss St.Mark’s Square. The Basilica is one of the most magnificent buildings I’ve ever seen and even as someone who is not at all religious, you can appreciate the thought and craftsmanship that went into it. The astrological clock right next to the basilica is also absolutely stunning, just as much so as the one in Prague, imo:

Getting dive-bombed by a flock of pigeons in the square was fun too. My life flashed before my eyes just for a moment. It was a humbling experience.

5. Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibit at Palazzo Zaguri

Basically, this exhibit was a collection of Da Vinci’s drawings of the anatomy of the human body side by side with the corresponding plasticised body parts. Really interesting and not at all as gory as it sounds, which was really the only disappointing part for me, lol.

6. Fondaco de Tedeschi

If you want a good view of the city without paying a fortune, Fondaco de Tedeschi is your place. It’s a fancy mall with a rooftop area that you can, by booking a time slot online, go up for free.

7. "Get Lost”

I’m not really someone that enjoys walking around aimlessly but if you’re gonna do that anywhere, Venice is your place. Every street and bridge and balcony is postcard worthy and there are pizza and ice cream and just generally good food places everywhere. You’re bound to stumble across at least one authentic, non wholesale mask shop whilst you’re wandering, and although there’s something vaguely creepy about a load of these blank faces staring out the shop windows at you, some of the displays are totally bewitching:

The middle display is from the shop window of the place that made the mask for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut which I thought was very cool!

8. Get a boat pass and visit Murano and Burano

As I said, on our last day we bought a boat pass (€18) and visited the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, Murano being the island famed for its glass, and Burano for its rainbow houses. Burano was definitely my favourite of the two; it was a buzzing place full of charming little stalls and shops and boats, and of course, colour. Plus, we even got some close cat encounters in there! Murano was pretty but a lot quieter and seemingly more spread out. The glass shops get a bit old after a while as most of them all have the same things in and so I think finding out where you can see a glass blowing demonstration or visiting the glass museum is a good idea if you are thinking of visiting.

9. Osteria Trattoria Al Nono Risorto

This was a super affordable little restaurant with a really lovely outdoor seating area, recommended by my friend’s mum. The service wasn’t amazing (they forgot about my friend’s pizza, lol) but I had what was probably my number one spaghetti bolognese of the whole trip here, and the garden was very pretty. Finding spots to eat a proper meal in Venice that aren’t going to charge you, like, €12 for the privilege of sitting down in a nice place is hard so I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Future Venice Bucket List:

La Biennale di Venezia

Lido di Venezia

St.Mark’s Campanile

Chiesa de San Giacomo

Gondola ride

Doge’s Palace

Punta della Dogana

Bugno Art Gallery

Palazzo Fortuny

Rome, Italy

Our final overnight destination, Rome was a lot more cosmopolitan than I expected it to be. I was so focussed on the historical side of things that I kinda forgot it’s a capital city and thus, is going to obviously be pretty commercial. Still, it’s strange to just be going down a very pedestrian street on a tram, turn to one side, and see the bloody Colosseum there. I’m not going to lie, by the time we got to Rome I wasn’t feeling my best and was physically pretty exhausted so I don’t feel like I got to appreciate it as much as I should have done; I ended up going back to our Air B&B a couple of the days, largely due to the heat. It was almost 40 fucking degrees! I was honest to god DRIPPING in sweat on the tram back at one point! But I definitely want to go back again, maybe some time when we aren’t feeling the effects of the planet withering and dying as much, and explore even more. Rome is undoubtedly a very cool place.

Rome Top Things to do:

1. Colosseum and Roman Forum

Before we went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, I kind of expected it to be something you looked at, went “wow, that’s cool”, and then moved on, lol, and I was low-key a bit pissed off that we were paying €20 to do so. When we did arrive, though, I was blown away by the scale of both the landmarks and how much there was to see and do there. The Roman Forum in particular went on for ages and there were signs regularly dotted about to tell you what it was you were looking at, what it used to be, and who built it, amongst other things; though I’d love to go back with a tour guide, it’s really not necessary. I can’t tell you how starstruck I was to see the foundations of a temple that Julius Caesar ordered to be built; the Romans have always been fascinating to me and I genuinely feel like I learnt SO MUCH on our visit. We booked a last minute whistle stop tour that got us in and out of both venues with allotted time slots, meaning that we couldn’t stay too long in the Forum, so I’d say if you can afford it, just go full out and buy skip the line tickets in advance. You could definitely make a day of it.

2. Fattori Ice Cream

From a really cute little independent shop near the Air B&B we were staying in, this ice cream was SO GOOD that my fussy-ass-self didn’t even mind that I’d accidentally picked a flavour with lemon in. It’s a bit out of the way but I’d say worth the journey, and there’s supposed to be a lot of good street art nearby so there’s non-food related excuses to make the detour too.

3. Vatican Museums and Basilica

Honestly, the Vatican is worth going to for the ceilings alone. Raphael’s frescos are some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and if anything was going to turn me (to Christianity I mean, lol), it’d be them. I love contemporary art and on the whole find classic art to be a bit repetitive and same-y in its themes but some of the work that can be found in the Vatican is just an example of the level of passion and dedication and patience that can be found in so many pieces of the period and is something that I think modern art can occasionally lack.

4. Aventine Hill

You’d think that a spot with such a good view of the city would be absolutely mobbed but Aventine Hill is just as serene as this photo makes it look. Do-ably uphill, amazing place to watch the sunset, and heads up: I can’t think of anywhere more romantic to propose.

5. MamaEats

One of many lively restaurants in the Travestere area, I had (surprise, surprise) another glorious spaghetti bolognese here. IIRC, they also specialise in gluten free food which is very forward-thinking!

6. Travestere and Riverbank

As I mentioned, Travestere is known for its host of buzzing bars and restaurants, but one thing we didn’t know about until we got to Rome was all the stalls and activities down on the riverbank. Though it didn’t seem to be a year-round thing, there was a whole strip of amazing food places and clothes and jewellery stalls and even some kind of VR experience down there which I would definitely recommend checking out if you are in Rome for the summer months.

8. St.Paul’s Outside the Wall

A really beautiful Church both inside and outside that's lacking absolutely nothing of St.Peter’s Basilica except the queues, my protip for visiting St.Paul’s Outside the Wall is to WEAR SOMETHING COVERING YOUR KNEES AND SHOULDERS. I mean, I’d say the same thing for all of the Italian Churches, but specifically this one because they WILL force these blue sheets of tarpaulin masquerading as “ponchos” upon you and you WILL feel like a complete and utter twat. You have been warned.

9. Street Art

We didn’t quite walk far enough to get to the cluster of street art by St.Paul’s Outside the Wall, but what we did see we found easily through the StreetArtRoma app, which marks out the various murals and professional graffiti points around the city. I think a really interesting day would be to hire a bike or a scooter and use the app to explore those various clusters that are dotted all around the city.

10. Largo di Torre Argentina

The site where Julius Caesar (yep, him again) was assassinated, but also the site which is now populated by a group of very cute, and also very friendly cats. We didn’t get to go in the daytime when the actual cat sanctuary was open but when I went down the steps to get a closer look at the site one of the evenings, several of them came to say hello! No offence to any Christians out there, but if there was one point on this trip when I felt I was truly in the presence of something greater, it was here. And they were furry and adorable. With whiskers:3

11. Parthenon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona

Basically, you gotta do all the big tourist spots. Yes, the Trevi fountain felt a lot like an overcrowded kids’ swimming pool, and yes, I did fear I was about to get yeeted into the fountain like a coin at some points too, but it is undeniably a very captivating sight. Along with the Parthenon, it’s a prime example of Rome not really being what I expected, because there’s no big clearing for either of them; they’re literally just slap bang in the middle of the street like they’re NBD, which is kinda wild considering they're hugely important pieces of history and architecture. Piazza Navona is very pretty too and a great place to sit down and get something to eat, even if it was just boxed pasta from one of the supermarkets round the corner in our case.

Future Rome Bucket List:

Galleria Borghese

MAXXI Museum

MACRO Museum

Cinecitta Film Studios

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna

Capitoline Museum

Milan, Italy

We only visited Milan for the day as that was where we got out flights home from but I still really enjoyed it. I went once in 2018 and I think the appeal back then was lost at me, but this time I get it: shopping, lol. There’s also a lot of art and fashion museums which are a huge part of the draw, and of course, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle; I think if you’re a person with *ahem* a fucking shitload of money, that’ll be enough to occupy you for at least a day or two.

Milan Top Things to do:

1. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

The oldest shopping mall in Italy and undoubtedly the most beautiful, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele might be the boujiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in. Sure, the shops are too intimidatingly expensive to consider even attempting to enter but they’re fun to marvel at and the general area has every typical high street store you can think of. Even the Zara in Milan looks like a fashion Haus inside! The same shop that in my local town centre resembles a jumble sale a good 50% of the time! So yeah, despite not having any money to spend and the fact that I was *supposed* to be on a shopping ban until October, I still like wandering around the area.

2. Novecento Museum

With several floors of modern art, interactive exhibitions (which you had to sign a RELEASE FORM to participate in), and an amazing view of Il Duomo upstairs, I really enjoyed the Novecento Museum. I thought it was going to a be a disappointing alternative to the Armani Museum, which was closed at the time, but it ended up being one of my favourite museums we visited on our whole trip.

3. Sforza Castle

My friend that we met up with whilst in Milan (she has a flat in the city! I’m very impressed!) took us here and we sat down in the grounds for a bit, which was a nice way to chill out for an hour or so. There was a fountain out the front that people were paddling in to cool off too and there seemed to be several exhibits going on inside the castle as well if you did want to get a bit of background.

4. Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Via Cordusio

The fanciest Starbucks I’ve ever seen in my life. Again, intimidatingly so. But if you like your coffee you will probs be in heaven.

5. Gallerie d’Italia

So me and my sister went here the last time we came to Milan and IIRC, really liked it. The modern art section was a bit sparse but the rest of the museum continued into some kind of grand old building and the usual stately home staples that I love were of course there in abundance: intricate ceilings, palatial stairways, opulent chandeliers, beautiful flower gardens, the place is basically a labyrinth of decadence and we lapped it up, lol. People being rich enough to own buildings like this? No. Them being open to the general public so we can go wild in them? Yes.

Future Milan Bucket List:

Armani Museum

Navigli

Go in the Duomo

Barcelona, Catalonia

I’ve been to Barcelona about 4 or 5 times now and aside from Paris and London, there is no other European city that compares. It’s so huge, full of character and unique beauty, and endless things to do, that I could return probably about 10 times more and still leave with an incomplete bucket list. With stunning architecture, a laid-back coastline and bustling commercial areas, it’s a city with such a consistent vibe and sense of history. The only thing they could do to make it better? Take down the Christopher Columbus monument. Because having a giant statue of a man who facilitated the genocide of a whole country full of native people is a bit...yikes. Sorry, had to drop that in there. But on the whole I adore the place.

Barcelona Top Things to do:

1. CosmoCaixa

We didn’t actually go to CosmoCaixa on this trip to Barcelona, but we went a few years ago and it’s without a doubt, the coolest science museum I’ve ever been too. There’s information in Spanish, Catalan and English so most people can probably follow the exhibitions and even if not, there’s a whole interactive area with a load of contraptions that you don’t really need to understand to be entertained by. You could definitely make a whole day of it too; we went for about 3 hours and still only scratched the surface.

2. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

2 things!

Firstly, this is a portrait of Colette, the French novelist, which me and my sister got really excited about because we kinda stan after watching that Kiera Knightley film!

Secondly, and probs more importantly, the modern art section of Museum Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is one of the most ingeniously laid out I’ve even seen. With the sections separated into different eras of Catalonian art, it kinda reads like a whistle stop tour of the cultural history of Barcelona, and so not only did I see so many gorgeous paintings, I got educated af! Also, the building which the museum is housed in, the Palau Nacional, is stunning. Plus, there are escalators most of the way up. Iconic.

3. Portaventura

It was my sister and I’s fourth time visiting Portaventura this year and it was as amazing an experience as ever! The park is split into different themed areas, kinda like Disney, and has everything from thrill rides to Sesame Street Land (which is low-key super fun). It has what is probably one of my favourite rides ever, Shambhala, and also randomly the best theme park food I’ve ever tasted. One thing I would say is that the accompanying park, Ferrari Land, isn’t worth the extra money as the queues are super long, and there’s only really one ride worth going on, which is basically just a replica of Stealth at Thorpe Park. Same goes for the neighbouring water park; unless you’re going to pay for express passes there, give it a miss. The lockers are €10, the queues are ridiculous, the wave pool didn’t work (not that the staff bothered to tell everyone who was just stood there waiting for an hour) and the “lazy” river is pure anarchy. Literally, kids half-drowning themselves for the lols, popping up under your rubber ring when you least expect it, and then being screamed at by their parents. I live for a bit of chaotic energy but that lazy river...

4. Visit Sitges

A small city on the coast about half an hour from Barcelona, I really cannot recommend Sitges enough. There’s a ton of cute little art museums, delicious restaurants, heavenly beaches (the waves are INSANELY GOOD! You WILL get knocked under water half a dozen times but you also get to watch it repeatedly happen to other people too and it’s great), and a fucking ridiculously hard assault course out in the sea that me and my sister tanked at, hard. There’s incredible food places everywhere but favourites are Pom D’Amour and Dino for ice cream and sweet treats, and Beach House, Big Al’s American Kitchen, and Soca for mains . There’s also a really prominent LGBT community, plus lots of bars, pubs and clubs. Honestly, if you’re going to Barcelona, I really recommend staying around here as you get away from the the majority of the tourists but can still easily get in to the city by train.

5. Walking with Gaudi at the Gaudi Exhibition Centre

A very cool, very interactive exhibition that dives into the life of Gaudi, his creative process, his projects and his influences. My sister particularly liked the replica of El Drac. Like, she for whatever reason thought it was cute. Named it. Made us walk up to Parc Guell to try and see it. Wouldn’t leave the area til she got a keychain of it. Sigh.

6. Passeig de Gracia

Down Passeig de Gracia, you can both wistfully gaze through the windows of the designer shops you pass by, and actually spend your money (too much in my case) in the high street ones. Best of both worlds, bby.

7. Casa Battlo

So it’s on Passeig de Gracia, pretty much opposite the metro station, but I had to give it its own little bit because it’s my favourite Gaudi building. Kinda looks like something aliens would build, kinda looks like something that sprang out of the ground, but that’s pretty much what Gaudi did best.

8. Park Guell

Just a warning, Park Guell is VERY uphill, and we somehow ended up getting off at the metro station right at the bottom of that hill, only to find out once we got up there that you had to book a slot and that all the slots for the rest of that day were sold out. My sister didn’t get to see her dragon and I was pissed off that I’d just nearly busted a lung open and regretted throwing my inhaler away for 20 minutes straight whilst getting up there, but it was still a pretty good view and we did get to see a bit of the park. Moral of the story though is to obviously book Park Guell before you go.

9. Sagrada Familia

We’ve never actually been in to the Sagrada Familia, again, because we’ve never thought to book it (I want to absolve myself of responsibility here since every time I’ve gone to Barcelona before this trip, I’ve been a baby and let my parents organise everything), but it is an absolutely magnificent building even from the outside. I would one day love to go in and go up the spiral staircase though, because it looks fucking terrifying and I’m one of those strange people who likes being scared every once in a while.

10. Buenas Migas

I’m pretty sure it’s a chain thing but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a focacceria, and maybe I’m just uncultured but...I got pretty excited. That being said, my sister and I both ended up getting pizza; it was as tasty as it looks.

13. Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya

The most typically mediterranean looking square you’ll ever see, Plaza Catalunya is the perfect place to stop off and get some tapas whilst you’re exploring Las Ramblas.

14. Mount Tibidabo

“I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside of Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo”...yes, I got excited to go here because of the Friends reference (I’m a basic bitch who likes friends AND has other personality traits, smd), but equally so by all the adorable old-timey fair ground rides once we did get up there. It was a few years ago now, so I’m not sure exactly how it worked but I do vaguely remember it being a bit of a rip off in that you had to pay to ride them all individually, so it’s good to know that the view from the Church and the Church itself is more than enough of a reason to go up. There’s also places to eat on the walk down and plenty of ice cream and food stalls up there.

Future Barcelona Bucket List:

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)

European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM)

El Jardin del Gats

Port Cable Car

Carrer de la Neu de Sant Cugat

So, that was my summer! 100% the most eventful one I’ve ever had! I’d love to go back to every one of these places, at least for a day, and am so grateful I got to have this experience. I definitely missed home a lot and maintaining your wellbeing whilst out of your comfort zone is hard, I’m not going to lie, but I hope that a year from now I’ll be feeling even more adventurous.

There are so many places in Europe I desperately want to go to, some even more so now that I’ve visited the country. Now that I’ve been to Germany, for example, I’d be really interested in seeing somewhere like Munich or Cologne, as they’re supposed to have a completely different vibe from Berlin. It also really inspired me to get back into Spanish and possibly even learn French.

I don’t know if anyone who is going inter-railing will read this but if they do, feel free to message me if you have any questions. My friend did pretty much all of the organising so I’m not the most knowledgeable person ever but I will do my very best to answer! Similarly, if anybody has any recommendations of other places to go whilst in any of these cities, food places and art museums especially (lol), let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Lauren x

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arabeyacairo-blog · 5 years ago

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Food, fun, transportation- oh my!

How much do things cost in Cairo? How much do I need to bring for a month in Egypt in 2019?

Here we outline some expenses for each a frugal, moderate or unrestricted budget to give you a sense of your spending options and general costs in Cairo.

To note, the value of the Egyptian pound and corresponding exchange rates have changed a lot in the last few years. For reference, this article was written in April 2019 and the exchange rate is currently about 1 USD = 17.5 EGP

.How much should I budget for a month in Egypt in 2019?

In general, we recommend students budget between $300-$500 USD per month for life in Cairo. It is also possible to live on $200/month for those who budget well.

Like any place, there is a huge difference in how the frugal and luxurious live in Cairo, and students studying Arabic will have budgets that vary greatly depending on how they eat, get around and spend their time.

Since cost of living in Egypt is cheaper than cost of living in most of the home country of our students, many Arabic students take advantage of the cheap prices to buy and do things that they would not splurge on at home- such as taxis and always eating out.

Here we outline expenses for people who are living on different budgets in the school accommodations.

How can I live cheaply in Egypt?

The students who live the most cheaply in Cairo are the ones who take public transportation, cook for themselves, and have exceptional bargaining skills.

Therefore as your Arabic improves and you become more comfortable in Egypt, you will find it easier to live a cheaper lifestyle.

One key to saving money in Cairo is that you have to think in Egyptian pounds. It is easy to convert the prices in your head and say to yourself, "Okay, this taxi ride is only $3.50, that's not bad" but that $3.50 is 60 LE which could buy you 20 metro tickets.

The cheapest way to live in Cairo is to follow the example of thrifty locals. Personally, I make a combination of the most cheapest options, middle options, and then splurge for some things when I'm feeling homesick.

I take public transportation and the metro everywhere I can, but I call an Uber at night or when I'm feeling tired, and I treat myself to a bowl of pasta every once in a while.

How much does food cost in Cairo?

Part of the joy of living in Cairo is the amazing food options. From Egyptian street food, to home-cooked meals, you should try to try a little bit of everything while you're here. There are food options to fit different student budgets and you can live very cheaply or also find imported foods that you might be missing.

For students who like to cook, students say they spend around 450-750 LE (around $25-$45 USD) on groceries for a week, depending on where they shop and how much they cook. Local vegetable stands are the cheapest places around to get what you need and there are also upscale supermarkets around the city.

For eating out or ordering in, here are some outlines of different food options and their prices to give you an idea of how much you might spend while here:

Foul and tamiyya sandwiches from a street cart: 3 LE

A medium-sized bowl of koshary: 20 LE

Fresh juice from a local stand: 20 LE

Shawarma sandwiches from Shabrawy: 25-30 LE

A coffee in a cafe downtown: 30 LE

Lamb shish kebab from the corner kebab store: 60 LE

Biriyani and chicken tikka in an Indian restaurant in Zamalek: 90 LE

A medium-sized pizza ordered in from Pizza Hut: 100 LE

A bowl of pasta in Zamalek: 120 LE

Again, the average student eats from a combination of the cheapest street foods to the nicer international restaurants. In the beginning, as your body adjusts to the environment and food, it can be better to spend more on slightly nicer foods to avoid an upset stomach.

Bon appétit!

How much are transportation costs in Cairo?

Learning to get around Cairo is an adventure in itself!

As a metropolis of over 20 million people, Cairo holds an endless sea of buses, cars and scooters moving from place to place. You'll have fun learning the microbus signs, reading the Cairo metro map, and exploring different neighborhoods and the different routes to get there.

Staring out the window of the bus is a great time to practice your Arabic reading skills as you pass by signs and advertisements ready to be read.

The cheapest options for getting around are buses, microbuses and the metro. Microbuses and buses take some time to get used to as you need to learn the routes and the layout of the city. The metro is fairly simple to use and takes you to most of the different places you would need to go- but it doesn't extend everywhere in the city yet.

The most comfortable options are Uber and Careem (Uber's local counterpart), and there is the option to call a normal car, a scooter/motobike, or sometimes a tuk-tuk. The apps can be connected to your card for convenience or you can pay in cash.

Here are some outlined transportation costs to give you an idea of how much to bring with you for a month in Cairo:

Buses: 2.5- 3 LE

Microbuses: 2.5- 3 LE

Metro: 3-7 LE per ticket, depending on how many stations you go.

Uber scooter: average 10-45 LE, depending on how far you go

Tuk-Tuk: average 10-30 LE, for short rides along back streets

Uber or Careem: average 15-125 LE, depending on how far you go

Biking: Around 1000LE to buy a bike here and then you can try to re-sell it as you leave. Cairo is not a very bike-friendly city but it is becoming more popular in recent years as a way to weave through traffic and be more eco-friendly. We recommend checking out groups like Project Pink or Cairo Cycling Geckos if students are interested in cycling.

Walking: Free! The school and accommodations are walking distance from each other so that you can save time and money with no commute. Make sure to take some long walks across the bridges over the Nile before you leave.

Personally, we recommend taking a combination of both depending on your budget, Arabic ability and comfort level.

Try out public transport options in Cairo and see if it is something you are comfortable with, and try to explore the different routes and transportation options to get where you need to go.

How much do fun things cost in Cairo?

A budget is not complete without money set aside for having fun!

There are plenty of cafes, museums, concerts and trips to take during your time in Egypt, depending on your lifestyle and travel plans and this might end up being your biggest cost. Make sure to set aside money to travel to different cities on the weekends, pick up some souvenirs for people back home, and to get involved in different activities after class.

Here are some outlined prices of some things that students like to do in their free time:

Enjoying two coffees in an outdoor qahwa with a game of backgammon: 60 LE

Entrance into a sporting club or "nady" to exercise or hang out: 25 LE

Listening to a traditional concert at Sad El Sawy Culture Wheel in Zamalek: 60-80 LE

An afternoon in the Islamic Art Museum: 120 LE

Entrance into historical sites: 60-200 LE

Buses to different cities within Egypt: 85-350 LE

A night in a hostel in different cities in Egypt: 150-250 LE

How much can you buy with $10 in Egypt?

Students coming from the US or EU will generally find life in Egypt quite cheap and will be able to live comfortably for much cheaper than their home cities.

Currently $10 USD is about 200 LE.

200LE in Egypt can be enough for your daily expenses for 2-3 days, or it can be enough for one fancy meal in a restaurant or one alcohol beverage. So how much you spend depends on how you live your life here.

If you really want to save money- you have to think in Egyptian pounds and not in dollars or euros. You can take a taxi ride for 40-50LE and say that that is not much because it is only $3, but there might be an option of public transport for 3LE.

How to live comfortable in Cairo for less than $10/day?

If you want $10 to go the farthest in Egypt, while still having fun, you could live your life like this:

Walk to school!

Eat breakfast at Shrabrawy (a foul sandwich and a fried egg sandwich): 6 LE

Buy a bottle of water and snacks at the khushk (kiosk or corner store): 20 LE

Make coffee or tea at the school: 0 LE

Buy vegetables, rice and cook lunch after school: 30 LE

Take public transport to downtown and hang out in a cafe: 6 LE for the microbus there and back, 30 LE for a coffee, and 30 LE for your friend's coffee. (Treat them- as it's the Egyptian way!)

Get dinner of bowl of koshary or shawarma sandwich: 25 LE

Go to see a movie to practice your Arabic listening skills: 40 LE for a ticket (depends on the place)

Buy popcorn at the movies: 10LE

You have 3LE left to buy a chocolate or save for tomorrow!

Save your pennies and come to Cairo- we're looking forward to seeing you soon :)

#budget #cairo #egypt #egyptian #summer #arabic language #arab #arabic #course #courses #how to make it

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mynameisdreartblog · 5 years ago

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Devilish Deals 3

Libra: Offered cool-ass, hellfire bullets. On my route to work, there’s several things I always remark a subtle difference of change in whenever I pass them by: The color of this single window that portrays a lovely dining room scene, the angle the traffic lights hang at, and the name engraved on a rather fancy mausoleum to long-dead celebrity. I can’t tell if I was endowed with a foresight to detect the incredibly subtle, or if it’s an involved process like deciphering anagrams. Regardless, certain messages have been changing to be something that corresponded with recent events within my life. Two years ago, a supply that was supposed to arrive at six in the afternoon was late by another six hours: I checked outside the coordinates they gave me, and I ran only to find out that the site was abandoned. The truck was still there, but it was torn nearly in two and the books were gone. Witnesses had nothing to say before casting their attention to darker corners, alluding that something had happened here that they didn’t want to tell me. [,] The morning after, I passed by that window and it was tinted an irradiated yellow that reflected just enough sunlight for you to avoid seeing what’s behind it. Then, I passed by the traffic lights and they hung at an unusual angle that was 30° facing north from where they’re positioned normally: Not only this, the second light was duller and quite hard to make out. Finally, the mausoleum located in the bottom-right corner of the local cemetery said that it was honoring Yisrael Katz, who — last time I checked — was still alive somewhat. I was passing by the first two attempting to avoid how they were calling to me until I got to the last sign: At that point, I had to ask someone. So, I got off my horse and approached a gravedigger in the cemetery… But he refused to look towards me and instead to arbitrary corners: Indicating that someone was there I couldn’t sense. Suddenly, I was back on my horse towards my workplace as usual. […] Later I was approached by crossing guards who took their duty very seriously, though the ones that stopped me didn’t wear brightly colored vests and actively carried military weaponry. That was something that wasn’t out of the ordinary, so I forgot all about the paranormal disturbances from earlier and I continued on with my day… that was until today where the crossing guards weren’t carrying assault rifles. [,] «Cool, that’s… actually quite interesting. Spare me another story will you?» Heh, and here I was expecting the same old sarcasm from you.

Cancer: In a bus. It was a cold, drowsy morning: One that told you God listened to too much loud music and it started giving him early symptoms of tinnitus. Here, we zoom into a quiet corner of the Patagonian landscape into a somewhat isolated townscape that’s aching with the fog that surrounds it: Even the dry plateaus felt misty this morning. In the center of this village, the statue of Blessed Whoever stood as unquestionably incompetently as you’d expect, decorated with the linings of bird defecation. From its mighty stone finger pointing eastward, there could be seen a low-end shopping center that served as the fourth quadrant that made up the village square. All was quaint except for two villagers having a troublesome argument near the fountain. There’s nothing else for us to do here as eavesdroppers from inside the walls, — the one they just so happened to lean on when they began to fuss — so we’ll take whatever information we can receive from the outside. [,] Peer into a life you were never meant to understand and ask yourself questions: Why are they arguing? Are the typical, emotionally logical reasons why it’s occurring, or is it strange, esoteric reasons? What’s the tone of voice being used by each party? Are they pious people or secular snakes? Is it about the, uh, family business? […] We’ve been eavesdropping for so long that the sun has turned a noticeable fifteen degrees in the sky. And for as much as the sun had turned, the conversation had turned for the worse. Both of the voices were becoming louder and more parched as the subject matter shifted from academic performance to finances. Each party is becoming more thoroughly stubborn in their assessments. It seems that it’s in our interests that no compromise is reached if we’re continued to lay near this building and pretend we’re only homeless in the moment. You lived long enough to know that getting too far up one’s own ass is a very real thing, and you’re aware of the epiphanic powers that one’s inner self holds in how the reconsiderations never leave the space where the self feels trapped oftentimes by their own causation. We’ve spent long enough invading privacy; let’s leave, Kokin: We’ve done enough amoral narration for now. […] Oh, I meant this literally; I have no idea why you thought I was talking about arrogance when I mentioned shoving one’s head up their own ass.

Virgo: By dancing for them. Like the band Paramore (whose recent work was pretty good; I don’t know why so many think it’s lackluster just because it’s not traditionally punk), we must complete an arbitrary number of world-records to the tune of a new power-pop track. <Bluma turns toward the crowd of unamused city-folk gathered around her rather dignified soapbox.> I see you must’ve all come here for a reason, and we mustn’t disappoint. <A small coughing can be heard in the back of the crowd, and another person reacts with disgust over the cougher not covering their mouth with their shoulder.> Before we perform, we must list all of the feasible, previously uncontested world records that we’ll attempt to perform today. Refer to the whiteboard above me, read it, and understand the potential records as its followed so you don’t become confused during the process. <The whiteboard is shown, and all the records are written in a dried, green marker that makes the text hard to read.> [,] For those who still can’t grasp it, I’ll read them out: 1. The highest stacking of Starbursts. 2. The fastest time to teach a child how to comprehend Baudrillardian thought. 3. The farthest-reaching skipping stone. 4. The most amount of ding-dong-ditches in the span of six hours. 5… <Those of the audience who wanted to see some action left as they became bored through the persistent listing, adding to Bluma’s plan.> [,] Now, those of you with the proper faith left to trust us, we’ll be performing in T-minus sixty seconds. I’m Bluma, and this is my band: Gamerghazi. «Wait, was this supposed to be a concert? I thought it was just a demonstration.» <Bluma drops down from her soapbox and kicks it into the crowd, indirectly hitting the one who asked that question.> Well, actually, it’s not really a musical band: It’s an unclear organization of people that doesn’t fit into any neat category, so I just call it a band for simplicity’s sake. I named it Gamerghazi after an existing indie band from Canada. <The questioner, now on the ground, responds> «Oh okay, that’s neat.» […] <While in the midst of completing the second record, Bluma triggers a supernatural event> In that moment of silence that broke everything — and broke more world records for me than any of those Guinness books I stole in my childhood — I felt like I was in a space of reality completely tailored towards who I’ve become to be over this quarter of a lifetime. There was a serenity that I somehow knew wasn’t meant to be there, and had to come at the cost of removing the presence of others to restore a sense of balance. It’s as if all of those years of listening to the powerful anthems of contemporary pop music — that which was calling for world domination via style alone — made all the sense in the world to me. <Bluma awakes to find out that she’s been accused of faking the first record by using non-traditional flavors of Starburst.>

Sagittarius: For some job experience. I forgot what time this took place… It seems to have shifted so much, and I feel like someone can live on the same planet that I do but be a hundred years ahead in terms of how quickly than can coordinate action. There’s someone out there who’s an exact pinpoint reflection of myself and the path of life I’m tracing out, and that almost everything about them is identical to myself, yet having such varying differences in how they merely comprehend knowledge. They’re probably some sorta silicone-based lifeform, and they probably have a civilization that chose to etch its language into a more insane physical material through a process I can’t even begin to imagine… Might be that they live in a solar system the same as ours, only that they inhabit a slightly modified version in which Venus became the most hospitable place for life. They likely would’ve inhabited Ishtar and had a funny accent compared to those on the island of Tellus, but they’re too self-conscious to admit they have their own funny way of pronouncing Lakshmi words. «Let me guess, you’re projecting your desire for exploration on fictional worlds again, aren’t you?» <The atmosphere of the scene is settled in with the intrusion of Swayo’s words make their case. The exposed comfort of the campfire lights the entire scene, and Rossouw lowers their flask of gin. It was a far call from the nakedness of the AC back at home-base: Something that she had to finally accept as her new home and pass on by as if she’s never had a concept of stable living.> I feel like too much time has passed between your friendly intrusion and my monologue, but please, sit down and gaze further with me. [,] It’s not often that I engage in these; I generally despise sit-downs that I didn’t form myself because I’m paranoid that they’re gonna attempt to redirect me rather then the preferred: That I redirect them. But, I’ll make an exception for you because you broke my focus, and that warrants the punishment of getting to know me. «Uh, I just wanted to ask about your shirt.» Then why the comments from earlier? I was gonna make this at least somewhat heartfelt and now you’re just proving my point that any glimpse of peace I can have is just ripped away by people who didn’t even mean it, God. <The fire begins to die and the gin in Rossouw’s bottle begins to reach its last drops. The wind that feels like an AC returns at the small sense of comfort she had began to dissipate into usual expectations. It was a close call to the nakedness of the AC back at home-base.> [,] I’m gonna pretend you didn’t interrupt me... You’ve seen it on the news, and you’ve heard it in stories of abduction, sometimes we’re just granted with biological technology around us that grants us something that pushes us “ahead” in certain areas. «Where did you get that shirt, though?» I feel like too much time has passed… in general. I hope my otherworldly self has a home.

#Zodiaccupuncture #Zodipunc #Libra #Cancer #Virgo #Sagittarius

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mss4msu · 6 years ago

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“Do I Wanna Know?” (Chapter 1)

Summary: On a visit to a local nightclub, the lounge singer catches your eye. Soon becoming a regular at the club, the way you look on the dancefloor gets his attention. You begin to hear stories about the notorious crime lord who owns and operates the small nightclub. When your friends worry that you’ve gotten mixed up with a mobster, you wonder if it’s better to be left in the dark and find yourself asking, “Do I wanna know?” if you’re getting involved with one of the most revered mobsters in the city.

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky x Reader

Words: 2041

A/N: I went to an Arctic Monkeys concert and the lead singer had serious Seb GQ shoot vibez and I decided I needed a gangster fic featuring Arctic Monkeys songs so here it is. The fic (and this chapter specifically) are inspired by “Do I Wanna Know?”

Read the Full Story Here

The song in this chapter can be listened to here

“Come on, (Y/N), let’s gooooo!” your best friend, Jess, banged on the bathroom door.

“Give me one sec, I’m almost done!” you called back, applying one more coat of mascara and a last layer of red lipstick. You swung open the door of the bathroom.

“Dayyuumm!” Jess yelled at you, looking you up and down. You had chosen to wear your simple black dress that really accentuated your cleavage. “Alright, let’s go, Rachel’s meeting us there and we’re gonna be late because you took so long getting ready.”

“Oh, shut up,” you grabbed your purse off its hook, checking that your keys and wallet were inside and adding your phone. “How are we getting there?”

“I forgot you never go out,” Jess laughed at you, “I looked it up and the bus that stops right outside your place runs by it, so we’ll take that there and then grab a ride-share back here?”

“And why can’t we just take your car?”

“Because I don’t want to drive, because this place has the cheapest drinks in the area, so you know I’m going all in on those.”

“But the police just issued that new warning about public transportation at night….” you nervously replied. You had been reading through the newspaper this morning and seen that the mob activity in your area was increasing and the police were warning pedestrians to avoid particular bus routes, such as the one in front of your apartment, to cut down on potential innocent involvement.

“I’ve taken this exact bus route to this club before and I’ve survived. Plus, as long as we get on the bus now, there’s enough light that it shouldn’t be a problem. Now, come on, the bus gets here in 6 minutes and I don’t want to miss it and half to wait another 30.”

You didn’t bother arguing with her, and just followed her to the bus stop. You boarded the bus and couldn’t help but look anxiously around until Jess hit you to stop. She began chatting with you about meaningless things to keep your mind off the idea that mobsters could take over the bus at any minute.

“Alright, this is our stop,” Jess said, grabbing your hand and pulling you off the bus. You followed her like a lost puppy. You knew you could trust her, but your irrational side was terrified that mob guys were behind every corner and hidden in every shadow. You didn’t even know what a mob guy would look like, but you were terrified of them anyway.

You got to the door of the club and gave your IDs to the doorman. He seemed to linger on your ID longer than he did on Jess’s, but eventually he gave you a nod and opened the door for both of you to enter. A hostess met you inside the door and led you to the only open table in the very front of the dark club. With only dim candles to provide you light, you could hardly read the drink menu.

“(Y/N), stop trying to read that menu. Even your cheap ass can afford a drink here. There’s literally nothing over 10 dollars,” Jess snapped at you. “Rachel’s here!” She waved towards the door trying to catch Rachel’s eye in the dark room.

“Good luck getting her to see you. I don’t think I could even find my purse in here if I took it off.”

“Stop being a grump,” she told you as Rachel got to the table.

“Hey! (Y/N)! I can’t believe Jess got you to leave the house on a Friday for once! To what do we owe the honor?” Rachel asked you, sitting down.

“I had a long fucking week with Mr. Stark and I needed a night out,” you replied. When you were hired as Tony Stark’s personal assistant you had thought it would be a glamorous job full of cocktail hours and million dollar deals that you would take notes on; instead it was a whole lot of getting coffee, picking up dry cleaning, and late nights ensuring his many employees were properly scheduled for their work shifts. For whatever reason, Stark’s business had a high turnover of employees, so you had to continually update the schedule.

The waiter came to your table to take your orders. As you couldn’t read the menu, you simply asked for the cheapest thing that contained alcohol. Just a few minutes later a tallboy of PBR was placed in front of you. You downed it as the waiter gave Jess and Rachel their drinks, giving you a chance to order another.

“Damn, (Y/N)! I don’t even want to tell you to slow down!” Jess said.

“Yaaasss girl! This is gonna be a good night!” Rachel chimed in.

You caught up with both of them and learned all about their love lives and their work struggles. As your life basically revolved around Tony Stark, you didn’t have much to add to the conversation.

“Alright, It’s almost 9:00! (Y/N), get ready to see one of THE hottest men you have ever laid your eyes on!” Jess told you excitedly.

“I thought we came for the cheap drinks?” you asked confused.

“The cheap drinks are an added bonus, the lounge singer is the main event,” Rachel told you. “This man has the voice of an angel and the face of one too.”

“Alright, this was definitely a good night to come out then!” you replied, finishing your second beer and beginning to feel a buzz.

The lights on the stage came up, and a silence fell over the crowd. The curtain opened and you saw a tall, muscular man in a well-fitting suit standing behind a microphone, joined on the stage by a bass, a piano, and a drummer.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, The White Wolf and The Howlers,” an announcer voice said from somewhere off-stage. Applause filled the club.

“A one, a two, a one, two, three, four,” the man at the microphone, whom you assumed was ‘The White Wolf’, counted in with snaps. The drums began and the bass and piano joined in to create the beat. The White Wolf swayed side to side, feeling the music. He began to sing:

Have you got colour in your cheeks? Do you ever get the fear that you can't shift the type That sticks around like summat in your teeth? Are there some aces up your sleeve? Have you no idea that you're in deep? I’ve dreamt about you nearly every night this week How many secrets can you keep? 'Cause there's this tune I found That makes me think of you somehow And I play it on repeat Until I fall asleep Spilling drinks on my settee

You most certainly did have color in your cheeks as you audibly gulped, looking at Jess and Rachel. They quietly laughed at your response and Rachel whispered, “told ya!” in you ear. You could not believe how incredibly handsome this man was and couldn’t figure out how his voice could sound so smooth and yet slightly (and very sexily) raspy at the same time. Everything about him was perfect and you turned your attention back to him, not wanting to ever part your eyes from his face.

(Do I wanna know?) If this feeling flows both ways? (Sad to see you go) Was sorta hoping that you'd stay (Baby, we both know) That the nights were mainly made For saying things that you can't say tomorrow day

Crawling back to you Ever thought of calling when you’ve had a few? ‘Cause I always do Maybe I’m too busy being yours to fall for somebody new Now I’ve thought it through Crawling back to you

If you didn’t know better, you could’ve sworn that his eyes were locked on your just as tightly as yours were on him. It sent a tingling feeling through your stomach and up your spine.

So have you got the guts? Been wondering if your heart’s still open And if so, I wanna know what time it shuts Simmer down and pucker up I’m sorry to interrupt, it’s just I’m constantly on the cusp Of trying to kiss you I don’t know if you feel the same as I do We could be together if you wanted to

Now you knew he was staring at you as he mocked a kiss in your direction, causing Jess and Rachel to squeal. You had always laughed at those old romantic stories of women swooning, but you were convinced you could swoon any minute, as you were suddenly feeling very hot.

Crawling back to you Ever thought of calling when you’ve had a few? ‘Cause I always do Maybe I’m too busy being yours to fall for somebody new Now I’ve thought it through Crawling back to you

(Do I wanna know?) Too busy being yours to fall (Sad to see you go) Ever thought of calling, darling? (Do I wanna know?) Do you want me crawling back to you?

The lights on the stage went out and the curtains closed.

“What I wouldn’t give to have him crawling back to me right now,” you moaned to Jess and Rachel, causing them to both giggle. “Is that it? He just does one?” You were practically begging him back on stage.

“He always opens the night and then a few other acts come on and then he closes the show,” Jess told you.

“Holy shit, he was amazing,” you gushed.

“Yeah, he never disappoints,” Rachel replied.

You motioned for the watier to come to your table, “Dear sir, another round for the three of us on me in honor of my introduction to this very fine,” you looked at the stage, “establishment!”

The waiter brought you the drinks and you slid him a large tip, feeling extra generous now that you had been blessed by the voice of the angelic White Wolf. The rest of the night dragged on as you waited for the White Wolf to return to the stage for his closing act.

“Ok, this should be him up next!” Jess told you.

Your heart started racing as the curtain closed as the group currently on the stage finished.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to announce that The White Wolf and The Howlers have been called away to another gig. Our closing act for this evening will now be The Freightcars!”

“What the fuck!” You immediately covered your mouth, not meaning to swear out loud, but you had had 2 drinks too many and couldn’t control your language.

Jess and Rachel laughed. Rachel pulled out her phone to order a ride-share to pick you up.

“Come on, (Y/N), let’s get you home,” Jess grabbed your arm and helped you up, steering you towards the door.

The ride back to your apartment was filled with you gushing about how incredibly hot you thought the White Wolf was and how you needed to have him in your life. Jess and Rachel fed your obsession, trying to help you find him on social media. They successfully found the band’s Instagram page and you immediately liked it and in a drunken haze liked every single photo they had ever posted.

“Rachel, Jess, thank you for a wonderful evening that has changed my life forever. Same time next week?” You asked, unlocking your door and hugging them goodbye before they went to Jess’s car.

“Sure thing!” Rachel replied, laughing.

“I’m glad we’ve found something that’ll get you out of the house and away from the office!” Jess giggled, getting in the car.

You laid in bed scrolling through The White Wolf and The Howlers’ Instagram until you fell asleep.

CHAPTER TWO

#marvel #mobster au #bucky barnes #winter soldier #white wolf #bucky x reader #mobster bucky #fan fic #arctic monkeys #do i wanna know

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connectpalm-blog · 6 years ago

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aureliasaid · 3 years ago

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Arizona & Utah - National Parks

30 Years & Parkatecture

A 9 day tour of the National Parks of Arizona and Utah.

The Short Version (read on for more details)

Thursday-Saturday, April 23-25 2021

Historic El Tovar

Dinner in the dining room both nights

Kaibab Trail

Scenic Drive

Saturday, April 24

All en route to our next set of stops:

Glen Canyon

Navajo Historical Bridge over the Colorado River and numerous rafts having just started their jaunt into the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry Page Horseshoe Bend Under Cover Lake Powell glamping “resort.”

Sunday, April 25

Boat rentals were out due to weather/winds so visited Wahweap Marina Lone Rock Beach Zion and Zion Lodge Zion Adventures to figure out the Narrows Hike dinner in Springdale at Oscar’s

Monday, April 26

Angel’s Landing hike

Whiptail restaurant in Springdale for lunch Zion Lodge for dinner

Tuesday, April 27

Bryce Canyon National Park is a much higher altitude at 9100 ft and thus the rain of Zion was snow at Bryce.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon

Figure 8 trail which combines the Navajo, Peekaboo and Queen’s Garden Trails Dinner in Zion Lodge

Wednesday, April 28

Capital Reef National Park via Scenic Highway 12 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Cassidy’s Arch Trail. A+.

12 mile very rustic scenic drive

Moab Hilton Curio Collection Hoo Doo Hotel Antica Forma Italian restaurant

Thursday, April 29

Canyonlands National Park

The Maze

scenic drive, hiked several 2-3 mile hikes (XXX) Dead Horse State Park Dinner at Josie Wyatt restaurant

Friday, April 30

Arches

Salt Lake City - Kimpton Monaco Hotel.

HSL restaurant

LDS Temple

Know before you go

Utah liquor laws are odd. No food no drinks. 1.5 oz only per drink Lots of places with only beer and wine, though marijuana is legal. Go figure.

Study up on the Moab area esp how to attack Canyonlands which takes more than a day unless you just do Island in the Sky area, but it deserves much more than that. And there is something for everyone - esp if hiking is not for you - 4x4, airplane flights, etc.

Avoid the parks on the weekend if at all possible. Esp Zion and Arches I would not go to any of the Utah parks if you are going to do fairly serious hiking much after mid-May IMO. And def not the Grand Canyon. Books say start back in Sept...TBD. The heat and dry air are dangerous.

The Utah parks in particular are great for families as there are lots of short and fairly easy options climbing all over the rocks. Not so much for the Grand Canyon.

I might do southern Utah separate from the Moab area....so much to do in both areas on their own. Could combine Moab with some of Colorado.

Consider going to the parks during winter for a different experience esp Bryce where there is lots of cross country skiing and snowshoeing. There would also be plenty of snowmobiling.

Capital Reef is an easy park to do in a day. No huge need to spend a night here. We were glad we went on to Moab. Great park though cause it’s not crowded.

If you are visiting 3 parks in one year, an $80 annual pass will be a great investment and for a good cause.

Gran Canyon Tips

Def do the Kaibab Trail over the Bright Angel Trail...way better scenery and more dramatic Don’t go in the summer months period; Early May would be the latest I would go It’s coldest on the rim where it at 6000’. Every 1000’ descent, add 5 degrees Do lots of the overlooks on the rim scenic drive; all a bit different Layers and more layers Electrolytes The Grandview Trail looked like a great option as well.

THE FULL VERSION

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - Grand Canyon

In yet another reason to hate Ameican Airlines, our direct flight was cancelled 48 hrs before departure now with stop and change in DFW. 😡 But such is a travel and it didn’t suppress excitement and anticipation other than cut down on a potential late afternoon activity. Arrived Phoenix 1:30 and set off in our new home, a Mazda CX-5 past Sedona, to Flagstaff and felt right at home on I-40, except the end destination is LA, not Wilmington.

First stop is What-a-Burger for lunch and convenience store for styrofoam cooler and provisions. On to Grand Canyon Village with a stop outside the park for more substantial provisions. Don’t forget your yearly NPS pass if you have it!

Covid regs very prevalent as all museums and visitor centers closed, limited bus service and seats, mandatory masking, and reduced capacity in the restaurants that are open. BUT still packed. Lots of lodging options.....Historic El Tovar is the place of choice, designed in the 1904 by famed Mary Coltar, it has the divine feel of the parkatecture meant to be in keeping with the environment, but also more “luxurious” and cozy than the X Stanley Underwood historic lodges in many of the of parks. El Tovar def considers itself luxury and the prices reflect that both in lodging and in the delicious, highly desired dining room where tuxedoed wait staff show off their desserts as you enter and offer main courses $35 and up. The main theme is to highlight the Native American culture (Navajo, Hopi, etc.) through artwork, rugs, aesthetics, carvings and on the hotel china. Rooms are modernized and very comfortable with spacious and updated bathrooms.

If you don’t want to afford the EL Tovar, check out the equally historic, but perhaps less lux accommodations at the Bright Angel Lodge just down the way, also built in 1935 in the same log cabin feel. This also has individual cabins that look quite quaint and several dining options and bar. Aside from these, there are several other hotels right in the village with great views and up the way by the Visitor Center area.

A quick jaunt on the Rim Trail to get acclimated to Canyon Village and breathless views esp at sunset before having a relaxing dinner in the EL Tovar dining room which is a must whether staying there or not. Open breakfast, lunch and diner, reservations are essential though walk-ins are welcomed (the line had already started at 5pm!) It is the best room in the hotel....large, yet cozy with large stone fireplaces at either end flanked by large window views of the Canyon. Very sumptuous in its own way.

Friday, April 23 - Rim to Rim Hike, Grand Canyon

East Coast time works to your advantage as the earlier the better in getting on the trails. The Kaibab trail is considered the most picturesque and we can vouch for that. We had our styrofoam cooler breakfast at 6am, caught the hikers shuttle at 6:30 and got on the trail at 6:50 though the sun had long been up since 5am. You can pick your turnaround point at various miles. We had thought to turnaround at the 4 mile point of Tip Off, but the Colorado RIver was just (seemingly) close and lured us as if sirens beckoning us on. And so we did. After all it was only 2 more miles and all those other seemingly unlikely people were doing it. In fact they were going Rim-to-Rim. Why not? We had plenty of provisions after all and it wasn’t too hot.

The Colorado River was in fact gorgeous. the color of grass and so inviting, we made it to Black Bridge, the lunch-stopping point for rafters and the home to the famed Phantom Ranch and campgrounds. BTW, reservations to Ghost Ranch is by lottery and a year out. Good luck. And so, against all better judgement, we recklessly decide to go the Rim-to-Rim following the RIver Trail since Silver Bridge was closed and hooking up with the Bright Angel Trail which meant another 10 miles after having done 7. The theory was that it was different and not as steep as the return on Kaibab, but would be 3 more miles. Hm....lesser of two evils?? The River Trail was gorgeous, but as for the Bright Angel.....well, its a grueling slog. We are milking our R to R feat, but our feet (and knees) are still recovering. In hindsight, we shoulda stuck with the original plan which was down to Tip Off and then back (still uber strenuous) but then rent bikes and bike the Rim Trail which for non-canyon hiking sorts is perfectly gorgeous and can be 26 miles or 100 yards, whatever you want, and all flat!

Recovery consisted of ice cream, bath soak, laid out on the bed, and a martini with dinner back in El Tovar dining room.

TIPS: Def do the Kaibab Trail over the Bright Angel Trail...way better scenery and more dramatic Don’t go in the summer months period; Early May would be the latest I would go It’s coldest on the rim where it at 6000’. Every 1000’ descent, add 5 degrees Do lots of the overlooks on the rim scenic drive; all a bit different Layers and more layers Electrolytes The Grandview Trail looked like a great option as well.

Saturday, April 24 - On to Lake Powell, Under Canvas

An early, but comparatively relaxed morning. Though breakfast starts at 7am, there was already a 45 minute wait at 7:15, which may be more likely cause of Covid restrictions, but worth the wait with a divine breakfast that we deserved having eaten in rationed portions throughout the previous day’s death march.

Off by way of the Canyon Rim drive to numerous overlooks....check out Mather Point at the Visitor Center for a great view of all your previous hiking (bike rentals here too); then Hance Point for great river views and on to Lipton and Grand View.

Onward waving good bye to the GC our next set of stops including the Glen Canyon for the Navajo Historical Bridge which is just an awesome view over the multi shades of the deliciously green Colorado River and numerous rafts having just started their jaunt into the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry which is the put in point and considered the start of the Grand Canyon. Back to do the Cathedral Wash hike, this seems an easy and unique 3 mile round trip walk through a gully canyon that can be a death trap during summer storms from flash floods. Beautiful, it is unique, but not easy and it involves lots of rock climbing, some butt walking, all fours at times, and some bread crumbs would be good too as the trail, inevitably always changing, is not well marked other than by some well meaning folks placing rock stacks/cairns. The prize though at the end is the Colorado riverside and a delightful foot dip is invigorating in its icy temps.

Highway 89 to Page where the famed Antelope Canyon Slots are closed after 11 people perished in a storm induced flash flood. (Another option to see this is by guided Kayak tours from page which we didn’t pay much attention since we planned to see it buy rented motorboat. Unfortunate decision.) A stop by Horseshoe Bend is a good bathroom break and leg stretcher for a beautiful view of the Colorado. BTW, Page, clearly a jumping off point for Lake Powell, is seemingly very skippable. On to Under Cover Lake Powell glamping “resort.” A nifty spread of 50 “permanent” tents and the main tent with lots of outdoor seating, fire pits, and food truck type kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An engineering marvel, each tent is set up with all the modern conveniences. More of a Radisson than a Ritz in the world of glamping, you want for nothing other than decent weather and maybe a pair of earplugs for that tent down the way on their 3rd bottle of wine. Each tent is outfitted with full working toilet, wood burning stove, sink with potable water, hot shower (hand held) delightful bed linens and full USB mighty battery packs for lighting, and any personal charging needs. A porch and porch furniture, inside leather chairs, and a king bed made for very attractive and comfy digs right down to the wicker tissue holder.

Winds were really blowing so we ate inside the main tent where there was live music and very fresh and creative food cooked on demand. A fun experience that may not be for all, but certainly unique and well done. Would be great with kids, though not small children IMO.

Sunday, April 25 - on to Zion National Park

Our MO of Lake Powell was to see it by boat. Alas, the weather did not cooperate. So what to do? A drive by. So back to Wahweap Marina where the house boats that are 3 stories high and sleep up to 20 are docked like dominoes. Something to behold. The lake is HUGE with majestic and classic red rock formations all around. We scooted over to Lone Rock Beach to see....Lone Rock....a huge rock in the middle of this part of the lake and a big “sandy” beach with tons of people camping, etc. Then onto check out the Amangiri Hotel, tucked away in the desert mountains...but alas...the intercom person at the gated subtle entrance said “we are fully booked and are not giving tours at this time.” Eye-roll. At $4000 a night, ok whatever. We skipped the suggested Wire Canyon slots in Buckskin Gulch and headed for Zion.

Beautiful day and clearly everyone else thought so too. Zion is not for Zion, but for Zoo! Our main goal is to hike the Narrows and when we see the weather for Monday looking rainy and cold, we hustle it up to get going today since its warm and sunny.

Zion is a large park, but very cut up, so the mainly visited section is actually very small. To cut down on traffic, the park closed the lone in and out road to cars except those staying at Zion Lodge, who get a special parking pass and code for the gate. If not at the Lodge, PLAN this well ahead to get your shuttle ticket, reserve your dry gear for the Narrows, food, etc. Otherwise you are dooking it out with the masses. Springdale borders the park and is a touristy but very attractive town with plenty of places to stay and loads of restaurants. There aren’t that many hikes, so you really don’t need more than 2 days here unless you want to horseback ride. They tout biking, but it is really mostly as a way to get about in the park. Rentals abound and I would get an e-bike if you need it. But just if you can’t navigate the shuttle, cause the road is not really suited to biking.

So we hurried to Zion Adventures to figure out the Narrows. Supposedly 6 hrs round trip, we decided just to do as much as we could. It can be 1.5 miles or 13 miles. But MOST important is a good hiking stick, then the water shoes and socks. Additionally, we were geared up in springtime recommended dry pants and very happy with that as well. And we are off. Shuttle to Sinawava, the last stop, walk the riverside trail and get in the Virgin River. We started at 2:30 and were like Salmon swimming upstream. The masses, hoards and throngs of people were amazing. A river of people in everything from Tevas and shorts with logs as walking poles to one woman with a 6 month old in her arms which is crazy as the walking is quite tricky picking your way thorough and around the rocks, quick current, and various water levels, typically to your calves, but to my waist in some sections. Fortunately most people were returning and we could avoid them. At its widest, the river is maybe 25 yards wide and at the point where we turned around about 2 miles upstream in the Wall Street area, its perhaps 5-8 yards wide. And beautiful. There is a reason it is so popular. Smooth canyon walls and cliffs straight up with varying colors of red, black, gray, and white plus the green vegetation, not often seen in the other desert areas. Totally unique and worth the effort. I would have been very bummed not to do it. Oh, and it took 3.5 hours, not 6 for a total of about 6 miles from the shuttle drop off.

Feeling very satisfied with ourselves, we had to have the equipment back by 8pm, so decided on dinner in Springdale at Oscar’s was recommended by the young staff at Zion Adventures. Excellent. Super casual indoors and outdoor seating with excellent Mexican and creative burgers. Outstanding. Note: Utah ain’t big on drinking, but know its big revenue, so they allow it with lots of regs: must have food with the drink, lots of places beer and wine only. Another note: my buddy Kirsten is a native Ute and Mormon who said that Mexican is the way to go in Utah and the Utah burger which is a burger with pastrami and gruyere cheese plus “Fry Sauce” - 1000 island/aioli type concoction of mayo, ketchup, pickle juice and salt. It’s quite tasty, but will opt for Mexican over the Utah burger....

Monday, April 26 - Zion National Park

Not sure if its the weather or that its Monday, but the crowds have slightly dissipated. Nevertheless, our hike to the famed Angel’s Landing was also packed. This is quite the hike. Straight up and on the cliff and ridges. Not for the faint of heart or fear of heights. I bailed about halfway through. Then on to do all the 3 Emerald Pools, which are a great set of trails throughout the rugged terrain with great views, though once again, it felt like Mt. Everest with stop and go hiking at times. A store owner said that Zion had more visitors last year than Yellowstone though minute in size compared to Yellowstone and is busy 9 months out of the year. Something to think about. Go in very off months IMO.

Then the rains and wind came and with the chilly temps, we packed it in to Whiptail for another delish meal not unlike Oscar’s. We toured some shops, art galleries, and checked out the visitor center which is open because of course its open air...funny that the Park museums and centers such are closed but the shops are open......and then took it in to give our calves and thighs a break.

Had to eat in the dining room, which given Covid and maybe (Utah) and the weather, was not ideal. Disappointing dining room in general with a cafeteria type buffet line, though closed, that made the atmosphere pretty utilitarian. Add ordering everything at the host staton and it delivered to your table. There was a full bar, so that was a bonus. And if we could have easten on the great deck, it would have been significantly better. Back in the room by 8pm....

Tuesday, April 27 - on to Bryce Canyon Nat Park

Cold and overcast, we blew out for Bryce by 7:30. Bryce Canyon National Park is a much higher altitude at 9100 ft and thus the rain of Zion was snow at Bryce. Beautiful drive through the Red Canyon in the Dixie National Forest which was gorgeous. Snow everywhere and the red cliffs and hoodoo formations of Bryce were simply magical with a dusting of snow.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon was much more what we hoped for in terms of parkatecture expectations. Not grand, but cozy log cabin style with good common spaces around the large fireplace, comfortable dining room with several fireplaces and overall homey and welcoming. The historic cabins looked desirable, but alas are not heated and don’t open til summer. Which was good since more snow arrived late afternoon and night.

We took off immediately for the Figure 8 trail which combines the Navajo, Peekaboo and Queen’s Garden Trails for about 7 miles. Fantastical scenery of the hoo doo formations with the trail carved into the side of the cliffs and through the canyon bottom. Lots of fun and challenging. Afterwards, the scenic drive is a good way to rest legs and see remarkable scenery along the 18 mile way. A quick mile loop at the end for views (and the 1800 year old Bristlecone Pine tree.)

And the snow came again. Gorgeous wet, granular (called Grapple) flakes accumulated quickly and was beyond beautiful. A break in the clouds gave way for a blue sky sunset, but the snow showers returned covering the firs and junipers.

Dinner was much the same as Zion Lodge, only more utilitarian, but at least a more inviting setting. Order with the host, pay and they give it to you not on Poland but literally in complete take out paper bags. You can at least sit at the tables after sanitizing and if discreet, the staff looks the other way with regard to the no alcohol in the building. Makers and water in our water bottle worked just fine with the elk chili.

Wednesday, April 28 - Capital Reef Nat Park to Moab

Once again, a “take-in” breakfast at the Lodge and then on the road to Capital Reef National Park. The big question: is Scenic Highway 12 ok to drive after the snow? The pass at Boulder is almost 10000 ft and can be tricky. With temps predicted to be 60 by afternoon, we decided yes. And well worth it. Ducking through the Dixie NF and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which BTW is not a monument per se, but 1.9 million miles of area that refers to the stairstepped terrain from the seismic shift 60 million years from the Colorado Plateau down to and help setting the stage for the development of the Grand Canyon.

Anywho, arrived CRNP to low fanfare. A mid-major park, it is unique in its own right of white sandstone domes like Capital buildings and reef by the seafaring pioneers who were finding the travel difficult to navigate like reefs. Those determined Mormons MUCH later than the Paiute and Fremont natives) who did make a success here as the canyon bottom is quite fertile from the Fremont River. WIth limited time, we headed for the two starred hikes - 3.5 mile 1200 elevation Cassidy’s Arch Trail. A+. Get your knees limbered and Mountain Goat Shoes on as you climb the rocks - challenging and gorgeous but not scary and great rewards at the end for Cassidy’s Arch (so named since the area was a fav haunt for Butch and the Wild Bunch.) Then the 12 mile very rustic scenic drive to the Canyon Groge in and out. The last section is dirt road and is the Narrows for carsa Dan is more entertaining than the dry canyon narrows walk, which is still good. And that’s it folks for CRNP. Check. Off for another 3 hr drive to Moab.

So Moab....well described in the guide book - a cross between Aspen and Gatlinburg. The main drag is just that....Main Street is 4 lane and constantly busy and loud with major 18 wheelers heading right through town. We were very uneducated about Moab and it was much different from what we expected as were the parks there too. Much revolves around motorized sports - 4x4 wheeling, motocross, airplanes, etc. We missed that whole aspect. Places renting every kind of vehicle with it without guides, then all the mechanical shops to fix it right on Main Street. It has exploded with 7 new hotels having gone up in the past 2 years, but it is a real mishmash of tourists stuff. It clearly developed as a means to an end and gentrification and sophisticated take a back seat.....so far. And that’s true with restaurants too. Plan ahead and get a rezzie at the Desert Bistro.

Checked into the Hilton Curio Collection Hoo Doo Hotel which is new and quite nice. ANd quite nice after 7 days to be in some commercialism. Get Hoo Doo has a great heated pool area, with excellent restaurant Josie Wells with a big outdoor space and also opens up into the pool. Quiet, spa and right in town which is just what we wanted vs the much pricier and out from town Sorrel Lodge. We walked to dinner at Antica Forma Italian restaurant, which left ALOT to be desired in terms of atmosphere - loud, a sort of independentyl owned Olive Garden type, BUT the food was quite good - thin crust pizza and light, homemade tomato sauce in the lasagna.

Thursday, April 29 - Canyonlands National Park

A more relaxed, sunny and beautiful day going to 80 degrees with a sit down breakfast with Canyonlands National Park as the day’s destination. About 30 miles outside Moab, Canyonlands is all about the 4x4 and seeing the park is almost next to impossible without it. Not having planned for this, we decided to enjoy only the more popular section of Islands in the Sky. It’s almost 2 hrs to get to The Needles section or a different 1.5 hrs to get to the XXX section and The Maze is basically only reachable by 4x4 or long hikes. So, we did the ubiquitous scenic drive, hiked several 2-3 mile hikes (XXX) and called it a day to go back and explore Moab, the pool, and get needed lunch provisions. Great decision. BUT if we had researched more or had more time or probably just now that we know, we would allow more time and plan for some of the other activities because it is beautiful and amazing. Maybe more than the Grand Canyon, which while awesome, is just one canyon and this is HUGE, vast millions of canyons in every direction being carved by both the Green and Colorado rivers. We were dumbstruck. Once again, the hikes were sorta crowded so ice there is not so much that can be done in one day for the average tourist like us.

Dinner at Josie Wyatt restaurant at the hotel which was quite good.

Friday, April 30 - Arches National Park

We had seen the long lines of cars to get in Arches en route to Canyonlands, so we were up and atta’em at the gate by 8:30 still to a mass of cars filing in. Perhaps the horse heading back to the barn, or 9 straight days of hiking or the heat or the loads of people, but we were somewhat underwhelmed by Arches. Still a wonder to see, this is the park for families. Like many of the other Utah parks, there is endless rock climbing hikes, but here there lots of short hikes just off the road easy for all. And they were there. Packed and wither ranger directed parking or circling lots hoping for someone to leave. Ugh. We saw the most impressive arches and they were fun, had our picnic and pointed our car north to Salt Lake City where we stayed in town at the Kimpton Monaco Hotel. We scouted out the nest eats and landed at HSL about 10 blocks away and scored major. Creative and outstanding followed by a night walk around the city where the Temple is something to see for sure.

Saturday, May 1 - Salt Lake City departure

Flying the friendly skies, which BTW, the Salt Lake Airport is pretty great. Very close to town (stay in town unless your flight is seriously 0:dawn thirty) new, clean (like all Mormon stuff plus organized.) The Delta terminal is quite nice.

#usa #utah #arizona #nationalpark #national park

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georgiabillman701 · 4 years ago

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Focus Group Survey Responses

Farin and I had the job of writing out the responses of the focus group survey. We got into a flow and created a productive system that allowed us to write down every point made by the respondents. We found this to be very successful allowing us to get a lot out of the survey.

Below shows the responses to our questions shown in a below blog post:

As we were surveying the group Nick came up with additional questions that could follow up from certain responses. This also helped the session be successful as it allowed us to dive deeper into our topic and cover a wide scope of areas that may benefit our project. As a group, we discussed our feedback below:

Our interviewees were all students aged between 19 and 30. Through this survey we were able to easily identify their main means of transportation. These were clearly identified with that of busing or walking where applicable or otherwise using their personal vehicles.

As a group, we found it interesting to hear their key emotions around Auckland Transport. Terms like not positive, late, cancelled, delayed, traffic, crowded where used. Ultimately, it appeared as though none had had a clear positive association with this brand and the services offered, many issues being associated with efficiency. This is a clear incentive for the rail; a system using its own dedicated tracks, promoting reliability and consistency. It was interesting also being able to gain the perspective of an individual who was born in Washington DC and now lives in Auckland. They have experiences with some of the transport systems within this city. Comparatively with other countries, they felt, that Auckland’s transport was not awful. However, they did state that it was “definitely not as efficient as a subway”.

Stories were also shared, individuals highlighting their vivid memories of public transport in Auckland. Many of these, in fact, related to buses. Responses could, in many cases, could actually be closely correlated around the concept of safety. Stories of individuals being hit by buses, falling over when the bus would start moving before they were seated etc. were discussed. It was quite a shocking series of discoveries to making but definitely one of importance. Ultimately, buses really rely on an individual driving it. A train, on the other hand, is a far more systematic outcome with less room for error. Additionally, terms like mundane were pushed forward here, further presenting a design opportunity.

When it came to focusing on experiences with trains specifically, the responses were far more positive, heavily regarding positives around efficiency, safety, and comfort. Trains arrive more regularly than buses, often even being faster in successfully reaching its destination, running on its own dedicated tracks. Ultimately, the experience was presented with positive connotations but the routes and designs were not. Locations for train lines were not being considered as sufficient and in some cases, information was not made clear enough around routes and upcoming stations etc. when onboard the train. Consequently, individuals really emphasised the need for greater clarity if this project is to be a success. There needs to be more exaggeration for how long it is intended to take before reaching a certain destination and what this destination is called. Interviewees discussed how some information i.e. loud speaker announcements, are available but there is not nearly enough mapping available even onboard.

In terms of motivating people to use public transport, expense was clarified notably as a deterrent. High pricing “cuts out a lot of people that need to use public transport” and ultimately creates a societal divide. Everyone also believed that increasing prices for peak times was “ridiculous” with these being the time in which people should be getting encouraged to use it most, due to congestion issues. Additionally, it was identified that the negative stigma around public transport certainly wasn’t helping things either. Our project could help in this terrain, establishing an engaged, exciting, and still approachable brand.

Moving onto branding, in response to a branch-off question, AT was described as generic. It has the room to be more original, noticeable, and interactive or engaging, however, currently, it simply blends into the background of the city. It was clarified that it would still, of course, need to remain simple and effective, avoiding any possible confusion. It needs to remain legible and useable. Additionally, relating to our own branding, green was regarded as healthy, environmental, and “green for go” or movement, in some sense. These are all connotations we would hope to be achieving in using such a colour.

Very few campaigns were able to be quickly recalled around the concept of transport when we asked our interviewees about this. A few, loosely related ones were discussed such as the drunk driving campaign and also making public transport simpler for kids to understand. However, nothing very specific was ever presented. This could highlight the lack of campaigning around public transport at current. There is, therefore, an opportunity for us in getting people more engaged and involved with this particular project.

When discussing the concept of having your say in Auckland light rail, within another branch-off question, individuals did feel that it could have potential, if executed appropriately. Answers or input could almost be filtered to ensure quality and appropriateness.

In a wrap up for this session, we asked for any final thoughts on our project and the discussion was of a general sense of support. With such dramatic population growth, a society will only function if it is supported by efficient and sufficient, working public transportation. There was a point also made around this project having the capacity to create the negative stigma around public transport. It could, consequently, get more people engaged with it. The importance of keeping the campaign as simple, straight-forward, and non-stressful as possible was exaggerated. Consideration for bringing in our own New Zealand culture was also presented.

Below is a photo of our group (minus one member) during the session:

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farinzdickinson-grad701 · 4 years ago

Photo

Focus Group (Qualitative Survey)

In todays studio, we undertook the focus group activity, asking individuals the questions, which we had developed last week, as a group. These responses were recorded by Georgia and I, as the note-takers/writers, above.

*The following is an image of our group during this session:

I decided to respond/reflect on the key aspects of the recorded notes/responses from this focus group below. Upon request, this summary was later shared in Microsoft Teams with my group.

Obviously, all of our interviewees were students and their ages ranged between 19 to 30. Many of them had 1 to 2 casual or part-time jobs. Their main means of transportation were clearly identified with that of busing or walking where applicable or otherwise using their personal vehicles.

It was interesting to hear their key emotions around Auckland Transport. Terms like not positive, late, cancelled, delayed, traffic, crowded where used. Ultimately, it appeared as though none had had a clear positive association with this brand and the services offered, many issues being associated with efficiency. This is a clear incentive for the rail; a system using its own dedicated tracks, promoting reliability and consistency. It was interesting also being able to gain the perspective of an individual who was born in Washington DC and now lives in Auckland. They have experiences with some of the transport systems within this city. Comparatively with other countries, they felt, that Auckland’s transport was not awful. However, they did state that it was “definitely not as efficient as a subway”.

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greenbagjosh · 4 years ago

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26 April 2001 - yummy green snowballs and I will still get to Lausanne tonight somehow...

Grüezi Mitenand! Bonjour! Buongiorno! Hi everyone!

Thank you for joining me on the eighth day of the April 2001 journey. Today is Thursday the 26th April 2001.

Today is a travel day, and this time the so-called Röstigraben will be crossed a few times before settling west of it by 7 PM CEST. I wanted to visit Delémont on the 25th but I was haing too much fun in Basel that I ran out of sufficient time, that I had to settle for Biel/Bienne before returning to Bern. Today I will go to Fribourg, then Biel/Bienne to change to a local train to Delémont, a train to Neuchatel, another to Fribourg and finally to Lausanne.

As the morning was not raining, I was able to wake up about 8 AM and get breakfast. I took a shower and checked out of the hostel about 9 AM. I was at the Bundeshaus about 9:40 AM and took the 10 AM train to Fribourg, that passed the Röstigraben just after Düdingen. About 11 AM I put my suitcase in a locker at Fribourg, hoping to return by 4 or 5 PM that day. I took along my CD player. I boarded a train for Biel/Bienne that went to Neuchatel before crossing the Röstigraben a second time, changed at Biel/Bienne and went to Delémont. The train passed through Grenchen Nord and Moutier. Moutier was still a city in the canton of Bern until an election in early April 2021, when it elected to switch administration from German-speaking Bern to French-speaking Jura. Entering Moutier would involve crossing the Röstigraben again. In the meantime I listened to my Erkan and Stefan CD. Erkan and Stefan had taken over a Döner Kebap store and drove a 7-series BMW in the city. They spoke German with heavy southeast European accents (likely Turkish).

At Delémont, I alighted at the station, I think 1 PM. The German name for Delémont is Delsberg. Delémont is the capital city of Jura. Jura is the "newest" Canton in Switzerland, it was created in 1979 as a result of a popular election to secede from the northwesternmost part of the Canton of Bern bordering France. This did not include the cantons of either Solothurn or Basel-Landschaft. As a result, French is the dominant language throughout the canton of Jura. As for the Cantonal coat of arms, it is a red crozier similar to Basel-Landschaft, but on the right half it has four red stripes alternating with three white stripes. On license plates, cars have "JU" and a sequential number.

The rail station was going through some renovations. I walked about an hour in the old town and went north so I could see "La Vigne" which is a large coat of arms of the Canton of Jura. I took a photo of it about 1:33 PM according to the timestamp. Delémont is mostly flat and surrounded by hills hardly exceeding 500 feet in elevation from the lowest point. I do not remember the exact route I took anymore, but I was able to return to the rail station in good time. About 1:55 PM, I bought a snack of "Solero shots" by Pierrot Lusso / Wall's / Good Humor, which were lemon-lime snowballs and cost about 2 CHF.

The train to Neuchatel left at 2 PM and it arrived at 3 PM, crossing the Röstigraben twice: Delémont->Moutier*->Grenchen Nord->Biel/Bienne*->Neuchatel. Evidently it started raining at 1:55 PM just as the train was about to leave. When I arrived at Neuchatel station, they had a funicular under construction, that went to Université. It was not quite ready for passenger service. I managed to get on a bus that went the opposite way from the city, until I realized my error. Five minutes later there was another bus going the opposite way. The trolleybusses in Neuchatel were from the late 1970s, maybe second hand from Geneva. I wanted to be sure that at 4 PM I could make it back to Fribourg. I walked only as far as the intersection of Avenue de la Gare and Chausée de la Boine. At 3:50 PM I walked back up to the station, and thinking I was on the right track, I boarded the train to where I thought was Fribourg, but in truth it was headed to Zürich via Biel/Bienne. So there was going to be at least two more times crossing the Röstigraben and at least one hour of delays.

When I took the train to Biel/Bienne, there was a nearby train that was headed to Bern via Lyss. It took maybe half an hour to Bern, and I was able to take the next possible train to Fribourg, where I could fetch my suitcase from the locker. But it would be another hour until a high speed train to Lausanne would be available, as opposed to fifteen minutes for a slower train. It was about 5:15 PM so I said, let's take that train. That train had a rolling hosted minibar, and when the minibar came around, I bought a sandwich and a can of Heineken. The Heineken made me forget the silly mistake I made a couple of hours ago in Neuchatel and I would still make Lausanne in good time. The train had stopped in Romont about 6:02 PM and left at 6:04 PM for Lausanne. About 6:23 PM the train passed through Palezieux. From then on, until the 28th, there would be no more passing the Röstigraben. The train arrived in Lausanne about 6:50 PM.

At Lausanne CFF station, I found the entry to the Metro Flon-Ouchy cog rail, that I remember taking previously in September 2000. I went all the way to the bottom and took trolley bus line 2 to Bois de Vaux, where the youth hostel was located. At 7:15 PM I arrived at the front entrance and checked in. I had a three bed room all to myself, and a bathroom down the hall. I left the hostel about 7:25 PM and went back to the Bois de Vaux bus stop. The bus came about 7:31 PM and I went along to Ouchy to take the cog rail to Flon at the top. About fifteen years later, that particular stop would be redesigned to where there was an underground adhesive line operating driverless bidirectional cars. There still exists the LEB station at Flon. I walked to the intersection of Rue du Grand Pont and Rue du Grand Chêne. There used to be a Manora restaurant at the St Francois 17, but it has since moved to the rail station and been replaced with a Five Guys hamburger restaurant. About 8:30 PM I ate at Manora, had a Feldschlösschen beer, and at 9 PM I took the bus line to the CHUV, the cantonal hospital of the University of Vaud. It took ten minutes for a bus to return to the CFF station, and from there it took a further 45 minutes to return to Bois de Vaux and the hostel.

Tomorrow I will be taking the train to Geneva, and a tram to Gaillard and Palletes. We will also get to try real French andouille sausage. And this time we will successfully visit the Charlie Chaplin statue in Vevey, by hook or by crook. To top it off, we will be treated to a percussion festival at the end in central Lausanne. Please join me then!

Auf wiederluege! Au revoir! Arrivederci! Goodbye!

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threadatl · 7 years ago

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BRT line in Atlanta gets millions in funding, but who asked for it?

Posted by DARIN GIVENS on MARCH 9, 2018

According to the AJC. the federal government has awarded $12.6 million to MARTA for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line from Midtown to the Turner Field redevelopment in Summerhill. That means the city is poised to follow through with spending $30 million in TSPLOST funds for the project, as was promised by former mayor Kasim Reed. That’s a lot of money for a route that no one has heard of before and that never saw any public engagement.

Please understand: the concerns in this post are not about the quality of the transit route. We’re all eager to see BRT getting built in Atlanta, and serving Summerhill with added transit capacity is a good thing. And this post is not about the reception of the news of the funding. People are understandably happy about this news. At a 20,000 foot view, any investment in Atlanta transit is worth getting excited about — and it’s really encouraging that Republicans in Congress are, per the news article, happy to announce federal funding for BRT here.

This post is about a bad process, one that’s devoting millions of dollars in public funds to a project that came out of nowhere. MARTA does all sorts of planning and engagement sessions so the public is informed and can help shape how our tax dollars are spent. But then there are basically-secret plans submitted to the feds, and that’s frustrating.

For a look at the two end points of the route, see the map below. I wish we had an exact route to show you, but since this plan came out of nowhere, we don’t know the route.

I personally attended MARTA’s public meetings last year about how to spend the city transit tax. I don’t recall any mention of this route. I’ve asked others who attended and they don’t recall hearing about it there or anywhere else. Where & when was this significantly-expensive line presented to the public for comment? It appears that the answer is “it wasn’t.”

The complete absence of transparency for this project is alarming

Local funding for this BRT line will come from the TSPLOST funding approved by Atlanta voters in a 2016 referendum. Here’s a sheet from the City about the transportation investments that the money will fund. This line is not mentioned.

City of Atlanta published a list in 2016 prior to the referendum vote that shows proposed TSPLOST “Purposes and Recommended Projects.” This BRT line is nowhere to be found on the list.

The south end of the route basically serves the Turner Field redevelopment. There was a transportation analysis for the Turner Field Stadium Neighborhoods LCI that was a developed in a public process, attempting to ensure that locals had a voice in upcoming investments. Look over the document and you’ll see the BRT line is not mentioned. The action plan that resulted from the analysis also makes no mention of it.

MARTA’s own list of upcoming projects, from just three months ago, also offers no inkling of an announcement about this line.

Atlantans, we’ve got to demand that the City stops using our TSPLOST money for behind-closed-door projects that sidestep established outlets for engagement. Regardless of the merits of the line, this shouldn’t have happened this way, and we definitely can’t let it happen again.

Here’s an example of missed public comment: equity concerns

If I had been able to offer public comment ahead of time, I would’ve voiced concerns about long-term equity.

With new investment of many millions of dollars, of a type that is known to affect home prices, and that is going to be going into lower-income communities, we need to plan ahead for the effect and prevent displacement and housing insecurity. We don’t appear to have done so.

Research on the topic in the US is limited because of the relative new-ness of BRT in cities here. But the research that we do have suggests that the value of homes near new BRT stations will rise within just a few years — and that it will do so faster than the rise of values in the overall city.

Mayor Bottoms spoke of this line as being an equity issue for Summerhill residents. From the AJC:

“Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called the grant “a long overdue investment in an often-overlooked area of our city. The dividends paid by investing in South Atlanta will boost our economy and lift up communities long-waiting for opportunity.””

And, absolutely, an improvement in transit access is a great move toward that goal of connecting overlooked communities to opportunity. Kudos to Bottoms for recognizing that. But the other shoe will drop whether we’re prepared for it or not, by which I mean that those Summerhill homes near BRT stops will likely rise in value faster than the rate of increase in Atlanta overall. How much longer after BRT arrives will Summerhill be able to house people who could benefit most from the “lift up” effect Bottoms mentions?

Each neighborhood that gets a big transit investment in Atlanta is going to have to confront these issues. Maybe it’s Betline streetcars, or it’s the proposed transit route for Campbellton Road that appears to be getting prioritized.

Atlanta needs to develop a toolset that allows us to build fixed transit lines (like BRT and rail) equitably throughout the city, and to do so without displacement — either residential or commercial — and without an increase in housing insecurity in vulnerable communities.

That toolset needs to be employed at the front-end of transit projects, in a public way that involves good engagement, not tacked on at the tail end (if at all). The way this process for the Summerhill line has unfolded is an example of the wrong way to do it, and it doesn’t bode well for the Campbellton Road corridor. Let’s get this right so that new transit lines can be accessible, both across the city and across the full spectrum of wealth and income, on a long term basis.

This is not about the route itself — it’s about the process

Publicly funding a $48mil BRT route that never had public eyes on it is not only an affront to the entire concept of community engagement, it’s also a violation of the trust of voters who approved this money. Just because this transit route in itself is not bad, that’s not a reason to ignore the failures in the process. The next one that pops up out of nowhere and takes up millions of precious transit dollars may not be so likable.

Atlantans have to demand that city leaders spend these large amounts of money on transportation in a more public way. This was done the wrong way and we can’t allow this to be a trend. If some leaders think they can sell us on a TSPLOST with a project list, then ignore it and use the money for whatever they want, we have to prove them wrong.

What can we do?

One potential “call to action” on this issue: demand that the city finalize the project list for the remaining TSPLOST money based on a series of public meetings. Let us know what you think! Use the contact form on this site or comment on Facebook.

PLEASE NOTE: I’m using the phrase BRT to be a good sport, but since the AJC piece mentions that the route will only partially include dedicated lanes for the buses — and other parts will have the buses in mixed traffic — the term is questionable here. Bus Rapid Transit usually provides fully-dedicated lanes to buses.

#atlanta #urbanism #transit #brt #bus rapid transit #public transit #urban planning #transportation planning #tiger grant #city planning

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dop-jon · 7 years ago

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A Place, But at the End

I think I've always loved Detroit. I remember as a very young boy hearing of Detroit's census numbers in 1980 and how it was the the fourth or fifth-biggest city in the US. Just being so proud of that fact, like I had a hand in it. I'm not sure from whither that love came, but I suspect two sources and they both involve family. My mom's side of the family, the men in the family, worked as stagehands. Back then, stage entertainment was still a decent draw and my step-grandfather or uncles would pick up either myself or my brother, or both, and we'd get to watch the play or musical from the wings, or from the spotlight room, or from the sound room. If that was all it was, it still would've been cool. It was the ride down there, tho, going from our shitty little house in the nearby suburbs, down onto the Lodge Freeway, The Ditch, and as early evening was settling on Detroit, I'd look out from the backseat at the adjacent neighborhoods and marvel at the houses, becoming larger and less familiar as we drew closer to downtown, the lights on the high rises blinking on and off slowly, or remaining on, illuminating the office of some obviously well-connected tycoon. I knew even then that I liked the closeness of a city, that lived-in, pavement and horns feel, that dangerous feeling, like befriending a whore for practical and platonic purposes. And so we'd find a parking spot behind the theater and take the back way in, under the gathered drear of that breaking cityscape and find a place to sit, inconspicuously, in some of the grandest rooms designed by men for the purposes of entertainment while my uncles or step grandfather plied their trade. Needless to say, I was impressed. I never really cared what the entertainment was, although I'd certainly namedrop the event around potentially envious company. It was being down in those aging beauties, or darting over to grab a bite to eat around the corner, keeping your eyes peeled for anything that might happen because of...well...because of the second possible source of my love for Detroit. My dad's cowardice and his youngest brother's advice might be that source, in tandem. My dad, for his part, has always been afraid. I don't see anything wrong with that, as it were. I'm afraid every day as well. My fear keeps my feet moving. My father's fear keeps him in place, and as events come and go that others might find engaging, he rationalizes being disengaged, after the fact, on the ostensible grounds of either his or our personal safety. In a word, Detroit was too dangerous. His brother, 11 years my father's junior, spent all the time he could down there, and never missed a chance to tell me his more appropriately themed doings. They were all tame stories, but that was hardly the point. "Your dad doesn't know what he's talking about," he'd tell me. "He's never been down there. There's just too many people down there for him and it's a shame because he missed out on a lot of fun." My dad's reply to that, after I filtered the sting out Uncle Jimmy's assessment, was a variation of "yeah, but I'm *alive*". Yeah, I see that, dad.

So through my teens I tried to get downtown as much as possible, to get that addictive whiff of a life spent on concrete, of being surrounded by the symmetrical masses that Man raises in his own honor to celebrate his victory over chaos. I always knew my hometown was shabby, a bit. All it would take, in my view, was for people just to get hip to going back down there. To be in a crowd for an event downtown, to have that feeling like there is something happening in the world and you are not only witnessing it, but viewing it somewhere that was made for the sole intent of you seeing it. Imagine for a moment, or recall if experience provides, a downtown sporting event. Cities are male by nature and design, phallic and angular and aggressive, filled with an unthinking kinetic energy. A sporting event, a football game, say, thrives in such an environment. It's just a game played on a big field without it. And after living those moments in the now, when victory was uncertain and collective breaths were held, when the ebbs and flows of so much unfettered emotion plays upon the minds, upon the singular mind that the crowd shares at events such as these, and then victory is secured and 60,000 people feel the relief and release that such moments engender, and at that moment when they leave the fantastic cathedral and pour out into the heart of the city, you can't help but feel that this, this, happened here. A shadow of that feeling was always upon me when I was down there then. Checking out a band, or a famous bar, or taking in what sites I could in the relative safety of downtown.

A brief practical history of Detroit is needed here. Since it's founding in 1701 until WWI, Detroit was fairly unremarkable as cities go. A naturally advantageous location along the river of the same name that joins the upper Great Lakes to the lower, it served as the first (or last, depending on direction) major Midwestern port. Growth was modest but steady. Then Henry Ford hit the scene. There were a handful of like-minded men in Detroit that developed then automobile, but no single man left a larger imprint on the area, and maybe this country, as Ford. He developed and perfected the assembly line and an affordable car besides, and the the world hasn't been the same since. This drove many immigrants and blacks north to find work there, and neighborhoods, city governments, roads, they all felt the guiding hand of Ford. With his employment came certain expectations of behavior, and even the number of bars and neighborhood layouts were done or undone with his blessing. This led to exponential growth thru the first half of the 20th century. Even here tho, the seeds of it's eventual decline and abandonment took root amongst this unprecedented growth. Larger, slightly older American cities grew vigorously during the first two hundred years of this continent's taming, and it was done mostly with immigrants, people in less hopeful war or famine torn urban locales that already had a feel for what to expect in city life, especially in cities that already had it's natural boundaries established and developed. Detroit's expansion grew apace and unchecked predominately from an incoming rural populace that had little notion or interest of what city life was like. They were here to work and provide for their families a significantly better life and future than they were used to. As a result, little thought was given as to how that growth would be maintained. In the early part of the century, I'm sure it seemed a question that answered itself; growth would maintain itself. What was to stop it? By 1950 it was the fourth largest city in America. A war had been one, a Depression had been reversed for over a decade, and there was relative peace and plenty for all. With all this wealth and disposable time, and with a keen eye for further developing commerce, freeways were put in. America's first freeway was built in Detroit, then another, then another. As city planners hadn't foreseen such an event, neighborhoods had to be partially demolished and people relocated to accommodate. Poor people, mostly. Blacks, Poles, Jews. Those that could afford it moved to nicer neighborhoods. The people people already in those neighborhoods, white, middle class types, well, they didn't go for that. So the expansion continued, but not for Detroit. Within two generations the whites fled to the suburbs, desirous of modestly more space and dramatically fewer blacks. Detroit stagnated, industry trickled away, infrastructure decayed, crime rose to unprecedented levels, and we know have the husk, more or less, of how I found the city in 1995.

In the November of that year, I went to work for John P., a master plumber by trade and a proud Detroiter, father of my girlfriend and child of a white flight family. He grew up in the Northwest side, Fenkel and Wyoming, hard by the Lodge freeway that had recently been built. I was without a significant college education and no practical trade. I was 22 and past time to start doing something with my life, begrudging as I might have been. John was a father figure to me, one that I needed. I had a dad, but his advice was basically limited to "keep it in your pants" and "keep your words soft and sweet". He worked hard, but it was mindless work and unprosperous. John worked hard, had a keen if practical mind, and prospered, after a fashion. Holding a job of one sort or another since the age of 5, when he would take a crosstown bus with his shine box and shine shoes at every bar between his bus stop and his house along Fenkell, he developed a work ethic that drove him to do whatever it was that he had to do. In a practical vein, he memorized every cross street along his route and eventually came to know, thru his extensive work around the city as a plumber, almost the entire West Side and much of the East. I found his capacity for that sort of thing compelling. Personally, I found the man to be a shortsighted boor. But whatever his reservations, he put me to work on a project he had going on, the renovation of an old apartment building in Detroit's first neighborhood, Corktown. Eighth Street and Porter, right down the street, on the other side of Michigan Avenue, from old Tiger Stadium. Corktown is the closest neighborhood still occupied and standing to downtown, and on my first day I went up on the roof of this four story building and looked around. West I could see the 30-odd story train depot, a beautiful building on the outside but long since closed and stripped of any value inside. The great white monolith of Tiger Stadium was to my north, northeast of there, roughly midtown, was The Masonic Temple, massive, a testament to the power of the Freemasons. Past that, The Fisher Building and The GM Headquarters sat across from either on Grand Boulevard, and then a large swath of old commercial buildings and random homes, many abandoned or failing, until, turning clockwise, the knot of downtown could be descried to the east, with the incongruous Renaissance Center hugging the Detroit River. It was my first glimpse of the heart of the city from such a vantage point, and as weather allowed I would take my lunches up there and just look around and wonder at what a marvel this city must have been when it mattered. Inside the building, which had been gutted by fire a number of years prior, held the social dynamic of the city within it's brick walls. Initially, it was staffed with day labor from the local shelters and local residents, a way to make $8hr for backbreaking work. Black manual labor and white skilled labor, and most of them union members. Being unskilled white labor, I hung with the black guys. Their stories were fascinating. All function and no theory, their lives were revealed to me with unaware candor. Mack, who bummed smokes from me all day with the implied agreement that he'd keep talking, comes to mind immediately. A wheel man for a bank robbing crew, Mack told countless stories of his misdeeds, without any regret. He was shot in the riots of '67, tv in hand, on Gratiot Avenue. He spoke of picking up snitches or other lowlifes, taking them to some hideout and torturing

them with tubs filled with piranhas, or simply beating them to death or very nearly so. Then he'd talk about seeing Hendrix at the Masonic, and how he sounded like he was just pulling music from the universe, and Mack would strum an air guitar while he talked, rheumy eyes partly closed, remembering how he felt when he got to hear Jimi's astral projections. All the brothers were cool with me, and I absorbed it all. A couple of them didn't think that there were any poor white kids, so it was a treat to share my stories of misery with them. The union tradesmen weren't as kind. Most were snarly and rude, white trash that had figured out a decent way to make good money but begrudged my presence as the sole nonunion trade on the job. One had taken the time to nail a dead rat to a board and write "Non Union Tradesman" on it. Tim, an journeyman plumber that kept me busy cutting pipe and running around drilling holes, took the time to put the numbers 1-12 around the body of the rat like a clock, then spin the rat in order to guess the time according to where it's tail and nose would come to rest. If I had any sense, I would've been scared. So for a year we worked like that, and on a handful of other jobs besides, all in Detroit. Although not as colorful, with the possible exception of working at Cass and Alexandrine, I slowly gleaned what I could from John and those that I came into contact with. I tried to absorb the facts but set aside the opinions given with them. There has never been a shortage of opinions on the city and it's woes, certainly by those with little knowledge of the city itself, so I took all I could with an open mind. Eventually John's little company folded and we went to work for an HVAC company in the suburb my dad grew up in, Redford Twp., which borders Detroit on the far northwest. There my exposure and education increased dramatically. Until this time, I met only other workers, tradesmen. Now I was in people's homes, installing boilers, furnaces, plumbing. I learned this fact quickly; if you really want to see someone's true self, observe how they behave in the comfort of their own homes. At some point, during each installation, I would fish for information from the occupant. Most of them were poor and basic, living squalid little lives. Some of the homes were well maintained, in vibrant neighborhoods. Others lived in older, grandiose castles from a bygone era, losing the battle to keep up with maintaining a 100 year old house. Still others lived in little shitbox Cracker Jack hovels, not built to endure yet still occupied. And everyone of those people had a story to tell, and being relaxed in their dwelling, I feel like I was getting The Truth, or at least their version of it. I recall giving an old black lady an estimate on some repairs to her boiler. She looked about 70. Six Mile and Nevada area, old neighborhood, not far from Woodward which divides the city in two. After I wrote up the estimate, she asked me if I knew why I was there. I said, naively, to write her an estimate. I had barely finished my answer when she came with the correct one. "I'd rather have flies in my house than niggers. You can get a fly out of your house." Then she paused, squinted at me to make sure I was paying attention to her, then said "you DO know what I'm talkin' about, right?" "Yes ma'am, I believe I do." And then she wished me a good day as another white contractor was coming up the walk to write an estimate for her as well. I remember a Mr. Langston, a black guy, that owned a huge home on the Lower East Side. He was 80 at the time. First black guy to move into the neighborhood. Worked at Ford his whole life, out three kids thru college. Had lived in that home since 1940. When we drove up to his house, he was outside, in a driving snow, snow blowing the walk. No evidence existed that any of his neighbors had been out of their houses in days. His marbled carpet, otherwise immaculate, had tracks worn in it from the path he had made from his bedroom, thru the living room, the dining room, and into the kitchen.

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europeantravel1 · 4 years ago

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Budget Air Travel in Europe

Budget Air Travel in Europe 2021 Guide Nowhere else in the world has the advent of low-cost airlines revolutionized travel as much as in Europe. Numerous airlines compete with each other for customers, flying from airports across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Turkey and Scandinavia. to name just a few, opening up a world of possibilities that were previously unthinkable; family holidays on the beaches of the Costa del Sol; skiing trips to the French Alps; spontaneous city breaks to Baku and Bratislava. Who would've thought it? The ease of finding affordable flights in Europe has radically altered how we plan our trips to that region. When I first began traveling in Europe, no one spent their own money to buy one-way airline tickets within Europe. The cost was simply too high. Today, that type of thinking is very outdated. Before purchasing any long-distance train or bus tickets, you should first check flight prices — you may be surprised by the price and the time savings. Very competitive discount airlines have made European itinerary planning easier and have turned vagabond travelers into jetsetters. You can fly almost anywhere on the Continent for less than $250 per flight, deciding where to travel is largely a question of following your travel dreams. You are no longer limited to places that are within a reasonable train ride (or driving) distance. That being said, those are still perfectly acceptable ways of traveling. It is best to examine all possible options before making a decision. It is now possible to enjoy a far-flung vacation from Greece to Portugal to Scotland. Airlines that have sprung up from the ashes of the former Eastern bloc carriers have found enormous success and even a spiritual successor in their quest for cheap flights and cheap holidays. Their success has been driven by a number of strategies the most important of which is offering flights across borders for much cheaper prices than their domestic competitors. The biggest success of the cheap flight's revolution is the fact that the European holiday market has become so wide open and the fact that so many airlines have come up with a number of ideas that make flying as cheap as possible. For instance, there are low-cost carriers, such as Easyjet, Ryanair, and Vueling that have found success by giving travelers a very cheap deal. They have taken the basic model of a full-service airline with lounges and food and beverages but made every flight a head-to-head flight against a ticketing system that shows the price of all flights instead of just the first segment of the route taken. This means that a traveler can fly from Dublin to Munich and pay the same as a visitor that flies from Munich to Dublin. Such systems are not new, German carriers Vueling and Easy Jet have been operating for a number of years and both companies claim to have over one million passengers a month using the system. However, the difference between the price of flights booked on Easy Jet and Easy Jet-owned competitor Ryanair is night and day. Another strategy employed by many budget carriers is the introduction of limited period fares. This is a great way to keep airfares low and to ensure that flights are sold as seats are available. This can be done through special promotional rates that are available for a limited time or the use of stand-by flights. Stand-by flights make the fare system work by letting the carrier book the air ticket from where it is stand-by. This is a great way to fill the empty seats in an aircraft. But what happens if the aircraft is full? It is possible for a flight to be sold as sold but empty seats remain and are given the special discounted rate. Such a flight is likely to be from an airport served by more than one airline. One way to avoid such problems is having multiple airlines serving a single route. Another strategy that a number of budget carriers have used to get so far is to offer flights from an airport serving multiple airlines. This has the advantage of giving maximum flexibility to the traveler in terms of timing and route. The downside is that it can be a problem in terms of security, as there is no guarantee that only one airline will be serving each airport. The main way to guarantee that you get the cheapest flight is to book as far in advance as possible. Early booking is always cheaper than later booking because of the costs of delays and cancellations. But you can still get a cheap flight if you book from a secondary airport serving several airlines. This will ensure you get the best deal possible because of competition. The cost of a cheap airline ticket can also vary depending on where you are traveling to and from, how much you pay for the ticket, and also which airport you are flying from. As a further tip, you can always try to travel on days that are busier than other days. So, if you can save on your airfare, then you can take more cash and spend it where it is better spent. Remember, that you must make sure that you know all the terms and conditions of the ticket before you pay for it. Cheap Flights within Europe The following are some of the affordable airlines that cover a lot of the European skies, as well as their major hubs. To find out more, visit Skyscanner, or check out Google for "cheap flights" plus the cities you'd like to fly to/from. New airlines pop up and old ones close all the time. Airline Main Hubs Aer Lingus Dublin, Shannon AirBaltic Riga Air Italy Milan Blue Air Bucharest CityJet London (London City) Condor Frankfurt EasyJet London (Gatwick, Stansted, Luton), Milan, Berlin, Paris (Charles de Gaulle, Orly), and more Flybe Birmingham, Manchester Eurowings Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg Icelandair Reykjavík Norwegian Oslo, London (Gatwick) Pegasus Airlines Istanbul Ryanair London (Stansted), Dublin, and several other cities SmartWings Prague Transavia Amsterdam, Paris (Orly) Vueling Barcelona, Rome Widerøe Oslo, Bergen Wizz Air Budapest Cheap Flights From The United States To Europe Europe's biggest low-cost year-round airlines are Ryanair and Easyjet. Both airlines operate hundreds of routes in more than 30 countries. These fly across both North America and Europe. They provide a combination of affordable travel and on-time departures. In the United States, the carriers are based in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Orlando, Florida among others. Ryanair currently flies from New York's JFK airport. Easyjet operates from Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Las Vegas, while it's based in the Irish capital Dublin. They both offer a wide range of flight options to suit most needs. easyJet's flights depart from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North America. Ryanair also provides transatlantic flights to the United Kingdom. Low-cost airlines offer a combination of fuel-saving engines, fuel-efficient fleets, in-flight food and beverages, and high-quality service. It's one of the only cases where price plays a major role when buying tickets. While on one hand, they provide the cheapest flight fare on several of their routes, they offer a range of flight options on most routes to match the needs of most passengers to make your flight more enjoyable through different upgrades. They've recently launched Ryanair Check in which if you've used their flight to any destination, the airlines will check your ticket for free. They also offer an Early Bird offer that guarantees a seat on any flight of your choice between Monday and Friday for a year, or until the end of the month. This is a great promotion for travel plans who are planning to travel during the hottest travel seasons. Ryanair airlines have a range of routes to popular destinations such as Majorca, Bora Bora, Majorca, Krakow, Krakow and Split. All have flights to major destinations across the world. Flights to the United Kingdom are provided by the national airline of Ireland, Aer Lingus, and they are based in Dublin airport. There are flights to London, Bristol, Exmouth, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, and Stornoway. Seasonally other airlines such as Condor Air, Eurowings What's the downside of Budget Airlines? Saving on budget airfares can come with potential pitfalls. Budget tickets are rarely refundable or exchangeable. Many airlines operate exclusively online, so it can be challenging to contact a customer service representative in case of problems. Flights are often closely organized to squeeze more flying time from each plane, which can exaggerate the impact of delays. If you are instructed to arrive at the check-in counter an hour before the flight and show up with a half-hour to spare, you have just missed your flight. Also, it is not uncommon for budget carriers to cancel a slow-selling route or go out of business, leaving you scrambling to find a viable alternative. Because budget airlines do not make much money from your ticket, they look for other ways to increase their earnings — bombarding you with advertisements every step of the way, via advertising in e-mails, in planes, onboard food and drinks that are not included, and charging outrageous fees. For instance, you could be penalized for paying with a credit card (when there is no other option), checking in and printing your boarding pass at the airport, "priority boarding" ahead of the pack, bringing an infant along, and — of course— checking bags. The initial fare shown on the website can seem low at first glance. Once you begin the checkout process, each step seems to involve an additional charge. Checking bags is not free. For many budget airlines, the price per bag increases as you get closer to your departure date. You might be charged an extra fee for checking a bag over a certain (relatively low) weight limit. You should not assume that all luggage qualifies as carry-on in Europe; many budget carriers have smaller dimensions than other carriers. Before booking, make sure you understand the baggage policy carefully. Frequently Asked Questions Where is the cheapest place in Europe to fly into? It is a common question and an important consideration for all travelers. Is it still possible to find the cheapest place to fly into? Is there any difference in prices for flights into Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and London? I find that flights to Frankfurt are cheaper generally. How can I get to Europe cheap? Well, it all begins with the question of how can I get to Europe cheap. If you look at the cost of getting to Europe from US cities it is usually very expensive with the exception of Miami, New York, and Boston which tend to be the cheapest destinations if you are looking to save money. The problem with these destinations is that they are so large that it may take a little planning and research to find a flight that will fit into your budget. This is where online travel sites like Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia and Google come in handy; once you decide the dates of your travel, you can go to a travel search engine and search through many sites and find the best deal to fit your budget. Which is better, Ryanair or EasyJet? There are many comparisons of the two airlines and they should be compared on a level field. We should not forget that each airline is a business and has its own interests. The two airlines try to offer a good service all around the world and both offer cheap flights as well. If you like this story please bookmark our website: https://europeantravel.blog/ Read the full article

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asfeedin · 5 years ago

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Arsenal can forget Champions League, PSG president’s TV negotiations, Chelsea’s Kepa conundrum

Welcome to ESPN’s Insider Notebook, featuring contributions from our reporters across the continent. In this edition, Arsenal fans excited about getting Champions League football through the back door are dealt a reality check, PSG’s president is negotiating with himself, Chelsea have a Kepa conundrum and there’s an esports battle brewing …

Jump to: PSG president negotiates with himself | Kepa conundrum | Lockdown in Malaga | Spain and Italy’s eSports beef

Arsenal in the Champions League? Forget it

We’ve heard many weird and wonderful ideas appear about how to resolve issues if the coronavirus crisis means domestic seasons across Europe cannot be completed. But sorry, Arsenal fans, don’t get excited. Unless you finish in the top four, you won’t be playing in the Champions League next season, whenever that will be.

One of the whispers out of Tuesday’s UEFA video conference, held with all 55 national associations, was that European places could be decided purely on UEFA’s club coefficient, a system that ranks clubs based on their European performance alone over a five-year period.

In such a scenario, England‘s Champions League spots go to Liverpool, Manchester United … and ninth-placed Arsenal. Tottenham Hotspur, who are eighth in the league, would take Manchester City‘s place, due to City’s ban for financial fair play violations (pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, of course).

Leicester City and Chelsea, who sit third and fourth in the Premier League table respectively, would be dumped into the Europa League with Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Sheffield United would be denied their first-ever European campaign in a cruel twist following a fine season back in the big time.

Arsenal won’t be able to find a backdoor route into the Champions League next season. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

But that misfortune is nothing compared to Belgium, where Club Brugge sit 15 points clear at the top and are to be crowned champions; they are ranked only fourth by UEFA’s coefficient, so would merit only a place in the Europa League third-qualifying round.

In Spain, sixth-placed Atletico Madrid would take the place of Real Sociedad; Atalanta and Inter would lose out to AS Roma and Napoli in Italy; Lyon and AS Monaco would take places off Marseille and Stade Rennes, who have never played in the Champions League, in France.

In Germany, RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach would be replaced by Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke. AZ Alkmaar, who are only second to Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie, would lose their place to PSV Eindhoven.

But wait! All of this just isn’t going to happen. It’s pie in the sky. It was the suggestion of one league representative, and while it might get traction in places, sources have told ESPN that UEFA is adamant sporting achievement should govern who plays in Europe. It’s up to the leagues to suggest a formula and UEFA will offer guidelines. This may be made official when the executive committee meets on Thursday.

All of which is why UEFA is so against the idea of null-and-voiding seasons, preferring instead that leagues are played to a conclusion or places awarded on merit.

These stories give great headlines, but rarely stand up to scrutiny. It is not that the idea has not been floated and could not be used in very specific cases. But for an association in full as a blanket rule? Not a chance. — Dale Johnson

– Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+ – Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

PSG president negotiates with … himself?

• When does the transfer window reopen? • Karlsen: Possible coronavirus impact • Best ever transfers: 100-51 | 50-1 • This summer’s top free agents • January transfer grades • Latest completed major transfers

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is negotiating on behalf of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs with TV rights holders, so that the final installments for the 2019-20 season can be paid. The rights holders in France are Canal+ and BeIn Sport, whose supremo is … yep, you’ve guessed it: Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

So the Paris boss is basically in talks with himself. The motto does say that if you want something done, do it yourself, but this is pushing it. Al-Khelaifi has been put forward by the other Ligue 1 presidents, and Canal+ also thought it was a good idea that he was part of the negotiations.

On April 5, BeIn, like Canal+, refused to transfer the money to the league for the latest instalments of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 rights, totalling €155 million. They have another payment due on June 5. The negotiations continue, and Al-Khelaifi is asking for French football to be less selfish. He is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. — Julien Laurens

Chelsea in Kepa conundrum

Chelsea are struggling to drum up interest in goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, sources have told ESPN. Manager Frank Lampard is open to selling the Spain international after dropping him for six games in January and February.

Intermediaries have been gauging interest from some of Europe’s leading clubs, but there seems to be very little appetite to take the 25-year-old off Chelsea’s hands. Kepa arrived from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6 million in 2018 and has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2025.

Chelsea face a dilemma about how to move forward with their goalkeeper situation. No. 2 Willy Caballero is set to leave at the end of the season, and the club are exploring the option of signing another senior goalkeeper to compete with Kepa. — Rob Dawson

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Sid Lowe dives into the proposed protocols for team training and the potential timetable for La Liga’s return.

Spending lockdown in Malaga’s stadium

Spain’s strict coronavirus lockdown has not been a problem for the Perales family, who have Malaga’s La Rosaleda stadium as their backyard.

Andres Perales, who is 83, lives in a house alongside the 30,000-capacity arena with the youngest of his seven children, Andy. Andres worked for the club for almost 50 years in various roles — from team bus driver, to gardener, to janitor and even masseur — and has lived on site since 1989.

“This is my life. I spent my youth here at La Rosaleda,” Andres told La Sexta TV. “It’s a real shame to see it empty like this. I’ve seen it full, with people coming and going … and now like this it’s really sad.”

Despite retiring a decade ago, Andres continues to live rent-free in a three-bedroom home accessed via the stadium’s Gate 18, which bears his name in recognition of his years of service.

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“I can’t complain,” Andy, who is 43 and also a club employee, told El Pais. “After lunch I go for a walk on the training pitch, and if I feel like it I go to the first-team gym. I don’t go into the stadium too often, I’ve seen it enough.”

Andy and two of his sisters were even involved in disinfecting the stadium last month, donning protective gear to ensure La Rosaleda’s offices, locker rooms, turnstiles and concourses were free of COVID-19.

“It was like cleaning the house, on a larger scale!” he told the club’s website. — Alex Kirkland

Esports beef as Spain left stunned with Italy crying foul play

Sources have told ESPN that Spain were stunned by Italy’s comments following the cancellation of the FIFA eNations StayAndPlay Cup.

FIFA organised the virtual tournament to help spread a positive message during the enforced lockdown in Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic, with participants made up of one international footballer and an esports star as a pairing from each country.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and a host of other guests every day as football plots a path through the coronavirus crisis. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

Spain and Italy were drawn in the same group of the StayAndPlay Cup, alongside Portugal and Malta. However, while most teams selected an international player and professional esports star as their two representatives, Spain chose YouTuber “DjMaRiiO” with esports player Jaime “Gravesen” Alvarez.

Italy cited this as one of the reasons for the cancellations, with Alessio Romagnoli, the Azzurri‘s representative, also criticising the move.

But the Spanish FA have been left baffled as they claim FIFA informed them they could select an influencer; DjMaRiiO, Spain’s biggest FIFA YouTuber with six million subscribers, falls into that category.

And you thought only real football could bring such drama and aggro! — Rodrigo Faez

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sowecanrememberourtrips · 5 years ago

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Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels (2019)

Dates: 29th Nov 2019 - 12th Dec 2019 (2 weeks)

Climate: On average, temperatures in all 3 cities ranged from 1 - 10 degrees, making it necessary for us to wear heat tech inner wear, gloves and thick winter jackets when outdoors. Thankfully, it only drizzled on a couple of days, and there was only mild snow on our very first day in Copenhagen. However, the sun set around 4pm daily, which was a factor to consider when planning our activities.

Expenditure: In total, each of us spent at least SGD $5,500 for the whole trip. We converted SGD $1,500 for cash expenditure during the 2 weeks, but definitely used our credit cards every now and then. Note that there are places in these 3 cities which do not accept cash. We chose to stay in gorgeous Airbnb apartments as we feel that hotels in Europe generally do not offer value for money.

Sequence: Copenhagen (Denmark), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium).

Transport: Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Copenhagen at midnight of 28th Nov, KLM flight from Copenhagen to Amsterdam, train from Amsterdam to Brussels, Singapore Airlines from Brussels back to Singapore (via stopover in Zurich)

***

Day 1 (Fri)

Singapore Airlines direct flight to Copenhagen.

Metro from Copenhagen airport to town area took about 20 min.

Torvehallerne Market, largest covered market in Copenhagen, which we went to by taking the metro to Nørreport. The area is split into two air-conditioned market halls: http://torvehallernekbh.dk/

Freetown Christiana: A controversial closed community, that was immune to Denmark’s laws at one point. While we were at an area named Pusher Street, we actually saw drug pushers setting up makeshift stalls to sell their stuff to all sorts of characters crowding around them. Note that photographs are generally not allowed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

Church of our Saviour: one of Denmark’s most famous churches, known for a helix spire with a winding staircase. We did not go up, but entered the building to look at the beautiful prayer hall: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/church-our-saviour-gdk410659

Strøget, Copenhagen’s largest shopping area. We were rather overwhelmed here actually, due to it being Black Friday. Incredibly vibrant, and therer were also charming Christmas markets offering highlights such as mulled wine, also known as Gløgg: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/stroget-gdk414471

Other important info to note for getting around Copenhagen:

It was surprisingly difficult to find places offering data SIM cards at/near airport, so we decided to depend on Wifi and a navigation app we like named maps.me (like Google Maps that doesn’t need online connectivity if you have downloaded the country map beforehand)

Important tip: Get the Copenhagen Card online. Can be physical card (pick up at airport) or a digital version in your phone. There are 1 day, 3 day or 5 day options for purchase. Covered our public transport and entrance fees for many attractions including museums and Tivoli Gardens.

Our Airbnb apartment was a 5min walk from Nørrebros Runddel station on a circular line. Try to always find accommodation within a radius of less than 5min from metro stations. We would go on to depend a lot on the Metro Circle Line M3 for the next few days, which is new and brings you to many popular attractions.

Metro station overview: Three stops along Stroget, Rådhuspladsen is City Hall side, with LGBTQ area next to it and Tivoli Gardens opposite it. Gammel Strand in the middle and Kongens Nytorv is the other end, walking distance to Nyhavn, Marble Church, Design Museum. Marmorkirken station also means Marble Church. M3 also covers Enghave Plads, which is the heart of Vesterbro area (beware, dead on weekends after 3pm!) and København H or Central station, transit to S Trains for Forgotten Giants.

Day 2 (Sat)

Nyhavn, a lovely waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen. Lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/nyhavn-gdk474735

We enjoyed a canal cruise in the area, covered under our Copenhagen Card. Informative 90min experience that covered a lot of attractions via the waterways of the city. We arrived early (10+ in the morning) when crowds were small.

Restaurant 108 for Michelin-quality lunch: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/restaurant-108-gdk1082918 (after walking along Nyhavn to Royal Playhouse)

Vesterbro area after lunch by bus, unfortunately the area was a fairly dead town, with most shops closed by 3pm. An area that has potential, but isn’t worth going to yet.

Enghave Plads station, where we explored nearby streets and ate at Sliders.

Rainbow Square, next to City Hall Square, honours the LGBTQ movement. Drinks at a cosy bar named My Fair Ladies, serving drinks named after divas like Idina Menzel: https://www.myfairladies.dk

Day 3 (Sun)

Rosenborg Castle, home to 400 years of royal history. After exploring the grounds and halls, at 11.30am, we followed the royal guards as they marched from an exit of the castle to Amalienborg Palace. Very fun experience marching alongside them through areas like Strøget: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/rosenborg-castle-gdk410582

Amalienborg Palace, Marble Church (biggest dome in Scandinavia), Design Musem, three places we visited in succession due to their proximity from each other: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/amalienborg-palace-gdk492887

Gasoline Grill, interesting burger kiosk at a petrol station: https://www.gasolinegrill.com/

Round Tower: fascinating architectural highlight. No stairs! Located in a vibrant area too: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/round-tower-gdk410741

Illums Bolighus, massive Danish design store, one of many highlights at the bustling pedestrian shopping area of Strøget: https://www.illumsbolighus.dk/

Oscar Bar & Cafe, classy restaurant bar for the LGBTQ community, located at Regnbuepladsen 9, a short walk from the City Hall Square: http://oscarbarcafe.dk/

Day 4 (Mon)

Nørrebro Park, a skate park with contour lines, perfect for Instagram: https://iaincameron.dk/norrebro-park-copenhagens-colourful-urban-park/

Grundtvig’s Church, which we visited after a bus ride, but unfortunately could not enter due to it being closed on Mondays

Tivoli Gardens, one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions. We spent many hours here, soaking in the Christmas vibes and eating at the amazing variety of eateries. Established in 1843, and yet still incredibly charming despite the lack of intellectual property characters like Universal Studios or Disney theme parks. We recommend entering in daylight, and staying till night falls, as well as visiting during the Christmas period. We deliberately visited on a Monday too, to avoid weekend crowds. Admission was covered under our Copenhagen Card, but you have to pay separately for rides: https://www.tivoli.dk

Note: If you plan to also visit the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek art museum next door, you may want to visit Tivoli on a non-Monday, as the art museum is closed on Mondays.

Day 5 (Tue)

Bulk of the day was spent outside the city, hunting for forgotten wooden giants by Thomas Dambo: https://thomasdambo.com/works/forgotten-giants

There are 6 of these giants hidden in forested areas of Copenhagen’s suburbs. We had time to find 3, depending solely on public transport options such as the S train and buses (do prior research using Google maps). A significant amount of walking/trekking was required too.

Based on online research, driving is a more popular way to find these giants, but we decided against it as we did not want to rent a car for just 1 day and worry about the unfamiliarity involved. Our navigation app maps.me also reflected the location of the giants, helping us to find our way in the wilderness.

Sequence of 3 giants found: Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, Teddy Friendly.

Chose to find Little Tilde and Thomas on the Mountain first, as they are 20 min walking distance apart. Little Tilde takes about 10min walk from bus stop. And then skirt around the lake, cut through a sheep farm area and climb up a steep sloop overlooking a field to find Thomas on the Mountain.

Then this is the longest walk of about 25 min from mountaintop to civilization. Hop on the same train to go further in the train route to another suburb Høje Taastrup to find Teddy Friendly. The train station for this is a larger terminal and the bus to take is right above the station. Bus will bring you to a Technological Institute. Teddy Friendly is only about 5-10 min walk from bus stop depending on which bus.

Now, if you missed the bus specified by Google Maps, you can look for other buses that take similar routes. Cos bus intervals may be as long as 40 min.

NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, a massive art museum beside Tivoli Gardens. Spent a couple of hours appreciating the statues and surroundings, before Thai takeaway dinner near Airbnb apartment.

For future treks to find the remaining 3 giants:

If we had one more hour of day light, we could have covered a 4th, Sleeping Louis, on our way back (sun set around 4pm at this time of year). Cos it’s also the same train line, and some 20 min walk one way from bus stop drop off.

The other two giants are harder to get to. The one under the bridge is a whopping 35 -40 min walk from nearest train stop. No bus or clear walk track. However if you cover this, you may as well walk a little more to Arken Museum of Contemporary Art. Either giant or museum, you will need another 40 min to walk back to train station.

The last giant on the hill is a 8 min bicycle ride from Louis. But a 30 min walk one way southwards. Again, no train or bus routes.

Day 6 (Wed)

KLM Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Amsterdam.

Tip: Buy 24 hours or 3 days tram / bus passes. One trip on tram costs 3.2 euros, whereas a day pass costs 8 euros

Jordaan area for Airbnb apartment. A charming Tiong Bahru-ish place with cozy restaurants and cafes. 4min walk to Westermarkt church (our landmark and tram stops), which is in turn near the iconic Anne Frank House.

Anne Frank House, one of Amsterdam’s most famous tourist spots. We were impressed by how tasteful the experience was. Poignant but essential. We bought tickets in advance as this is a very popular place: https://www.annefrank.org/en/

Grand Café Restaurant 1e klas in Amsterdam Centraal Station for dinner, as we were entitled to a Klook promotion. Classy venue.

Future consideration: Staying in hotels near Amsterdam Centraal is a good idea, as the pick up points for many day tours are within the station

Note: Tram ride from Westermarkt to Centraal or vice versa takes only about 5 min.

LGBTQ tip: Pink Point is a useful info kiosk for the community, located right in front of Westermarkt. We picked up a map and spoke to the owner to find out more about bars and clubs. There is also a homomonument nearby, consisting of three triangular structures to honour the LGBTQ community.

Day 7 (Thurs)

Zaanse Schans windmills + Volendam cheese makers + ferry ride to Marken to learn about wooden shoe making. Comprehensive Klook day tour that we highly recommend. Meeting point was Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Canal boat tour for Amsterdam Light Festival. We bought tickets at a tourist kiosk, for the boat company Lovers. A charming 90min ride around the city’s canals in the evening, with pitstops to appreciate light installations by international artists, based on the theme Disrupt.

Prik, gay bar located at Spuistraat 109, for drinks

Day 8 (Fri)

MOCO Museum, a relatively small museum hosting an exhibition of works by contemporary and street artists including Banksy, Yayoi Kusama, Kaws and Jeff Koons: https://mocomuseum.com

Van Gogh Museum, much bigger, permanently dedicated to the life and work of Van Gogh. Buy tickets online so you only need to queue once to enter. 11am to 2pm is peak hour: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Both museums are located in Museum Square. Another popular museum in the area is Rijksmuseum, but we did not have time for that due to spending hours in the two museums listed above.

Club Church, located at Kerkstraat 52. An eye-opening themed night at this dance club.

Day 9 (Sat)

Giethoorn, which we visited using a Klook day tour. A picturesque little village, 1.5 hours drive from Amsterdam. It has canals instead of streets and boats instead of cars. We had a lovely time strolling along the canals, and enjoyed a boat tour too. Highly recommended for December, but we were warned that the place is overcrowded and unpleasant in summer: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/8628-giethoorn-one-day-tour-amsterdam/

The Good Companion, for comforting seafood dinner, walking distance from our Airbnb in Jordaan area: https://www.thegoodcompanion.nl/

Paradox, coffeeshop for marble cake (less upmarket)

Day 10 (Sun)

Kessens, a hipster cafe serving breakfast, walking distance from our Airbnb apartment: http://www.kessensamsterdam.nl/

Bloemenmarkt, a supposed floating flower market, which was basically a row of shops selling similar tulip products. Too touristy for our liking.

Picked friend at Central Station, who would spend a couple of days with us in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Genetics, coffeeshop for red velvet cake (more upmarket)

Rice Table for dinner, along main road leading to Westermarkt

Day 11 (Mon)

Pancakes Amsterdam Westermarkt for breakfast: https://pancakes.amsterdam/locations/3/pancakes-amsterdam-westermarkt (very near Anne Frank House)

Coffee at Zoo bakery

Amsterdam Centraal’s Wurst & Schnitzelhaus for lunch, before boarding train to Brussels

Thalys train to Brussels. Tickets bought online before the trip: https://www.thalys.com/be/en

Grand Place for Christmas light show on the hour, part of the Brussels Lights Festival. This is the historic central square of Brussels: https://www.brussels.be/grand-place-brussels

La Brouette, traditional brasserie for dinner, located right at Grand Place: https://taverne-brouette.be/en

Airbnb right in the heart of district centre, walking distance to Grand Place

Day 12 (Tue)

Ghent and Bruges, which we visited using a Klook day tour that took 10 hours (including bus time). Both are charming cities in northwest Belgium, famous for their medieval architecture. Our guide provided comprehensive commentary in both cities, which offer many opportunities for photo-taking: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/26000-ghent-bruges-day-tour-brussels/

Day 13 (Wed)

Breakfast at Aksum Coffee, located in a glitzy row of establishments named Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert: https://visit.brussels/en/place/Galeries-Royales-Saint-Hubert

Mannequin Pis, the famous peeing boy statue of Brussels. Popular with tourists, but definitely not a must-visit. The lanes of shops and eateries in the area were more interesting to us: https://www.brussels.info/peeing-boy/

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, for an interesting Dali x Magritte exhibition: https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en

Laurent Gerbaud Chocolatier for late pastry lunch (owned by founder of Tiong Bahru Bakery): http://www.chocolatsgerbaud.be/

Wittamir area, for chocolate brands such as Godiva and Taschen bookstore

Rue Neuve pedestrian street for shopping, Primark being a highlight for us: https://stores.primark.com/nl_nl/belgie/brussels/13-15-rue-neuve

Starbucks Rogier, futuristic building: https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d13274778-Reviews-Starbuck_Rogier-Brussels.html

Japanese food for dinner at Kabuki restaurant, near our Airbnb: http://www.restaurant-kabuki.be/

Day 14 (Thursday)

Took Intercity train to get to airport. Due to early flight, we had to get tickets for the 4.41am train. Thankfully, Brussels Central Station opens at 4am. Bought our tickets for 8 Euros the day before.

Flew back to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, via Zürich, Switzerland.

#copenhagen #amsterdam #brussels

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