#i know other countries have the trains and walkable cities too

[fakeasmr]

reading manga and getting hella jealous of japan's sickass train system and walkable cities

[ierotits]

if u don't mind answering (just ignore if you feel weird about talking about where you live and stuff online) but I noticed you talking on that walkable cities post about living in a village that's well served by the train network and I've noticed you mentioning things off hand in the tags of a few other posts talking about American approaches to stuff vs everywhere else and it's got me interested as someone who's always lived in Europe but has quite a lot of family in Aotearoa, if I understand right you're living in rural France rn? Are you originally from South Island?

I'm always interested when I travel to see how American influences are slightly different in different places and never quite how you imagine before you go. Does Europe seem pretty americanised to you? I know the first time I travelled to Auckland I was really surprised by the approach to cars ect reminding me way more of past trips to America than my childhood in various semi rural places in Europe. Mainly that cars are a lot bigger and trucks and offroaders are more of a thing than i was used to at home and even tho a lot of cars were Japanese, the design seemed really American to me.

Anyway I guess I'm interested in differences in general rather than just city planning/transport. I guess I've just found it interested seeing that cultural leak from America in different ways than I'm used to?? The impact of American culture on Europe was really clear growing up so I think before I got old enough to travel I'd just expected it to be the same everywhere but it really isn't!! It has always felt to me that Australia has a lot more of that American influence in like business spheres?? Politically it certainly seems more American than other countries nearby. Whereas as a whole a lot of European countries seem influenced in different ways (which makes sense considering close distance between countries and the eu and all) But yeah fascinated to hear if you have any opinions on the like having (I'm guessing here?? possibly travelled to Europe as an adult after growing up in Aotearoa???? which is kinda the opposite of my experience)

okay finally going to try answer this bear with. its a good ask!!! putting this below the cut because it could get long

for context on my response, gotta do an overview of my living situation! i am currently living in a medium sort of sized city in france, around 150k population? but i work in a tiny village a 20 minute drive out of town, which is serviced by the train system. from what i can tell, most little villages like that have a small train station that a TER goes through quite regularly, so when there isnt strikes its easy to get to and from the closest city, which is then connected to everywhere else

in aotearoa i live in a city about double the size of the one im in now (wont say which one but im sure it isnt too hard to work out) grew up in a small town, but lived in the city for my later childhood, teen years, and uni so most of my life experiences were there, only came to france last year

in terms of transport, aotearoa is definitely more americanised than europe, as far as i can tell as someone who has not been to america, just spoken a lot on this topic with american friends.

in france, everything is so easily accessable by train. every town and city has a train station, the rail speed means nothing is more than about 5 hours away (my experience anyway). the trains run enough times a day that theres always something (except for the strikes atm but thats a different circumstance.) in bigger cities, there is always a fast, regular, seemingly reliable tram or metro system that gets you anywhere, while smaller cities like mine have a bus system that works, but i never use because nothing is any more than half an hours walk away. i have barely been in a car since getting here, because it really just isnt necessary, the whole system is designed to not rely on cars

for aotearoa, its basically impossible to travel between cities or towns without a car. there are intercity buses, but even between my city and the next closest one, which i know MANY people who make that trip regularly, the intercity bus goes once a day if youre lucky. theres very few passenger trains, and most of them are expensive tourist ones made for sightseeing. basically to get anywhere outside of your city, your options are very expensive slow not regular bus, or get someone to drive you. in my city, theres a bus system that is pretty widespread, you can get everywhere but its expensive, not reliable, and the buses dont go very often except on the very busy routes. if i walked half an hour in my city, i would cross maybe 5% of the city, it was a 40 minute walk to school in high school while it was a 5 minute drive. it got to a point when i was 20 that it was too expensive, took too much time, etc to catch the buses everywhere, that i ended up having to buy a car. the cities, from my experience, are becoming more and more car reliant as the years go on, and all the city does is add lanes to roads

in terms of everything else, i feel like france and aotearoa are both americanised in different ways? politically, france seems to have been quicker at pushing towards this governmental system where your options are far right or center pretending to be left while pushing the country right. france also has similar issues with the militarization of the police force, over investment in the military, gun violence, etc. it doesnt seem as bad as america to me, but then i potentially dont have the full story. while aotearoa has many issues with the police, and an increase in racial bias and violent responses, most of the more extreme american issues dont seem to have developped as quickly. i truly think a lot of that comes down to the labour government the last few years and the changes to gun laws post christchurch attacks. there are, of course, small groups in aotearoa that are leaning towards american ways of thinking, specifically thinking of brian tamaki and his evangelical cult that is directly copying from the american mega church, and the antivax shit that happened the last couple of years

its difficult to really tell to be honest. i feel like in aotearoa, especially with the rise of the internet and online connection to other countries, it has become a lot easier for our population to start to fall into american ways of thinking. i mean, specifically with elections i regularly have to explain to people my age that voting for the green party isnt a throw away vote here like it is in america, the way our voting system works is that you can vote for whichever party truly represents your interest. i genuinely think thats one of the things thats kept us from being pushed further right, the prevalence and strength of the green and māori parties. the revitalisation of māori language and culture has certainly helped too, that we have so many allies helping keep us in the forefront of our country and its politics, we cant just be swept under the rug and ignored. im proud of the way that we have managed to stave off the total disappearance of our culture and instead turn it around to become one of the most visible parts of the country

tldr, i really think both countries have and havent been americanised in different ways. i know less about france as ive only been here a few months, but i do think aotearoa is so far doing what we can to actively work against america's more negative elements being incorporated into out country. just wish we would do that with transport too

[scrabbleknight]

I wish people (and by people, I meant OP specifically) would understand that being pro-public transportation/walkable city DOES NOT MEAN ANTI-CAR.

Like, you can have both. In fact, you should strive for both. Public transportation, especially AFFORDABLE public transportation, is great for people who don't have/want/can't-afford a car.

When I was in college, I didn't have a car (for obvious reasons being it's another country), so I utilized the train extensively. It made traveling to college easy, as I lived only 20 minutes away by train. One of my mates lived a whole hour away in the big city too (idk why he'd choose to live so far but that's on him tbh). Additionally, I had an app that helped me plan my trips so I never had trouble going around. AND THIS ALL COST ME 50 EUROS A MONTH. I traveled all over because of it.

Now that I'm no longer in college, I drive. I kinda need to because the weather here is terrible and I would die if I walk 10 minutes out in the open. But it's not expensive for me; Gas is like $40 a month, I work from home most of the time, and I can afford the biannual maintenance. I also drive to meet my friends on odd-hours, go to random ass spots all over that no train or bus will touch, visit family often and go grocery shopping once a week.

I also love my car. It's a shitty cheap car but I love it.

The point is; the world of cars and public transportation can go hand-in-hand. But to be dependent on one or the other? That's a bad thing. You don't want to be dependent on your car to go anywhere, and you definitely don't want to be dependent on public transportation. At least, when it's your car, you can do something about it. But public transportation essentially leaves it to the whims of God.

Having choices is great. Knowing that, even if your car broke down or the train is under maintenance, you can still get to where you need to go and on schedule. The dependency is the danger, not the car or the sidewalk. The ultimate goal, no matter the method, should be "to get to your desired location safely, affordably, comfortably and on time". Who cares if it's by car or by bike?

Cars and Independence

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[beaversatemygrandma]

Thoughts about the FL thing, sans money now.

So that one friend who moved to Cali FINALLY texted me. I can't blame her at all for taking that time. It was hectic. Basically suddenly finding your existence illegal and the fact that she was in an accepting household could risk her mom losing her youngest kid. Like FL is fucked up and I'm glad she's safe now. And then me saying that I'm moving back to FL soon and she's just instant panic. Instantly worried about me. Telling me that if i go, i shouldn't come out. I shouldn't continue with that at all. Put the gender fuckery on hold. I think she even offered to help me out to Cali also once she's got her own place out there. Honestly, sounds pretty nice. I mean, the guy I've been talking with for all this time and basically have a long distance, soon to be short distance, relationship with has been listening to everything I've been saying about FL and iirc, Cali is actually a state where his insulin might come cheaper and easier. We've literally been talking about taking our time in town, getting money, saving money, and leaving the state, perhaps even the country. Like, he needs a place with socialized healthcare so he doesn't have a pricetag on his life and i need a place where i can literally be myself. And that place sure isn't FL.

Jeez, going back to FL in this political climate is so damn terrifying but i can't stay here. I'm losing my mind here. I'm stuck in a tiny ass place with too much stuff to fit into my damn 6x8 ft room that has 0 air flow, with a 14yo who acts like she's 7 (she's mentally okay, she's just immature and won't grow. like you give her advice and she starts guilting you about how she's not perfect). I've got my dad who i haven't been with for longer than a month since i was 8, who can't get anything done without at least a month of procrastination. We're all broke. There's planes and trains and trucks that shake the whole trailer every hour 24/7. It's not walkable. Hell, it's hardly drivable with all those axle-breaking potholes and blind intersections. There are even air quality warnings like once a week. And that's not about the smokescreen over the northeast. That's just what it's Like Here. Our water is brown like once a month. I swear like three water mains leading to our area burst since January. There are even shootings basically once a week within five miles of here. I hear guns firing constantly at like 2am like clockwork. I'm broke. I can't deal with it here. The payments needed to keep a car legal are higher in this state than most others. (including mandatory inspections? That YOU pay for??) What the fuck even is this city?

At least in FL, i know the town well. I know the people. I know the roads. It's kept nice because it's a damn tourist trap. Not some still-segregated urban sprawl. Sure, there's annoying rednecks there and snowbirds who act like they own the place, but you're less likely to get shot going to the gas station or break your car's entire front axle after not swerving around the wrong pothole so you don't get hit head-on by a tanker. Sure, I'm going to be terrified to be as gnc as i am. But what's another couple years in the closet, right? right? 🙃 Just have to keep my job, keep that guy close so I seem straight/cis passing, and hold my tongue in public. And maybe not look queer to an emt if something bad happens. Suck up dysphoria for a while and actually wear form-fitting clothes so nobody will try anything.

Holy fuck the entire southeast is so fucked up. Why do i have to be stuck here?

[quixoticanarchy]

Hello semi-patron saint of the mbta! I am actually moving to boston and will be almost entirely reliant on the bus system and maybe the orange line (but all the places i want to go are on the green line.... 🥺). do you have any general recommendations? things to do/not do/watch out for on the bus? (i am a country bumpkin and lack all social skills so jot that down)

thank you tremendously for any knowledge you wish to bestow!! in supplication i give you this fruit 🍎🍉🍊🍋🥝🍐🫐🍇

Thank you for the offering, I accept the fruit :) I have no idea if this is helpful but I like transit systems a normal amount

Idk how familiar you are with any other buses and trains, but I mean the mbta generally works like other transit systems in most regards. I’m always torn between dire complaints and protesting that at least it’s better than a lot of places. Boston (and nyc) do have a certain hm,, interpersonal public coldness, I would say, so don’t expect to talk to people. Or make eye contact. Or smile. Results may vary and I used to run little social interaction experiments on the mbta in high school, but by and large Bostonians in public do not want you to interact with them. They might help you if you need it but they won’t small-talk.

Specifics I will try to put under a cut lol sorry if it doesn’t work

As far as the T goes I like the orange line, so that’s good. It usually functions except for a couple times it’s caught fire. I’ve also heard the best random subway musicians playing in orange line stations. Also you can at least connect directly to the green line from orange. The green line is.. not my beloved. I’ve taken it more than any other and despite the fact that Boston has had snow for longer than it’s been a city, does the snow disrupt aboveground green line service every year? Yes. The downtown green line stops are pretty close together so if you’re okay with walking, you don’t *need* to take too many trains around there. And the classic/historic/touristy downtown stuff is pretty walkable also, and close to transit options. The B/C/D/E green lines are quite slow, and D is fond of perpetually being under construction, but sometimes that’s inevitable.

The red line goes to some useful or fun places, it either works pretty well or not well at all. South station is useful and has silver line connections including to the airport. (The silver line is a bus pretending to be a good replacement for a removed train line.. long story.) North station is not as useful imo and no, you can’t go directly from north to south station. 🙃 The blue line is a bit irritating to connect to but it does go to a nice salt marsh.

Buses... they are present. They.. work, though not always on their intended schedules. The only buses that have never betrayed me are the 39 and the 86. There are many parts of the city the trains don’t reach, so it’s very good to know the buses, and sometimes their routes are more direct than trains, which are on more of a spoke model. Also they’re cheaper than trains. I’ve commuted by bus and train and it’s all doable, just give yourself spare time.

Anyway this is far too long but I feel strongly about buses and trains and I think they’re a good way to get to know a place. I took every train to each end of their respective lines, just to see what was there (mostly parking lots tbh). Long story short Boston transit has many irritating quirks but it does more or less work, and also apparently I miss it

[bustedbernie]

When I was a kid, there was a bus company called TNM&O (Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma) that ran buses across the southwest, with decent timetables and serving towns as small as 200 people. Before this, much of Texas and New Mexico were accessible by rail transit - Albuquerque, Gallup, Belen and Clovis all being major train hubs at some point or another. I hate the argument that "Intercity transit can't work in America, it's too spread out." But, places like New Mexico and Texas - vast and empty states - were largely populated by Intercity transit. At a certain point, you could get on a train in Paducah, TX, travel to Lubbock, Amarillo, or Dallas, then connect to the rest of the country, from a town which no longer even has a cargo rail line (though much of that right-of-way still exists, a true story in much of the USA).

Expanding amtrak, reintroducing spur lines (of which there are only a few left, like the famous Princeton Shuttle operated by New Jersey Transit), and offering tax incentives to companies (or budgets to state transit departments) to train and hire CDL drivers in modern coaches with toilets equiped could help connect many of these towns. In rural areas that surround a larger town (like those in New Mexico or Texas, cited above) services could be started with commuter frequencies. These are things we've seen done in peer countries - including the vast and empty Canada.

TNM&O got bought out by Greyhound buses some many years ago. Around 2008, many of those former TNM&O lines were cut - after many had already been cut with the acquisition of the company. From my city to a town i used to live in, some time ago it would've been possible to get a ride across the state in 4 hours, direct, and with several options per day - this is of course in the empty state of New Mexico. Now, though greyhound still serves that town marginally, it would require a bus transfer in a neighboring state and take 9-10 hours. Many other states had their version of TNM&O which could and should make a come-back in some form or another.

We already know America can function on transit and walkability, many of our small towns are STILL walkable and still have historic train stations which in the best of cases could be reopened for amtrak or state-run services, and in the marginal cases be converted to centrally located motor coach hubs. Small towns could use ADA-compliant investments in sidewalks and new streets, bike lanes, and other investments that they can't afford on their own. In the case of New Mexico, many towns are large enough to support fixed-route bus service but simply can't afford that. This is something that Biden's transit plan addresses in towns with over 100,000 people. There's no reason why we can't begin spending that money on small towns down the line. There is a rollover effect of large cities improving transit then encouraging Intercity transit which in turn creates demand for transit and infra investments in rural areas.

On this, i will also propose New Mexico as an example. The State established the "blue bus" network in Northern New Mexico, connecting communities from Santa Fe up through Taos and Rio Arriba. This is one of the most rural and poor regions of the country and includes several tribal nations. Blue Bus is free and though imperfect, is a lifeline for many who can connect with the rail runner in Santa Fe for medical appointments, university and shopping in Albuquerque. Connecticut also has Its CT Transit, and New Jersey it's NJ Transit. These are systems that can be expanded. In the case of NJ, the southern NJ rail links could be rebuilt and electrified. Blue Bus could be expanded. With gas taxes helping to create expanded services and reducing miles travelled by car, it would only lead to more service.

There's also evidence that these small town transit hubs can help induce the creation of small businesses, grocery stores and other amenities. If our goal is to help the rural folks, let's make it less needed for them to make long treks to places like Albuquerque for basic supplies. Let's make small towns nicer places to live which in turn helps keep local doctors and clinics in-place and open (another big issue). Housing grants can also help.

There's so much we can do to make the US a more kind, safe, clean and livable country, even in the wide spaces of the west and Southwest. There's just no excuse not to start making major changes. In the end, we all benefit and share in a more vibrant public common.

[alwaysbewoke]

7 Instant Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint...

1. Stop Eating (or Eat Less) Meat

The single most effective action you can take to combat climate change is to stop eating meat. Just limiting your meat consumption can make a huge difference. Greenhouse gas emissions from agribusiness are an even bigger problem than fossil fuels. So while we often talk about cutting our reliance on fossil fuels – and this is still critically important – we rarely discuss the worst culprit. Red meat is particularly to blame, consuming 11 times more water and producing 5 times more emissions than its poultry counterparts. You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but eating meat less frequently (the average American eats 8.5 ounces of meat per day!) will significantly help the environment. To get a single pound of beef, it takes over 5,000 gallons of water – as the number one consumer of freshwater in the world, animal agriculture is drastically increasing the problem of water scarcity. Don’t forget to inform others: many people simply don’t know about the connection between meat and climate change.

2. Unplug Your Devices

You might be surprised to learn that all electronics suck energy when they’re plugged in, EVEN IF they’re powered down. In the U.S. alone, “vampire power” is responsible for draining up to $19 billion in energy every year. Anytime a cord is plugged into a socket, it’s drawing energy – so although your device isn’t charging, you’re still contributing to your carbon footprint. Simple solution? Leave your electronics unplugged at all times, unless you’re actually using them.

3. Drive Less

Choose to walk, bike, or take the bus – leave the car at home, and you’ll be making an easy decision with immediate results. Many people are opting to bike to work, especially with bike lanes becoming more prevalent. Cities are finally investing in the necessary infrastructure to make it easier not to own a car. There are over 65 million cyclists in the United States, a number that has risen dramatically over the past five years. Increasing populations have made effective public transportation more necessary than ever, and options like subways, trains, buses, and rapid transit continue to grow. Many new bus routes are even turning to hybrids, solar power, and other eco-friendly alternatives. In the U.S., public transportation saves 37 million tons of carbon emissions every year. Cities are also increasing walkability, with architects incorporating more outdoor and green spaces, and new buildings focused on green infrastructure and community engagement.

4. Don’t Buy “Fast Fashion”

Many major clothing retailers practice what is known as “fast fashion” – selling an endless cycle of must-have trends at extremely low prices. Have you ever wondered how it’s possible to pay only $4 for that t-shirt? In this consumer society, we think of fashion as disposable – after all, if I only pay $4 I might not think twice about throwing it away. Heaps and heaps of clothing ends up in the landfill, often to justify buying the latest styles. We’re talking over 15 million tons of textile waste – with quantity over quality, fast fashion retailers can charge next to nothing for items that are mass-produced. They push these garments to sell by creating more fashion “cycles” or “seasons” – where there used to be 4 per year, there’s now often 12 to 15. There’s also the issue of contamination: almost half of our clothing is made with cotton, and unless it’s labeled as “organic” cotton, there’s a high chance that it’s genetically modified cotton sprayed with lots of pesticides (including known carcinogens). This can be damaging to neighboring non-GMO crops, cause water contamination, reduce biodiversity, and have negative impacts on human health. Don’t forget that anything made overseas has a huge environmental impact – from the physical act of shipping a product across the ocean, to the chemical runoff from garment factories (leather tanneries are particularly bad). As if that’s not enough, fast fashion is an industry still largely propped up by child labor. Toxic to the environment, detrimental to human rights – who needs it? Try alternatives like re-purposing old clothing, choosing locally handmade garments, buying vintage, or participating in clothing swaps with family and friends.

5. Plant a Garden

Whether you live in a house or an apartment, planting some greens is a quick and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. We all know plants absorb carbon dioxide – a beneficial relationship for humans, that we should all be seeking to nurture. Plant some bee-friendly flowers, a few trees, or a vegetable garden. Balcony gardens are great for urban dwellings. Cities often need to reduce the “urban heat island” effect – basically, cities tend to be hotter than rural areas because of vast pavement areas, concrete buildings, and increased human activity. Creating more spaces for plants, grasses, and trees can mitigate this effect and lead to better cooling, which will be a necessity with worsening climate change. Help avoid the “heat island” effect by planting trees for shade, or maybe try a green roof or community garden.

6. Eat Local (and Organic)

Whenever possible, try to eat local, in-season produce. Sticking to foods that are grown locally, in your own city or surrounding area, helps to reduce the carbon footprint created by shipping foods from elsewhere. A general rule for where something is grown? The closer to you, the better. When a fruit or vegetable can be grown in your own backyard, or a local farm, the environmental cost is significantly reduced. Just imagine the journey that food from a distant country has to take – by plane, ship, train, or truck, the produce must stay cooled, so it doesn’t spoil, and has usually been picked way too early (resulting in not-so-great quality, and fewer nutrients). Small farms are more likely to adopt beneficial soil-care practices and maintain borders for local wildlife, and eating locally-grown food supports your local economy and promotes food security. It’s equally important to eat organic produce, which hasn’t been sprayed with toxic pesticides and other environmentally detrimental chemicals. Don’t forget to avoid processed foods: processed and packaged foods are often bad for your health, not just the environment. Processing plants are major polluters, and their products contribute to health epidemics like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Choose whole foods that are better for the planet, and better for your own longevity.

7. Line-Dry Your Clothes

New is not always better – the traditional method of line-drying your clothing is much better for the environment. One dryer load uses 5 times more electricity than washing – by simply line-drying your clothes, you can save 1/3 of their carbon footprint. Unfortunately, line-drying seems to be America’s least favorite way to save energy – despite the fact that running a clothes dryer is equivalent to turning on 225 light bulbs for an hour. Europeans, on the other hand, are excellent at this (95 percent of Italians don’t even own a dryer) – it might be time to follow their lead, especially considering the tumble dryer is one of the top energy-consuming appliances (not to mention the leading cause of appliance-related house fires).

Anyone can make these simple changes: they’re easy to implement, and are immediately effective in reducing your carbon footprint. Our actions and choices ultimately make a difference, and we all share the responsibility to do whatever we can to address climate change, big or small.

i’m going my part. i have meatless days and walk just about everywhere.

[penniesforthestorm]

Concert Recap, Cherry-on-Top Edition: Ian Noe at Rockwood Music Hall/a bunch of my friends at Gutter Bar, 10.3.19

On Falling in Love With the City All Over Again

(yes, that was a seasonal pun)

After being involved with this little corner of the music scene as long as I have, it’s kind of inevitable that I’ll get invited to multiple happenings on the same night. (Hey everybody, look how cool I am...yeeesh.) Sometimes it works without a hitch-- last weekend, I was invited to one set at 7:30 and a bill starting at 9:30, at two bars that are not only close to each other, but walkable from my apartment. But sometimes, I have to choose, especially on a weeknight. So I was a little dismayed earlier this week, when I realized that seeing Ian Noe, which I’d been looking forward to all summer, would overlap with the show I’d been invited to at the Gutter, which featured four bands, all comprised of people I’m friends with. But I looked at it again, and realized that, at worst, I’d only miss one set at the later show, so I thought I might as well make a night of it.

I left the office right at 5:30 (I think I sent my last email of the day at 5:28), grabbed a sandwich and a cup of tea to go, and started walking downtown. A fine, misty drizzle was in the air, and I was glad to have my hot tea to hold and sip as I walked. I walked down through Chelsea to the Village, deciding to turn east at 10th Street. (The next time you’re in Manhattan, walk east on 10th Street, starting at 6th Avenue, in the early evening and see if it’s not just a little bit magical.) Over to 2nd Avenue and down, winding through the restaurant crowds and the gaggles of students and the old folks walking their little dogs, and finally to Rockwood, where I have spent so many memorable evenings.

The first act of the night was Jeremy Ivey, a Nashville singer-songwriter who happens to be married to Margo Price (I genuinely did not know this beforehand.) Rather than a long-winded description, here’s a link to a song of his that particularly stood out to me, “Gina the Tramp” from his new album The Dream and the Dreamer. He has a way of surprising you with a lyric-- an image or a turn of phrase that’s unexpectedly vivid and precise.

As for the headliner, Ian Noe-- as I said above, I’ve been looking forward to seeing him all summer. Between the Country is just a shockingly good album, and I was really grateful that the show was in an intimate space like Rockwood. (I saw Paul Burch there a few years ago, and my friend and I made two of the eight people in the audience; happily, last night was sold out.) He has a quietly intense stage presence, but he’s not at all self-serious; he warmed up and settled in after the first song or two. The highlight was his song “The Last Stampede”-- again, don’t take my word for it, but this tune is breathtaking. For an encore, he played “Born in the U.S.A.”, rendering it as spare and sober as it should be. (Of course I couldn’t help being reminded of Apocalypse Now; I think Willard would be a Springsteen fan.)

I would’ve liked to stick around and try to say hello, but I was committed to my harebrained scheme, and in an absurd stroke of good fortune, the trains were with me, so I made it over to Williamsburg at about a quarter to ten. The drizzle had gotten a little heavier and a little colder, but after being in that warm, crowded room, it felt good to cool off. I made it to the Gutter just in time to catch some of the friends I’d most wanted to see: a new band calling themselves Public Radio, but made of members of some of my favorite local acts (The Harmonica Lewinskies, The ‘94 Knicks). They don’t have any material out under their own name as far as I know, but they did a version of this song, which I’ve seen Rob Bettega perform many times over the years. Next up was the band LUECK, who I hadn’t seen in a while--this track is a favorite of mine. The very last band of the night was The Great American Novel. It’s kind of a funny story (*finger guns*), but, way back in the winter of 2013, I was invited to see The Harmonica Lewinskies at Bowery Electric (I knew Rob and Dan in a roundabout way through school). Playing with them, in slightly different lineup, was The Great American Novel.

I’m closing in on a full decade of living in New York, and while I’ve had it easier than most, there have been some tough times. (This is also known as “growing up”.) But every so often, I get a night like this, of dancing and sweaty hugs and sleepy cab rides home, of catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, and of course, the music. And that’s the trick of it, that’s the enchantment. Jacket weather has arrived, and not a moment too soon. See you around.

[ghargoyle]

Demon of Hidden Things (Demon x Female Reader) - Part 2

This is late and my pacing is soooooooo rushed but just TAKE IT

Part 1

En route to his destination, Sartael felt his facade start to slip. An involuntary growl reverberated from his chest; the skin on his hands was gradually fading from a golden tan to blood red. When the conductor came by to check his ticket, the conductor’s face dropped.

“Uh. Hello...sir. Got your ticket?”

“Yeah, right here. Thank you.” He attempted to flash the conductor one of his brilliant Wall Street smiles, but it didn’t seem to help his case, and the man hurried along to the next passenger.

Turning to glimpse his dim reflection in the train window, Sartael immediately noticed that his eyes had reverted to a startling neon yellow with slitted pupils. Oh. Well that explains the look. Whatever, he probably thought they were costume contacts or something. Hesitantly, the demon opened his mouth to find a full set of pointed fangs. Well, that’s a bit harder to explain away. Thankfully this is New York, so that’s probably not even the weirdest thing he’s seen today.

Slipping his monthly train pass into his wallet, Sartael paused and smirked at his ID and business card. “Jim Alaster”, it read, in a classy black font with gold detailing. A name he had carefully crafted for himself before moving to America. “Jim” coming from “Jinn” with the n’s mashed together, “Alaster” being an anagram of his own name that also hinted at his demonic identity without being too obvious. The full name, conveniently, was similar enough to that of some Northern Irish politician that Sartael didn’t come up on the first page of Google results. Of course, he had made himself a website and a fairly realistic-looking set of social media accounts anyway. Just in case.

He wouldn’t need the name anymore, but he was still proud of it, in an odd way. He might keep the wallet and its contents as a souvenir when he returned to Hell.

Hell. Did he even want to return? He gazed out the window at the Northeastern landscapes, which seemed to alternate pristine woodlands with sparkling lakes and grey industrial wastelands, all concrete and carbon emissions. Occasionally, the train would pass a quaint town or chic city occupied by the country’s elite--Starbucks and artisan bistros, boutiques selling $200 plain dresses and decor that read “Home is where the heart is.”

He knew which stop was his when the air became thick with a pulsing energy. By that point, his chin and nose had started to protrude and veins of red stretched across the expanses of his once carefully-curated face. He could feel his feet starting to turn into hooves in his polished Italian leather shoes, his tail pressing against the inside of his pants.

Guess Uber isn’t an option.

Thankfully, his destination seemed to be a relatively small coastal town, walkable in a few hours at most. The amulet seemed to call out to him in a soft but insistent humming tone, beckoning him to close his eyes.

When he opened them, he knew. He started toward the ocean, ignoring the stares he got, knowing that humans--especially in this part of the world--were too cynical to believe even their own eyes.

Just over an hour later, Sartael came upon an apartment building on the shore. He breathed deeply for a moment, taking in the aura, reveling in the anticipation.

And he promptly ripped the building’s door off its hinges.

And took the elevator to the 8th floor.

And walked down the hall to apartment #83, where he knocked meekly on the door and waited.

You weren’t sure what you expected when you peeked through the peephole in your apartment door, but what you got was a man who looked like he was in dire straits. You couldn’t make out the details of his visage through the smudged glass, but he looked redder than any normal human should, and he seemed to be huffing and puffing quite a bit. Maybe the elevator was broken again?

You opened the door and greeted him with an expectant “Hi!”, only to have him charge and tackle you to the ground before kicking the door closed behind him.

“WHERE is my AMULET?” he roared. You screamed, and he covered your mouth with one ha--were those claws?! “Scream and I swear I’ll kill you and find it myself. It is a green gemstone with a sigil carved into it. Where is it?”

You furrowed your brow for a moment, thinking. Then you attempted to pry his hand off your mouth, leveling him with a glare.

“The only thing I can think of that matches that description is the stone on the cover of my journal. If you get the fuck off of me, I’ll gladly show it to you.”

The demon let go with a slight shove, and you hurried to your room to fish through your desk. You pulled it out less than two minutes later and nearly threw it at the demon, who glared at you and then gazed down at the cover with a wicked grin. His fingers hovered just above the gemstone, as if he was nervous to finally make contact. When he did, the carved sigil glowed emerald for a moment, and then faded back to normal.

“What….” He swallowed. “What in the name of Lucifer himself did you do to it.”

“Huh?”

“What. Did. YOU DO TO IT.”

“Nothing? I bought this at a flea market. It was already embedded in the cover of the journal.”

He tore the leather cover to shreds with one long talon and held the stone flat in the palm of his hand. After a long moment in which you could see golden flames raging in his irises, he looked up at you.

“I don’t suppose you know where the nearest portal to hell is, do you.”

You stared at him and snorted. “Behind the ramen joint across the street.”

Sartael, as he told you his name was, was a bit surprised to see that there actually was a portal to Hell behind the ramen shop across the street.

“Well yeah, I wasn’t kidding. I figured if any place around here were a portal to Hell, it’d be this one.”

“Well played.” In a split second, he grabbed you and jumped into the gaping hole in the ground. Another split second, and you found yourself at the mouth of a sweltering cave, where masses of downtrodden people groaned and screamed and marched toward their eternal damnation.

You winced. Sartael looked around for a moment before snatching your arm and walking right into the cave, ignoring the protests of the guard-demons, none of whom seemed willing to leave their post to stop him. Inside, you could see tall columns of fire, rivers of blood, and...well. All the things you might expect to find in Hell.

Not thirty seconds later, Sartael was recognized by an elderly-looking demon with glasses.

“Sartael?! By St. Michael’s bastard, that can’t be you! It’s been centuries!”

“Olgrath. Where is your brother?”

“Where do you think? As if that old fool would ever step foot outside that library.” Olgrath laughed. “Goodness, it really has been ages. I--”

“Thank you, my friend. But we really are in a hurry.”

“Leaving so soo--”

Sartael once again grabbed your hand and took off, dodging demons and condemned souls alike. You came to a pair of massive wooden doors engraved with a sigil and guarded by what looked like a hydra. It didn’t kill Sartael (nor you) immediately--did it recognize him? He acknowledged the creature with a nod and started tapping out a pattern on the sigil as though entering a code on a keypad. At last, he pressed his palm to the sigil, and a voice came booming from the other side of the doors.

“Who is it?”

“Sartael.”

The doors opened to reveal a...surprisingly small demon. Smaller even than Sartael, who was not much larger than you. He closely resembled his brother, down to the thick glasses resting on the bridge of his Roman nose. If you had previously been asked what the librarian of Hell would look like, he might have fit the bill, but his voice had thrown you through a bit of a loop.

“Sartael!” The small demon grinned. “Finally returned from your centuries-long vacation with a...living human, I see.”

“We’re here on business.”

“I should hope so.” He turned to you and his grin turned slightly menacing, a glint of something terrible in his eye. “Hello, my dear. You may call me Ilgrath. Enchanté.”

You gulped, forced a smile, and were about to tell him your name when Sartael interrupted.

“I have recovered my amulet, but it glowed green and then nothing happened.”

Ilgrath held out his hand for the stone, which Sartael reluctantly handed over. The librarian held it up to his eye, glancing between you and your demonic companion, let out a pensive hum and handed it back.

“It appears as though she has become the de facto owner of the amulet, although she doesn’t have the capacity to harness its power.”

Sartael shot you a bewildered look. “How do I get it back?”

The librarian laughed and clapped his hands. “By ritual, of course!”

“Blast it! Always with the damn rituals!” He stopped a hooved leg. “What does the ritual entail, then?”

“I don’t know anything about that. You’ll have to ask the Master Librarian of Infernal Objects.”

“The bureaucracy here really is awful. Now I remember why I hate this place.”

You trudged off down a hallway to an elevator servicing 666 floors. Great, you thought. We’re probably on 665. Thankfully Sartael pushed the button for the 17th floor and you arrived instantly. Magic, you figured. You started really wishing you had brought a water bottle, although you were pretty sure it would have boiled or melted by this point.

Sartael marched out, gearing up to shout at whoever you encountered. Instead, a stout demon with large, rough hands stood at a desk, tinkering with an object under a magnifying glass. Before Sartael could start ranting, the demon spoke.

“There are two ways in which the ritual may be completed. You may kill her, and use her body in a ritual with these objects.” He tossed a small scroll to Sartael, who struggled to catch it. “Or you may mate with her.”

Sartael unrolled the scroll and let out a string of very angry-sounding demonic words. The other demon seemed unfazed, and when he replied, it was in the same deep, monotone voice as before, although you still couldn’t understand the language. Whatever he said made Sartael whip his head toward you, looking at once shocked, anxious, and infuriated. Without another word, he dragged you to the elevator and pressed the 666th button. You shut your eyes tight, and when you opened them, you were…

Back on Earth.

Sartael turned to you. “You have as long to live as it takes me to gather the items for the ritual. Some of them are found only in the most remote areas of the human world, so we will need to travel. I will cover the costs with Jim Alaster’s savings…”

“Jim Alaster? The Wall Street guy?”

“Yes, and my supposed identity. We will need to be careful, however, because at the moment he is supposed to be missing.”

You laughed and shook your head. “Whatever. I guess traveling the world is how I would want to spend my final days anyway.”

“If it’s any consolation, it will probably be more like final months than final days.”

“Sweet. Where to first?”

[theluckiestlb]

@whatarubberchicken I usually don’t respond to comments/other responses---but yours in particular were rather condescending. I don’t mean to offend, but they struck a nerve. My apologies for the delay, I was on vacation last week. I won’t respond to each point. So let’s begin!

1. “Marinette is not shown speaking any other language in the show, not even a language her mother might’ve used at home. To have her suddenly speaking a bunch of languages would seem out of character to most people after Kung Food. (You could probably get away with English, since most people know about the translations.)”

I’ll have to point blank disagree with you there. In Kung Food we clearly see her taking time to learn Chinese. As Flavia/ @marinette-buginette also mentioned, most Europeans are bilingual. Being trilingual is also quite common. I can guarantee the kids of the show are taking 1-2 language classes at school, it’s just the norm in Europe. Here in Switzerland, we have four national languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh)—and children are expected to be fluent in at least two by the time they finish high school. I live(d) in the German region, so we had to learn French starting in elementary school (2/3rd grade). English came shortly thereafter. This doesn’t even factor all the elective languages one can take later as well.    

2. “Great, could you maybe list a few stores that you do have?”

I’m not an expert in regards to France, but there are a number of similarities between European countries. Some fast fashion stores include C&A, New Yorker, Mango, Zara, HM, and Primark is starting to expand from the UK. In terms of (French) grocery stores there’s Carrefour, Casino/Géant, Auchan, Aldi, and Lidl. (Anyone who’s actually french should add more).

3. “Adrien’s rich. He could probably get any of those items with ease if he really tried.”

Yeah I’m sure he could, but the boy won’t have a clue as to what Cheez-its and Poptarts are, so he won’t feel the need to. It’s better to stick with local snacks/dishes.

4. “Teenage drinking holds the same dangers over there as it does here. Our parents can give us some at home too.”

Again, I have to disagree. Studies have shown the rates of teen binge drinking are higher in the US because of its strict laws. I’ve also noticed my American friends tend to go overboard and use fake IDs, while my European friends are more controlled and don’t need fakes to drink a beer. Alcohol feels so much more taboo over there and adults are quick to scrutinize.

5. “Marinette is usually shown taking the bus or train. Adrien has his car. I think Wayham’s the only one I’ve seen with a bike.”

Animating a bike is slightly more tedious, but I can assure you it’s a very practical and popular mode of transport here. I encourage everyone to use it in writing. A lot of Europeans don’t need/own a car, so it wouldn’t make sense for Sabine to drive Mari to the movies for example. Cities in Europe were built before the car came around, so they’re quite walkable/closely knit. Otherwise yeah, the métros, trams, and buses are quite reliable.

6. “Thanksgiving I’ll give you (that one’s ours for sure), but Halloween? We’ve already gotten concept art with Ladybug and Chat Noir surrounded by Halloween-themed monsters. Sorry, I’m gonna give this one to any writer who wants to use it. No problemo. Is canon.”

ML has a large American audience, hence why Zag caters to it. I’m telling you it’s not a thing (especially with older generations and smaller cities). So, realistically it’s best to find some other holiday. There are a lot of parades/costume/mardi gras-esque celebrations in the springtime. Idk about France but here in Basel we have a thing called “Fasnacht”.

Fun but mildly terrifying.

7. In the English translation, they do use miles. I know because I caught it and thought “that’s not right!” But some people won’t know it’s not right. And it’s right there in the show. Gotta let it slide if it’s canon, guys.”

Fun fact the English translation isn’t the end all and be all of what’s canon! Americans can’t handle the metric system (apparently), so the translation caters to that. Every other dub uses the metric system. Do 👏🏻 not 👏🏻 use 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 imperial 👏🏻 system 👏🏻 if 👏🏻 your 👏🏻characters 👏🏻 are 👏🏻 European 👏🏻 and 👏🏻 live 👏🏻 in 👏🏻 Europe

8. “Y'all might not need hall passes, but we do see them asking permission to use the bathroom. Just tell people to stick to the show.”

If someone over the age of fifteen needs still needs permission to use the restroom, that’s rather sad. While attending high school here, I never had the issue. In fact it would actually have been more disruptive had I interrupted the teacher in the middle of a lecture and derailed the focus of the class. Teachers don’t police the halls either to ensure every student has a pass. I’m just pointing out a difference, that’s all.

9. “Prom may not be a thing, but we all love the pretty dresses so EVERYONE PLEASE KEEP MAKING THEM WEAR FORMAL WEAR, I LOVE IT.”

Nobody is stopping anyone from creating work featuring formal attire. Some schools have dances, but it’s not as common or as grandiose as it is in the States. It’s just slightly irksome to see fics featuring it.

10. “Don’t get me wrong, I love that you’re trying to help, but when it comes to research for fanfiction: I say take it easy. The canon show trumps any conception you or I might have of the setting, after that, researching should be for little details. And if they don’t care, they don’t have to care.This is an alternate universe with magical jewelry, after all.”

Nobody is blowing a fuse over someone using the wrong brand of toothpaste. Fiction or not, one should respect the culture being adapted. These things take two seconds to Google—as mentioned it’s rather irksome to see someone Americanize everything with the exception of an Eiffel Tower in the backdrop. Any effort and research are very much appreciated. It’s not your place to dictate how people of other cultures should feel about their portrayals in works of fiction. I’m not here to police anyone, people can do as they please. Just be mindful and take a moment fact check your work. Again, it’s very much appreciated.

If anyone is struggling with regards to writing/finding information, feel free to ask questions! I will try to answer to the best of my abilities. I also encourage other Europeans to add further suggestions.

[aportraitofthecityasayoungman]

Pt 2 Day 30

Because of the festivities I didn’t wake up early as planned for my trip to Antwerp. However I still made it there before noon, but I wish I had been able to spend far more time here. Instantly upon arriving it’s clear how beautiful this city is. The train station is world famous for how beautiful it is, with good reason. As the rest of Belgium the architecture is beautiful, the city is walkable, and the people are friendly. The main shopping streets are very chic and had a really nice modern interposed with old feel. Very much like a larger city like Barcelona or Paris. Very unique compared to the old medieval feel of Bruges and Ghent. I enjoyed a walking tour with an amazing guide. He spent a lot of time telling us the history of the city, the second largest port in Europe which used to be a huge power house. The story of the name either hand thrower from a creation tale about chopping the hand off a giant who would crush boats passing through the Schelde river, or the much more plausible story that it’s a latin word meaning people by the water for the tribe that used to live in the region. It’s also the site of the first stock exchange, and the street is directly next to this beautiful piece of street art that was commissioned by the city in solidarity with those suffering from HIV in preparation for the upcoming Pride event. I also really appreciated our guide taking the time to talk to use about the constant battle about loving Belgium but also struggling with its sins. He told us about the Congo Genocide where King Leopold turned the Congo into his personal playground and caused the death and suffering of millions. Out of this wealth much of the cities beauty is built, including the train station. Its important to wrestle with our past. And its something I always struggle with. I love Europe so much but much of the wealth and beauty comes directly at the expense of the suffering of colonized people around the world. These decisions still cause pain in these countries and regions. The Congo is still in political and economic shambles despite being one of the richest land areas in natural resources. This is thanks to Belgium and far too few in the word know about it. It feels impossible to escape the terrors of history, and sad to know we are in the throws of them right now. We even discussed how as recently as 1958 students from the Congo were tricked into coming for a visit and were used in a “human zoo” for the world fair(?) and dehumanized completely. In brighter notes about the history Albert Einstein used Antwerp as his port to enter America, as did thousands of other immigrants. I only had time to visit one single museum, and wish I could have seen far more as the city is filled with amazing ones. I visited the Plantin Moretus museum, the site of the oldest remaining printing presses. This is where the first industrial printing presses were formed, turning them into an industry. The museum beautifully traced how this impacted medicine, humanism, democracy, and literacy across the world. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of humanity for good, which is starkly different from my thoughts of above. I then watched the end of the Belgium vs England game for third place(We won, first time Belgium has ever made it this far!). and further explored the city. Did you know that Antwerp has a red light district just like Amsterdam? I sure didn’t until I wandered through it on the way to the docks. It is disturbing as ever, but also empowering knowing the women aren’t forced into the shadows. I fully support legalization. This area feels much less voyeuristic than Amsterdam as well, which I think dehumanizes the entire act far more. However there were still random restaurants dotted throughout it which is always strange. In the evening I made it back to Ghent to enjoy another night of the festival.

[primortravel]

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My Top 27 Norway Itineraries - Two Days to Two Weeks in Norway

I’ve made so many trips around Norway in the past six years I’ve been living here, so I thought it could be helpful for me to gather all of my itineraries in one place. I also find that I often get questions from people trying to organize their Norway trips that I’ve already answered in past itineraries, so I wanted to make it easier to find all the information in one place.

Okay, so here’s a collection of all my top Norway itineraries, organized in order of length.

I’ve started with weekend trips, where I’m just giving suggestions for single places to visit, but if you scroll farther down I’ve linked my longer one and two week + itineraries later in the post.

And of course if you have lots of time you can mix and match these destinations and itineraries to fit your schedule! Just keep in mind that Norway is really big. Like I think people way underestimate its size because we’re only five million people here.

I can’t tell you how many people have come to me saying they have five days in Norway and will start in Oslo, then get the train over to Bergen and then drive up to Tromsø to see the Northern Lights. Um, Bergen is an overnight train journey from Oslo, and driving from Bergen to Tromsø will take you 28 hours without stops.

And no, sadly Norway’s train line does not go all the way up to Tromsø – it ends in Bodø.

If you want more in depth advice, I’ve also gathered all my best tips for planning an incredible trip through southern Norway (from the far south up to Trondheim) in a 93-page ebook that covers my top recommendations for places to visit (both on and off the beaten path), the best times of year to visit, how long to visit for, the best accommodation choices, transportation, what to eat, what to pack, and a sample itinerary that covers my personal favorite route through the south. You can purchase The Southern Norway Travel Guide here.

And if you’re coming to Norway for the northern lights, I’ve written an in depth ebook covering all aspects of planning your northern lights trip, including the best places in Norway (and the Nordics) to see the northern lights, the best time to see the northern lights, my top northern lights accommodation choices, tour options, how to chase the northern lights (including which apps I use), how to photograph and film the northern lights, what to pack for your trip, and other exciting Arctic activities to try on your trip up North.

If you want to ensure you have the best northern lights trip possible, you can purchase the ebook here.  

Norway Weekend Itineraries

If you’re coming to Norway for just a weekend I’d really recommend sticking to one place. Norway is a big country, public transport doesn’t run that often and can have delays, and moving around to a bunch of places in a short time frame can get expensive.

That said, you could also consider renting a car and exploring a bit of the area if you can, as the best part of Norway is getting out of the cities and towns and seeing some of the beautiful nature here. Norway is also an easy country to drive in, as there is so little traffic here.

Though if you get motion sickness definitely bring some tablets or Sea Bands, as the winding roads here can do a number on your stomach! I’ve written a more detailed guide to things to know when planning a road trip in Norway here.

Oslo

Sometimes I feel guilty when I’m in Oslo because it’s such a fun city, but I am always telling visitors to Norway to skip it, or at least cut their time there short.

Why?

Oslo is fun for locals and the only city in Norway that actually feels like a big city, but there are a lot of other cities in Europe that do what Oslo does best even better. In other words, Oslo is a great city for Norway, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider it one of Europe’s great cities.

And that’s totally fine, because Norway isn’t really about cities.

Okay, maybe I’m being harsh, and maybe it’s because I’ve received too many messages from people telling me how disappointed by Oslo’s “fjord.” Yes Oslo is technically on a fjord, but if you’re looking for those famous mountainous fjords you’re going to need to head west or north.

But if you do have your heart set on Oslo, it does have some great shopping, amazing restaurants, sort of okay nightlife (lol), and lots of museums. You won’t be bored. I’ve written about things to do in Oslo here, the Oslo Christmas markets here, and a guide to finding the best Oslo accommodation for your budget here.

Rjukan

If you’ve found a cheap flight to Oslo for a weekend trip but now I’ve scared you off spending all your time there, consider spending a night or two in Rjukan! You can book a bus to Rjukan here, but I’d really recommend renting a car if you can, as the drive to Rjukan via Gaustatoppen is truly spectacular.

Rjukan is a quirky mountain town with an important World War II history. It’s also listed as a UNESCO Industrial Heritage Site and it’s really cool to see the old factories and worker accommodation.

But I also love that it’s at the foot of both Gaustatoppen, one of Norway’s most beautiful mountains, and Hardangervidda, Northern Europe’s largest high mountain plateau (which is also home to Norway’s largest herd of wild reindeer).

I used to live half an hour from Rjukan so I visited the town many times (and even briefly considered moving there), and I’ve written a guide to things to do and where to stay in Rjukan here.

This would be an especially great place to visit with kids, with lots of fun sites like the Krossobanen cable car, the Gaustabanen funicular, and the Vemork WWII museum.

Bergen

Bergen is probably the most popular destination for a weekend trip to Norway – and for good reason. The city is gorgeous (sorry Oslo, but Bergen is way prettier), and there are loads of international flights here.

This is also an easy base from which to take a day trip out to the fjords, and as it’s a big tourist hub there are lots of activities and tours organized out of Bergen. I’ve written about how to have an amazing weekend in Bergen here and the best Bergen accommodation here.

This is also where you can take the famous Norway in a Nutshell tour, which goes up the Flåm Railway and through the gorgeous Aurlandsfjord. But! Before you book the tour, read this to find out how you can save tons of money on Norway in a Nutshell. 

If you want any easy weekend destination in Norway, Bergen is perfect. You’ll get a very Norwegian experience and everything is set up perfect for tourists, from all the lovely hotels here to the unique activities and adventure tours offered here.

Hardangerfjord

If you fly into Bergen, you could also rent a car and drive down to Hardangerfjord to spend a night or two.

Hardangerfjord is beautiful and so peaceful, especially in the spring when the orchards are in bloom. I’ve written more about driving through Hardangerfjord here.

And if you do spend the night here, I can recommend staying at Utne Hotel, which dates back to 1722 and is perfect for anyone who enjoys unique, historical accommodation. Check current rates and availability here

Or if you want something a bit cheaper but equally lovely, stay at Ullensvang Gjesteheim, which is in the prettiest part of Hardangerfjord. Check current rates and availability here

There are a few Airbnb options around Odda, like this ground floor apartment with stunning views, this apartment near Trolltunga, or this lovely little cabin right on the fjord.

A lot of people head here to hike Trolltunga, or the famous Troll’s Tongue that you’ve probably seen all over Instagram and Facebook. Just be aware that it’s an advanced level hike and extremely popular – these days you’ll usually find a long line of people waiting to take photos on the rock. You can read more about hiking Trolltunga here.

Ålesund

Whenever someone asks me where they should go in Norway if they only have a few days, I tell them to go to Ålesund or Lofoten.

Ålesund really gives the best introduction to Norway, because you get to experience a Norwegian city and then you can drive up to Trollstigen for those amazing mountain views, and then over to Geirangerfjord to see Norway’s most beautiful fjord!

Ålesund is such a beautiful city, and the surrounding nature is seriously stunning. Like, I definitely think this is one of the prettiest corners of Norway, and I’m always shocked that most tourists choose to visit Oslo and Bergen instead. I’ll never understand.

But that’s also good news for you if you like to get off the beaten path a bit!

Ideally I would recommend spending a night or two in Ålesund and then renting a car and spending a night or two in a quieter area on the fjords. I’ve written a guide to things to do and where to stay in Ålesund here, and where to stay around Geirangerfjord here.

Trondheim

Another great weekend destination in Norway is Trondheim – my old home!

Trondheim has a rich history and in fact at over 1,000 years old Trondheim is the oldest of Norway’s major cities. It was the religious center of Northern Europe during the Middle ages and has a beautiful old town and Norway’s most impressive cathedral, Nidaros Cathedral.

It’s a really walkable city and the airport is just a short bus or train journey away, so it’s definitely one of the easiest places to spend a weekend in Norway.

Trondheim is a big foodie city with several award-winning restaurants, so if you like to go out to eat, Trondheim is perfect.

It’s also a university city so there’s a great young vibe here and lively night life. And then of course the old town area Bakklandet is one of the prettiest corners of Norway.

I’ve written a guide for things to do in Trondheim here, and where to stay in Trondheim here.

Trondheim – Oppdal

I’d say the only thing missing with a weekend trip to Trondheim is that you don’t really get to experience Norway’s beautiful landscapes. I mean, the city is on the coast and there is a lovely park area to go hiking in above the city, but it’s not the sort of dramatic landscape that Norway is so famous for.

But if you wanted you could spend a night or two in Trondheim (I’d say one full day in Trondheim is plenty to see the main sights) and then rent a car and drive down to Oppdal. I spent a weekend here while living in Trondheim and it’s one of my favorite memories from my time there.

The drive is beautiful and the scenery there is amazing as you climb up into the mountains. This is the perfect place to experience Norwegian cabin life, just relaxing inside at night and hiking or skiing during the day, and there are lots of cabins available on Airbnb, like this big cabin and this traditional Norwegian cabin.

This is the ultimate Norwegian experience, because this is how Norwegians spend their free time in Norway – in their cabins!

Trondheim – Røros

Another great combination with Trondheim would be to take the train down to Røros. This old copper mining town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and truly like nowhere else in Norway. It’s especially beautiful in the winter, as it gets lots of snow and is even known as Norway’s “Christmas town,” but I visited in late spring and loved it then too.

I’ve written more about visiting Røros here, including where to stay and eat.

Lofoten

Like I already said, when someone says they only have time to visit one place in Norway, Lofoten is one of my top choices.

I mean, Lofoten sort of has it all. Okay, it doesn’t have any big cities, but Svolvær is quite a large town with a lot going on, and then you’ll find mountains, beaches, fjords – you’ll even find people surfing here!

It also has a historical significance as a center for fishing, which is why the islands are covered in those iconic red fisherman cabins. You’ll get a great sense of Norway’s fishing history here, as well as the Viking history here.

But mostly, the Lofoten Islands are just really, really beautiful. In fact probably most Norwegians would say Lofoten is the most beautiful place in Norway, and I wouldn’t argue.

Lofoten has also grown in popularity in the past few years, and they’ve done a good job of keeping up with the increase in tourism by establishing more unique accommodation options and tour activities. There’s seriously so much to do here, and so many cool places to stay.

You could either fly into Bodø, rent a car there and take the ferry over to Lofoten, or fly into Svolvær and rent a car from there. It is possible to explore Lofoten by public transport, but you will be limited by bus schedules and will end up missing out on a few of the more off the beaten path areas.

I’ve written a guide to planning a Lofoten road trip here, a sea eagle RIB safari and Northern Lights chasing here, and horseback riding here. And here are 11 things to know before visiting the Lofoten Islands.

Helgeland Coast

I love the Helgeland coast and while you would need more than a weekend to properly explore it, you could very easily visit just one of the islands.

The Helgeland coast has the same dramatic landscape and fisherman cabins of Lofoten, without all the tourists. This is seriously such a hidden gem in Norway. I’ve also heard people say that the friendliest people in all of Norway are on the Helgeland coast. You will be warmly welcomed here!

You can fly or take the train to Bodø, and then from Bodø get the express ferry to Støtt. I’ve written more about Støtt, how to get there, and where to stay here.

Or you could get the express ferry to Lovund, another beautiful island on the coast. I’ve written more about Lovund, Norway here. Or if you have some extra time visit both Støtt and Lovund!

This would be a really unique weekend trip to Norway, as not many foreign tourists plan trips here. So if you like to get off the beaten path and discover the local culture, and if you love beautiful landscapes, definitely consider spending a weekend on one (or a couple) of these islands.

Tromsø, Senja & Dyrøy

After Bergen Tromsø might just be the second most popular weekend destination for tourists coming to Norway – at least in the winter during the Northern Lights season!

I’ve written more about things to do in Tromsø and where to stay here. To be honest I didn’t super click with Tromsø when I visited last summer and this past December, and I’ve heard so many locals complain that now it’s getting way too full of tourists. Then again I know a lot of people who absolutely adore Tromsø, so you might love it.

Update: it’s funny that I wrote that, because I’ve actually just moved to Tromsø!

But what I really loved was flying into Tromsø and then driving down to Senja and Dyrøy. The drive is beautiful and both islands are so magical.

You’ll probably only have time to go to one unless you take a long weekend (we had four nights so we flew into Tromsø and then spent two nights on Senja and two on Dyrøy). Senja has more dramatic scenery and famous hikes, while Dyrøy is the loveliest quiet escape into nature.

I’d say Senja will give you those big bucket list experiences with its Instagram famous hikes, whereas Dyrøy would give you a really authentic, off the beaten path local experience in Norway. I’ve written about visiting Senja here and visiting Dyrøy here.

There are lots of other nice places to spend a weekend in Norway as well, but these are the main ones I’d recommend, especially if you’re new to the country and want to see a highlight. I do include other spots in my longer itineraries for when you have more time to spend in Norway.

So I’m sorry if I missed out on your favorite spot – don’t be mad at me!

Five Days to One Week in Norway Itineraries

Bodø – Helgeland – Lofoten – Vesterålen

If you only have a week in Norway, I really recommend sticking to the north and skipping Oslo and Bergen altogether.

Okay, you might think I’m biased because I live in the north, but actually I chose to move to the north largely because it’s the most beautiful part of Norway and is the region I’m most excited to write about and photograph. I love the open spaces here, there are fewer people (and tourists), and the landscape is much more dramatic than in the south.

If you want to cover a lot of ground, this Bodø – Helgeland – Lofoten – Vesterålen itinerary will show you the best of Northern Norway. It’s a busy schedule, but if you want to see as much as you possible can in one week, this is for you! I did this in the winter, but it would be equally amazing in other seasons as well.

You’ll spend a couple of nights on a quiet island on the Helgeland coast, a day or two experiencing city life in Norway, you’ll get to explore the famous Lofoten islands with their mountains and fjords, and then go up to quieter Vesterålen to see reindeer and whales. So you’ll really get to see all of the highlights of Norway within one week.

Tromsø – Senja – Dyrøy

If you want to head even farther north,  I also loved my Tromsø – Senja – Dyrøy trip.

My friends and I flew into Tromsø and then drove straight to Senja, where we spent two nights, and then we headed to the island of Dyrøy for another two nights. We left Dyrøy early so that we’d have the morning in Tromsø before our flight, but if you have a full week you could spend a night or two in Tromsø as well.

I wouldn’t spend more than two days in Tromsø, as there’s not a great deal to do there. The city center is small and there are a few nice restaurants and cafés but that’s sort of it. It’s also a big tourist destination for Northern Lights tours, so downtown is full of tour offices, so if you want to get away from tourist crowds I’d recommend getting out of the city. But the surrounding nature is breathtaking!

Again, I did this trip in the winter, but Senja is a great hiking destination in the summer, plus in the summer you could stop by Sommarøy to see the amazing beaches there.

Lofoten

If you want a less hectic itinerary without so much driving, just spend a week on Lofoten!

The first time I visited Lofoten I stayed one week, and even after returning several times over the past few years I still feel like I have so much left to see on Lofoten. So you definitely won’t get bored.

This way you’ll be able to really explore the island, go on hikes, and get into the nature. I’d actually love to spend a full month on Lofoten one day, as there really is so much to explore there.

Narvik – Kiruna – Vesterålen – Lofoten

If you’re looking for those big Arctic bucket list experiences, this Narvik – Kiruna – Vesterålen – Lofoten itinerary is for you. You’ll get to see reindeer, huskies, and whales, and in the summer the midnight sun and in the winter the Northern Lights, and you’ll even get to sleep in an Arctic Dome – one of the best experiences I’ve had in Norway.

When my friend who hates the cold came to visit me in Norway in January, this was the itinerary I made to win her over – and it did!

Bodø – Helgeland Coast

The Helgeland coast is so dreamy, and still relatively undiscovered, especially amongst foreign tourists. Plus the people here are so, so friendly. It’s a totally different experience than visiting the super crowded and touristy areas of southern Norway (where the locals don’t always love all the tourists).

I still have so much of the Helgeland coast left to explore, so I’ll definitely be updating this with a couple of itineraries once I make some more trips here this spring and summer.

But for now I would suggest flying or taking a train to Bodø and spending a day there, and then getting the express boat to Støtt and a few of the other small islands along the coast. If you stick to the small islands you won’t need to rent a car, as you can get around them by foot or by renting a bicycle.

Plus the small islands are so special. You’ll get an immediate sense of Norway’s culture and history here, and the locals really are so friendly.

You can get the  Travel Pass Nordland for 990 NOK, which gives you access to all of the buses and express boats (not the ferries) in Nordland for one week, so you can island hop as much as you want.

Alternatively you could get the train or fly to Mosjøen and then rent a car there and explore the coast by car.

I’m going to try to do this trip both with and without a car and report back this summer!

Mosjøen – Helgeland Coast

Like I said, I still have a lot more of the Helgeland Coast to explore, but I did recently take a trip from my home in Mosjøen out to the islands of Dønna and Herøy, which many locals had told me were two of the prettiest islands along the coast here. And they weren’t wrong!

I drove from Mosjøen to Sandnessjøen and then caught a ferry to Dønna from there, but you could also fly directly to Sandnessjøen and then you wouldn’t even necessarily need to rent a car, because the islands are so small. Or it would be really fun to rent a bicycle in Sandnessjøen to explore the islands by bike!

Tromsø – Lyngen – Alta – Kokelv – North Cape

This Tromsø – Lyngen – Alta – Kokelv – North Cape itinerary is one of my favorite northern lights itineraries, as it includes some of Norway’s best northern lights hotels.

Kiruna – Hammerfest – Hamningberg – Kirkenes – Rovaniemi

This is one of the most recent one week trips I’ve taken, and it was one of my all time favorites! And as a bonus, this will also take you through Sweden and Finland, so you get three countries in one trip.

This Kiruna – Hammerfest – Hamningberg – Kirkenes – Rovaniemi itinerary will take you to the very top of Europe, the border of Russia, and through some of the most beautiful spots in the Arctic. I did this trip in the summer under the midnight sun, but you would have an equally amazing trip in the winter under the Northern Lights.

Okay so while I personally prefer northern Norway, I know a lot of people want to see the iconic destinations of the south like Oslo, Bergen, and the most famous Pulpit Rock and Trolltunga hikes.

And the most famous of Norway’s fjords are in southern Norway, so it’s not like the north has all the looks.

So don’t worry, I’ve made some itineraries for southern Norway too!

Oslo – Rjukan – Odda – Hardangerfjord – Bergen

If you want to do the traditional Oslo – Bergen – fjord loop but add in some special stops along the way, this Oslo – Rjukan – Odda – Hardangerfjord – Bergen itinerary is probably my favorite one week itinerary for southern Norway. This is the first itinerary listed in the blog post. 

You’ll start in Oslo, then spend a night in the lovely town of Rjukan, drive along Hardangerfjord, and get to see Bergen. This is a busy itinerary with quite a bit of driving, but I think you will love it!

Oslo – Kristiansand – Stavanger – Bergen – Hardangervidda

If you want to do the famous hikes like Pulpit Rock and Kjeragbolten (the rock stuck between two cliffs), then this Oslo – Kristiansand – Bergen – Hardangervidda itinerary is for you! This is the second itinerary listed in the blog post.

You’ll take a train from Oslo to Kristiansand, which is known as Norway’s “riviera,” and then you’ll head through some amazing mountain and coastal scenery through Stavanger towards Bergen. Then from Bergen you’ll drive over Hardangervidda, Northern Europe’s largest high mountain plateau, and through Telemark back down towards Kristiansand. You’ll see a huge variety of landscapes, as well as both villages and cities, so it makes for a great introduction to Norway.

Oslo – Røros – Trondheim – Kristiansund – Alesund by public transport

Most of the itineraries I’ve mentioned require you to rent a car, partly because I always love a good road trip, and partly because a lot of areas of Norway don’t have frequent public transport. But this Oslo – Røros – Trondheim – Kristiansund – Alesund itinerary uses only public transport, with a combination of trains, ferries, and buses. This is the third itinerary listed in the blog post. 

So usually when people want to see Norway by public transport they do the famous Oslo – Bergen Norway in a Nutshell route. But there’s a reason I’m not recommending that itinerary here.

I mean, if you really want to do it you can read more about how to plan Norway in a Nutshell here, but to be honest I really don’t think that route shows off the best of Norway, or the most beautiful sites. It’s a good route if you want something really easy, because you’ll basically be following the same route as everyone else on the buses, trains, and ferries, so you can just follow the crowd.

But if you’re a little more independent and want to get off the beaten path a bit and see even more impressive views, do this itinerary instead. It’s so much better, I promise!

You’ll get to see Røros, a really beautiful historic town, Trondheim and Ålesund, which are my top two favorite cities in Norway, and you’ll see some of the most stunning landscapes in southern Norway.

Ten Days to Two Weeks in Norway Itineraries

All of the one week itineraries I mentioned above could easily be stretched out longer. In fact the Odda – Hardangerfjord – Bergen itinerary mentions an optional extension by adding Ålesund and the Atlantic Ocean Road.

But otherwise I recommend one of the itineraries below!

Røros – Trondheim – Kristiansund – Atlantic Ocean Road – Molde – Romsdalsfjord – Hotel Union Øye – Hjørundfjord – Hoddevik – Stryn – Hitra – Golden Detour

This is one of my all time favorite Norway itineraries, but you’ll need at least two weeks for this – it will be even better with three weeks. This fjord and culture itinerary takes you through Norway’s most beautiful fjords as well as some Norwegian cultural heritage sites.

Oslo – Bodø – Helgeland – Narvik – Tromsø – Lyngen – Alta – Lofoten

My favorite two week trip I’ve done in northern Norway was this Oslo – Bodø – Helgeland – Narvik – Tromsø – Lyngen – Alta – Lofoten itinerary. You’ll get to see a huge portion of the country on the train ride up from Oslo to Bodø, and all of the stops on the way are some of my favorite places in Norway.

And if you have any longer, I would definitely consider adding a detour to Senja and even Dyrøy to your itinerary when you’re driving from Narvik up to Tromsø. You could also stop for a day in Oslo and Trondheim on your way up north.

And then if you have even more time, drive all the way up to the North Cape from Alta. It’s an extra 3 and a half hours of driving, but since you’ve made it this far north in Norway you might as well go as north as you can get!

Narvik – Kiruna – Vesterålen – Lofoten – Bodø – Mosjøen – Trondheim

If you want to check off a bunch of arctic bucket list experiences like husky sledding, staying with reindeer, overnighting in an Arctic dome, and whale watching, take a look at this Narvik – Kiruna – Vesterålen – Lofoten – Bodø – Mosjøen – Trondheim itinerary.

Plus you’ll get to go to Sweden as well!

This is the full trip that my friend Danielle and I did when she visited me in Norway, so if you’re wondering what I personally recommend to my friends coming to Norway for the first time, this is it!

I wanted to include Narvik for a stay in an Arctic Dome, which is Norway’s answer to the glass igloo, and then Kiruna has both the husky and reindeer Airbnbs which I love so much.

And then Vesterålen is amazing for whales, reindeer, and nature views, and Lofoten is one of the most beautiful places in Norway. The train ride from Bodø to Mosjøen is the most beautiful train ride in all of Norway, and you’ll end up in Trondheim to see big city life in Norway.

In Trondheim we went to a bunch of fancy restaurants and quirky cafés, and then Danielle flew straight out of Trondheim Airport instead of having to go back down to Oslo.

Trondheim – Mosjøen – Vega – Lovund – Lofoten

When my two travel blogger friends Sam and Sher came to visit I knew I had to put together an epic itinerary for us, and I think I succeeded with this Trondheim – Mosjøen – Vega – Lovund – Lofoten itinerary.

This trip covers the best of Norway, in my opinion, with one of Norway’s most beautiful big cities, Trondheim, gorgeous islands along the Helgeland coast, and then the iconic Lofoten islands.

That’s all my Norway itineraries for now, but I’ll be sure to update this as I write about more of my Norway trips.

Norway

Getting to Norway

Lots of airlines fly into Oslo, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding good flights.

And if you’re on a budget you’re in luck – Norwegian is a budget airline with some of the cheapest connections between the US and Europe.

I fly Norwegian all the time, but just remember that it is a budget airline so you’ll have to pay extra for checked luggage, meals on board, and even water during your flight. I always bring several sandwiches and lots of snacks and a big water bottle that I refill at the airport (after security of course!) to tide me over.

But the planes are really nice with big windows, lots of overhead space, and they’ve designed the lighting to help combat jet lag (not really sure how or if it really works, but I like to think that it does!). There’s also an option to fly their premium class, which I believe comes with meals and maybe checked luggage – I’ve never flown premium on Norwegian though so I can’t say if it’s worth it or not. I do know that it’s not as fancy as business class on other airlines.

Oh and be sure not to exceed the carry on luggage limit if you don’t pay for checked luggage with Norwegian, because they are super strict. My friend recently flew Norwegian to visit me in Norway and she had to pay $200 to check her bag at the airport, which was about how much her flight had cost! I mean, at least her flight had been super cheap to start with, but it was still a bit of a blow.

I do love Norwegian, but sometimes you can find even better deals with other airlines, and if you do it’s definitely nicer to fly a non-budget airline. Luggage fees add up and it’s so much nicer to fly an airline with meals and drinks included. I often fly KLM and Finnair as well.

I’ve also flown Icelandair directly out of Trondheim, though they’re also a budget airline and super strict with luggage – a flight attendant once really yelled at me for having two bags with me, even though my second bag fit under the seat in front of me and my larger bag was a backpack that was smaller than most of the suitcases other people had brought on as carry ons. I definitely hadn’t broken any rules but she was so mean about it anyway, and clearly I’m still feeling very bitter about the whole experience, haha.

So yeah, try to find a flight with a non-budget airline if you don’t want the added stress.

My go-to for finding flights are Skyscanner and Kiwi.com. Kiwi.com especially is a sneaky travel hack tool that can find great connections that other search engines don’t include – I’ve written more about Kiwi.com and how to use it here.

You’ll probably be flying into and out of Oslo Gardermoen Airport which seriously is one of the nicest airports in the world. And guys, I travel for a living so I spend a lot of time in airports.

Pro tip #1: if you want to look like a local, head straight to the Tax Free shop once you land. It’s always funny getting off flights in Oslo because every Norwegian will go straight to Tax Free to buy alcohol, and it’s only the tourists that skip it, haha. But seriously, if you do want to drink in Norway and are on a budget, you’ll save a lot of money by picking up something here.

Pro tip #2: Don’t get the Flytoget, or Airport Express Train, into Oslo from the Airport. It’s only three minutes faster than the regional train and costs twice as much!

Again, it’s only ever tourists who get the express (“express”) train while all Norwegians get the Vy train. You’ll see the Vy (formerly NSB) ticket machines on your right once you exit customs and you can buy your tickets there. You can also check the train schedule at vy.no.

What to Pack for Norway

The most important thing about packing for Norway is to bring lots of layers. The weather here is really unpredictable so it’s important to be ready for lots of different temperatures throughout the day.

Oh and you’ll definitely want waterproof shoes here, whether that’s hiking boots in the summer or winter boots in the winter.

I’ve written a complete guide for what to pack for winter in Norway here, and a guide to what to pack for summer in Norway here.

It’s also a good idea to buy travel insurance for your trip to Norway, as storms can often cause delays and if you’ll be hiking or doing outdoor activities you want to be covered in case of an accident. Plus Norway isn’t exactly a cheap destination, so you don’t want to end up losing money due to weather delays or unforeseen events.

I always get travel insurance wherever I travel, as several incidents in the past have taught me that it’s always worth it.

I personally use World Nomads because that’s what I used as a backpacker and I’ve had to file claims twice with them now and they paid me promptly, no additional questions asked. They also helped get me to a hospital in Beijing when I was too overwhelmed/dying to find one on my own, so I am forever grateful to those guys.

You can find a quote on World Nomads here, or pop your travel details into the chart below:

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[hooliainprague-blog]

krakow, poland

23.2.2018

We got on the bus to Krakow at midnight before Friday. I justified taking NyQuil because I’m sick, but I was a little bit grateful I had an actual reason. It ended up not doing anything for me as I was wide awake for almost the entire 6.5 hour bus ride to breakfast at a youth center. After breakfast, we got back on the bus for a few minutes towards Auschwitz. This was a very heavy few hours spent outside in the bitter cold, and it was a reminder that any problems we face today are not nearly comparable to what the victims of this concentration camp among others. There were around 40,000 camps established by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945, and they were used for various purposes, including labor, detention, and mass murder. It was a chilling environment and it felt wrong to take too many pictures. Here’s a couple of the main gate through which every prisoner passed through daily, some of the barracks, and an extremely large book of the names of the murdered people that functions as an eternal memorial.

Eva, the tour guide, did an excellent job of removing us from the numbers and statistics we were inundated with and made it seem infinitely more personal than any of us were prepared for. Some of the chilling facts she shared with us:

Anyone who arrived to the camp and was wearing glasses was sent instantly to the gas chambers because they weren’t perfect. I’d be done right then and there.

The Nazis recycled everything that the victims had with them. This included glasses, prosthetics, crutches, plates, bowls, clothes, shoes, and even hair. These items were all piled high in the memorial to help visitors visualize just how many people lost their lives too soon here. The Nazis used the hair of the deceased to insulate their coats and socks.

After the Nazis left the camps, over 80 pounds of glasses were found there, each pair belonging to somebody who couldn’t wear them anymore. Cooks, bakers, fathers, mothers, mailmen, etc.

The Jewish people believed they were being relocated to an area where they would be able to live. They brought their nicest dishes with them because they thought they would need them and didn’t want to have to spend the money to buy new ones. 

The trees and grass we saw on our tour would not have been there in the days when the camp was still in use. People were starving and malnourished due to low rations, and the leaves and grass could be eaten to provide even the smallest amount of nutrition to keep them going for a little while longer. They had a lot of hope left in them, even after all they’d been through.

One gas chamber we went into had been a former air shelter before it was converted. What once saved many lives was manipulated to end hundreds of people every 20 minutes. 

We moved another section of the camp on the bus.

This is where the new prisoners arrived and were sorted to determine if they would go to the gas chambers immediately or go to live and work in the barracks. The nicest job was the “shit commander” as Eva translated it, and they basically made sure that everyone was moving through the barrack with the toilets and the water quickly and efficiently whether or not they were done. This was a coveted job because they got to stay in contact with a lot of people and the Nazis wouldn’t go near them in fear of disease. That train car would have held over 100 people for days in the dark to get them to Auschwitz.

This is a photo of a bunk bed in a women's and children's bunker.

This final picture from Auschwitz shows a place where the women would stand to stare into the distance at the (now hidden by fog) mountains and say “I’ll get there one day.”

The strangest thing about the whole experience was that we could walk through the gates of this camp at our leisure while not many years ago, people were being forced to walk through the same gates so they could be murdered in unexpected, inhumane ways.

After the camp, we continued to the city of Krakow and checked into the hotel. I got a single room because there was an odd number of girls, and I was very thankful because it was a long day and I needed sleep. Eva lead a mini tour to the center of town so we knew where we could exchange money, get dinner, and do some shopping because we had the rest of the afternoon free. 

I got some lunch with the guys from my program. We all ordered two entrees because we wanted pierogies and something else and were so hungry. Very delicious and good for the soul. 

After that, we went back to the hotel to nap, but I wasn’t super tired. Soon after I got back, I went on a walk through Krakow alone to get to know the city a little more and to get some cupcakes and tea because I’m sick and I deserve it. I went to bed super early compared to other nights because I didn’t get much sleep.

24.2.2018

Breakfast at this hotel is infinitely better than at the dorm. They have hot food! And a dessert table! And a cappuccino machine!! It was nice to be pampered here with this breakfast, the heated towel rack in the bathroom, and the softest bed I’ve ever laid on in my life.

We went on a tour of the town, and the primary thing we saw was the Wawel Castle. It was very cool yet very different from the Prague Castle to which we’re so accustomed.

It also had some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life inside. It was also the hottest hot chocolate I’ve ever had, and I burned every inch of my tongue. It’s fine.

We had an hour for lunch, and I made friends because I overheard that they were looking for “big ass pierogies.” That’s when I knew I had to befriend them instantly.

After that lunch hour, we went to a tour of Schindler’s Factory.

We went to walk through the market, back to the hotel to warm up, and then to a buffet where you pay by the weight of your plate. It was so cheap but still so beautiful and delicious and perfect.

We had a drink there and enjoyed the live music. She was such a talented singer and put her heart and soul into it even though there were about 7 people in the restaurant altogether. We then went to two more bars that were drastically different from each other for fun. We ended the night with the bread piled high with toppings that Eva recommended from a guy named Mustafa. He’s great and gave me extra pickles on my bread.

25.2.2018

We woke up, had breakfast, and checked out of the glorious hotel.

We got on the bus to go to the salt mines of Wieliczka. This is the oldest operating business in the world and was one of the first tourist destinations in the world, as well. We started by walking down a whole bunch of stairs.

Eva had us convinced we’d have to walk the whole way back up, but luckily there was an elevator at the end of the tour because we kept going down more and more stairs within the mines themselves. We licked walls and drank the saline water that’s much more saturated than the Dead Sea. You can’t even dive into it successfully because it’s so dense.

This is a chapel built into the mines underground where they hold services and weddings sometimes. Even the chandeliers are made of salt crystals. Because we went so early in the morning and we were the only group in there at one point, they turned down the lights and did a special light show just for us.

They even have a restaurant down there. And the salt mines had wifi but our coach bus didn’t.... I’m not complaining, I was just surprised!

After we took the elevator up packed in like sardines in the dark and bought some souvenirs, we got on the bus and started back to Prague. I’m disappointed but not surprised that I didn’t get much sleep on this seven hour ride either.  Overall, it was an emotionally-tolling and bitterly cold trip, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. It was an adventure that I’m glad I experienced.

Differences between Prague and Krakow

The main difference I noticed is that upon arrival, Prague felt a lot more safe than Krakow did. That’s not to say that I didn’t feel comfortable there; I did. I just felt like I needed to hold my purse a little more to the front of my body when walking in the main square. It could easily have been that I was in a new country and a new environment for the first time since being abroad. I also noticed that in Poland, people appear more approachable. In Prague, it is not customary to smile at strangers or have casual conversations in public. It seems like Czech people have more layers to get through. This also could have contributed to Prague feeling more safe because no one seems to have any interest in tourists here, and in Krakow, it is more likely that someone will start talking to you in an elevator or on public transportation. Speaking of public transportation, we relied on it a lot less in this city than in Prague. Prague is a walkable city, but you have to be prepared to go up a lot of stairs or hills in some situations (especially getting from our dorm by the Prague Castle on a hill to the university buildings down by the river and back). This is the main reason we use the trams and metro to get around. Krakow was more flat, and the center of the city was surrounded by a circular park that you could just walk around and get right back to where you started. Another major difference I noticed was in restaurants, the waitresses we experienced in Krakow came to the table to check on us more frequently. They were more involved in the dining experience. In Prague, they don’t really come back to check on you unless they see that your glass or plate is empty from afar. Overall, it was fascinating to see how the European cities differ, and I’m excited to travel more and check out the other unique differences between other cities.

[shirlleycoyle]

The 19th Century’s “Best Planned City” Tries Again

In late February in an auditorium in Buffalo’s tallest building, the city’s mayor, Byron Brown, presented a vision of a “renaissance of Buffalo” spurred by “new technologies” at the forefront of the “mobility revolution.” It’s a buzzword salad of a speech read straight off the paper, the kind of speech mayors of midsize cities across the country have been making in recent decades about attracting “talent” and jobs and businesses to grow the tax base and make their cities prosperous again. It’s a speech big on aspirations and light on specifics. It’s exactly the type of thing David Dixon has been invited to Buffalo to put an end to.

Buffalo may be doing better than the nadir of the 1980s, but it still has a population of approximately 257,000, about half of its peak in the 1950s. The median household income is just $35,900, a little more than half the U.S. median household income of $62,000. Almost one in three of its residents are under the federal poverty line. Almost one in five people do not have a high school diploma.

How exactly all the buzzwords connect to a plan that will improve those figures and the lives of the people they represent is what Dixon, a vice president for the international design firm Stantec, and about two dozen other urban planners have been brought to Buffalo to figure out. The goal is to actually do all the things most cities just talk about.

Dixon, whose distinguishing physical characteristic is a thick and bushy gray mustache, has heard a lot of these same buzzword-laden talks over the years. The speakers predict a future with autonomous cars, widespread scooters, connected vehicles, and the demise of the single-occupancy gas-powered car. But what will that future look like in practice? What does that mean for the way street space is used? Can all of these things coexist at the same time? About two years ago, Dixon decided to find a city that would let him answer those questions, which is how we all ended up in this auditorium.

Buffalo is not trying to get with the Hyperloop craze or build the next Maglev train. It’s trying to find out if these technologies—stuff which operates on American roads right now like autonomous vehicles and electric scooters—can actually provide real solutions to real people while supporting pleasant neighborhoods where people actually want to live. In partnership with the non-profit the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), which describes its mission as “to champion walkable urbanism,” Buffalo hired Dixon and the other planners to spend three days in a crash course planning session. The goal was to re-imagine a portion of the city’s downtown called Lower Main—named after the lower part of Main Street which serves as the project area’s spine—in an effort to spur this mobility revolution/development cycle.

First, the planners met with community members, neighborhood groups, government offices, and other stakeholders. Then they spent two long days of drawing up a better Lower Main. On the final day, a Saturday morning, the group would present their vision back to the city. The CNU project manager, Ben Crowther, invited me to shadow the entire event.

I didn’t know what to expect from this crash course urban planning process. Revitalizing a downtown neighborhood in a midsize American city didn’t strike me as something that could be mapped out over a few days, particularly on the basis of a mobility revolution. But I got to see the messiness of it all in full view, and learn why the things that sound so easy in community meetings, when pointing at maps, or giving speeches get a lot harder when you actually have to do them.

And I saw there are different types of mobility revolutions. Some are about fixing the little things to make our current systems more pleasant and useful. Others are about big, new ideas that may or may not happen but sound ambitious, innovative, and exciting. The two revolutions accomplish different goals for different people. In American cities, at least, one tends to win out over the other.

“During the automobile age, we didn’t plan the technology, we let the technology plan us,” Dixon said. “I don’t want us to make the same mistake twice.”

*

At the turn of the 20th century, Buffalo didn’t need a renaissance; it was the renaissance. The city on the lake was incredibly prosperous, with the most millionaires per capita of any city in the country. Thanks to the Erie Canal and a major rail hub, Buffalo acted as a key shipping hub, and therefore was a preferred location for American industry. It was also on the forefront of new technologies. The ultra-luxurious car manufacturer Pierce Arrow was based in Buffalo, at a time when it was far from clear Detroit would emerge as the region’s—much less the world’s—car capital.

The millionaires used part of their wealth to build a city that matched their ambitions. Some of that wealth went towards stunning architecture, much of which still survives, including the breathtaking art deco triumph city hall that, when I visited, was doubling as a movie set for Guillermo Del Toro’s newest film. From the observation deck which looks upon the city, one can see the streets radiating outwards from Niagara Square in a neat spoke system designed by Andrew Ellicott, who also mapped out a similar system for Washington, D.C.

Buffalo also boasts a world-class parks system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 19th Century, the same landscape architect who designed Central and Prospect Parks in New York City. In fact, Olmsted was so impressed by Buffalo that he called it (with a hefty dose of self-congratulation) “the best planned city, as to its streets, public places and grounds in the United States, if not the world.”

Olmsted's sketch map of Buffalo showing the relation of the park system to the general plan of the city, 1881. Image via the New York Public Library.

This made Buffalo special among American cities, which tend to not be planned so much as developed according to the laws of supply and demand, real estate speculation, and resource extraction. The end product is all too often cities that are built to make money rather than to be pleasant places to live. A plaque with Olmsted’s quote reminds visitors to the city hall observation deck that they are gazing upon what was once the best American urban planning had to offer.

These attributes—wide, evenly spaced boulevards, attractive architecture, rich history, substantial and accessible parkland to name a few—are what urban planners refer to as “good bones.” They are keys to what make cities special, but also difficult to retrofit into existing developed areas. Much like living organisms, cities either have good bones or they don’t. And for all its other problems, Buffalo most certainly has them.

Aerial view of Buffalo taken in 1945 by the Army Air Force. Image: National Archives and Records Administration via Wikimedia Commons

But after World War II, the bones started to lose their flesh. Buffalo became a prototypical Rust Belt city as suburbanization and deindustrialization decimated its economy. Residents fled for the suburbs or the Sun Belt cities that proved more attractive to both commerce and people sick of Buffalo winters (the development and affordability of residential air conditioners is perhaps an under-appreciated factor in this population shift). Today, Buffalo’s downtown, once constructed for a much more prosperous and populous city, rarely experiences traffic jams.

Yet, because good bones in American cities are relatively rare, Buffalo’s serve as urban planner catnip. And at least some planners are stepping up to fill a gap in how our cities are built.

Until the 1960s, urban planners were the horticulturists managing the organisms that were our cities. But, under their watch, cities got very sick indeed with generally well-intentioned but failed policies called the Urban Renewal program. This program, broadly speaking, called for demolishing “blighted” neighborhoods and replacing them with brand new ones. Urban Renewal took different forms in different cities—some built mostly new housing, others cultural centers, hospitals, and university buildings, and many used the cleared land to construct urban highways—but the end goal was fundamentally to keep fleeing suburbanites tied to the city center. The legacy of urban renewal is complicated, but the common perception of the generations that followed is urban renewal was a legacy of destruction and made cities worse places to live. Certainly, it did little to reverse flight from American cities and may have even exacerbated it.

Over time, urban renewal came to be regarded as a horrible failure of government overreach and a prime example of how planners cannot build a better city from the top down. In fact, planners started to question the very validity of their profession. As a result, a new generation of urban planners willingly embraced a grassroots process, born out of the Jane Jacobs revolution—whose landmark 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities launched the backlash—that called for a neighborhood by neighborhood approach, putting planners on an even level with members of the community.

As Cornell University urban planning professor Thomas Campanella wrote, this made urban planners one of the only professions where experts willingly relinquished authority to quite literally whoever shows up. “Imagine economists at the Federal Reserve holding community meetings to decide the direction of fiscal policy. Imagine public health officials giving equal weight to the nutritional wisdom of teenagers,” Campanella wrote in 2012, at a time when it was perhaps more difficult to imagine random failsons determining public health policy.

The imbalance that so characterized mid-century American urban planning has now reversed itself. Planners have vanishingly little input whereas ordinary citizens, especially wealthy property-owning boomers, have immense power to block desperately needed housing and infrastructure projects indefinitely. As a result, America’s most prosperous cities also have deeply unaffordable housing, soul-crushingly long commutes, and no real plans to fix either other than engaging in a Sisyphean task of gaining house by house, block by block consensus.

Aerial photo of Buffalo City Hall taken in 1971. Notice all the parking that didn't exist before. Image: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, NY-6033

Just in case any of the planners in Buffalo needed a refresher on what the average person thinks of their profession, they got one the morning we were given a tour of Lower Main. A man with a round face in a gray Columbia jacket and leather gloves ran into someone in our group from the city’s office that he knew. He asked us what we were doing walking around downtown Buffalo in the middle of the day, something that—ironically for the purposes of the workshop—few do in winter.

When someone explained to him the group’s purpose, the man, without missing a beat, had a question. “What are you going to do with the cars?”

“No driving,” one of the planners replied, in a tone that was equally likely to be interpreted as seriousness or jest.

“To hell with you!” he crowed. “Do you all have cars? I want to see your bus passes. I want to see your passes. Do you live in the city? Or did you move to the suburbs? I’ve lived in the city. I didn’t leave.”

He wasn’t through. “I hate experts,” he spat. “You can’t just talk the talk.” He clapped along with his parting words: “Walk the walk!”

After the man turned away in disgust, one of the only planners in the group who lived in Buffalo sheepishly reached into his wallet. He did, in fact, have his bus pass. But it was too late. The man, having already made his point, was on his way into the warmth of his office.

“I hate experts” is the type of mentality that got American cities into the mess they’re in. And now, some planners are willing to get shouted at on the street in order to help them get out of it. “We have a really important job,” Dixon told the planners the morning they got to work in a sort of pre-planning pep talk. That job, he explained, is to make Buffalo a nice place to be, so it can attract talent and jobs. And, it has to do it in a way that makes Buffalo more equitable and affordable. He envisions a city where, for example, “minorities with tough jobs but good ideas” can start a business in a location that enables success.

The way Dixon hopes to do this is by replacing parking with places people actually want to be. Overall, downtown Buffalo has something like 25,000 parking spaces—depending on how one defines the area—most of which sit unused any given day. It is such an oversupply of parking that a motorist can easily park all day in the downtown district for only a few dollars.

Around 2016, Buffalo sold a 380-space downtown parking lot to a private developer under the condition the developer build 30 percent affordable housing and a grocery store, something downtown Buffalo sorely lacks. Brendan Mehaffy, Executive Director of Buffalo’s Office of Strategic Planning, told me that got the city thinking it’s in the cards to flip parking lots into better uses. So when they sold another municipally-owned parking lot for $20 million, the city set the money aside for a “Mobility Fund,” which is how it paid for the workshop and plans to fund whatever the workshop recommends.

“What’s going to happen is, some regions are going to succeed and some regions are going to fail,” Dixon warned. This workshop is “a chance to get Buffalo on the right trajectory to succeed.”

*

“Fix the stupid stuff.”

That was the first step a smaller group of planners came up with after meeting with community activists who have been trying to “activate” downtown Buffalo for a long time. Paint crosswalks, the activists recommended. Plant trees. Eliminate “beg buttons” that require pedestrians to press a button to get the signal.

It sounded so simple. The easier and more pleasant it is to walk around, the more people will do it.

But the practicality of doing the “stupid stuff” is not so simple. Over the course of the planning sessions, Julie Fetzer, an engineer with Buffalo’s Department of Public Works which manages the street space, played the role of gently informing the planners why their ideas are harder than they seem. At one point, the policy team had “look at sidewalks” as one of its core goals, meaning to fix and improve the sidewalks. That’s all well and good, Fetzer said, but the planners would be going home in a few days, leaving some other agency holding the bag on a broad mandate like “look at sidewalks” with just that vague directive and no additional resources.

Later, the transportation team wanted to put bike lanes down the center of a road along with a landscaped median to make cycling and scooting safer, quicker, and more pleasant. Unfortunately, Fetzer told them, doing so would require modifying the traffic signals, significantly slowing down the project.

It went on like this (not always from Fetzer, who, it should be noted, was widely regarded as a beneficial presence at the workshop for her hefty doses of reality). Trees are great, and some will be planted, but to plant a tree you need to dig a tree pit, and to dig a tree pit you need to make sure you won’t hit any utilities underground and get the necessary permits to do the work. To remove beg buttons also requires extensive signal modifications. It’s not that these things are particularly expensive or time consuming individually, but without a clear mandate from above to make it happen, it’s work that can very easily not get done, and taken together can be expensive.

After the meeting, Ryan Westrom of Ford Mobility, a sponsor of the workshop, told me that it’s quite common for local governments to skip the “stupid stuff,” something to which most American city dwellers can attest. Westrom, who used to work for Washington D.C.’s Department of Transportation, said fixing the “stupid stuff” can, paradoxically, be politically controversial, because they’re not sexy projects or ones most people will base their votes on. But projects that are future-focused sound good to everyone, while making political operatives sound innovative and forward thinking, adjectives they can use in campaign speeches.

One of the things the Jane Jacobs revolution got right is it is often the little stuff that matters most to people, and it is the people who live on the block who will notice it. Unfortunately, it is the paradoxical state of local government that, although the people who show up to city council meetings and community boards almost always complain about the little stuff, it is the big ideas that win elections.

This tension between the big ideas and little stuff was very much in play at the Buffalo mobility workshop. “Permit me to be a maverick for a moment,” said Glenn Barr, a partner of the planning firm Better Neighbourhoods in Canada the next morning as the planners discussed their angle of attack. “But I didn’t learn a lot last night [at the community workshop]. Quite frankly this conversation could take place in any city in North America. I thought we were going to talk about the new technology instead of what we’re talking about now.”

“We can talk about that,” replied Tom Yardley, a principal at Stantec. “But there are some very basic things we have to talk about first. If you can’t walk to the AV [autonomous vehicle] drop-off point, then will people use it?”

*

The next morning, after the teams spent the full day sketching out how they wanted to fix the stupid stuff, Brendan Mehaffy from Buffalo’s Office of Strategic Planning took the floor. He thanked everyone for their hard work, especially those on the policy team which recognized that not all of the identified proposals are within the City of Buffalo’s control (some, for example, are the domain of the state Department of Transportation or the regional transit authority).

Instead, Mehaffy latched onto one specific proposal from the transportation team, which called for a “micromobility corridor” along Washington Street, a north-south route one block over from Main Street. This street, the planners envisioned, would accommodate all the forms of the mobility revolution around the corner, as well as expand walking and green space.

By branding this corridor and being “compelling enough with a vision,” Mehaffy said, the city could attract corporations and philanthropies to be a part of the project. Barr, who had previously been worried about technology being left out of the plan, was on board, asserting this corridor would be “the coolest spot in Western New York.”

Maps and annotations of the project area. Photo: Aaron Gordon

For the next 15 hours, the teams busied themselves with making sketches and the PowerPoint presentation for the community meeting the following day. It was mostly heads-down work, but popping around I heard some murmurs questioning how this corridor fit with what was already in place.

That morning, Nadine Chalmers from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which runs the buses and light rail system, joined the group. She asked what would happen to the more than a dozen bus routes that currently run along Washington Street. And the next block over, Main Street, is where the light rail runs through downtown.

Bill Price, the designer who was working on the street sketch, said he hadn’t planned for buses.

“I’m not saying we need buses on every street,” Chalmers said, “I’m just saying, don’t forget about buses.”

Ben Herring, an urban architect from Ohio who was leading the design team, had been listening to the conversation and chimed in.

“I’m just very concerned with addressing the concerns Brendan expressed,” referring to the need to incorporate new technology elements on Washington Street.

Later in the day, Chalmers started working with the transportation team. She noticed that the shared autonomous vehicle and micromobility pilot corridor is just a block over from and runs parallel to the light rail, which is free in downtown and always has been. She worried this corridor would cannibalize light rail ridership, which the NFTA uses to help justify local and federal funding for projects and operations. If they lose riders—even free ones—she worried funding might decline.

Julie Chizmas, a planner for the city of Nashua, New Hampshire, assured Chalmers this was on her radar. But, she added, “this is a demonstration that brings together all of the concepts” and that “during construction this will support light rail, not negate it.”

When I ran these concerns by Mehaffy recently, he said the light rail runs every ten minutes, so if people are only traveling within a 10-minute radius in the Lower Main area, a shared scooter or bike makes more sense. He also said it was an intentional choice to host the workshop in the winter, which is notoriously unpleasant in Buffalo, as opposed to its beautiful summers, so everyone remembered the options they were discussing were not year-round ones. On this front, Mehaffy’s planning worked. Two of the days were so windy it was difficult to even stand in downtown Buffalo, much less ride any kind of two-wheeled device. On days like that, Mehaffy said, everyone will still need the light rail even for short trips.

“We want to support our light rail system,” Mehaffy added. “I don’t know how much it would necessarily be a competition.”

*

The next day, the planners, led by Dixon, presented their plan for Washington Street. It was, without a doubt, a better version of Washington Street. It featured protected bicycle lanes, regular loading zones, bus bulbs for boarding, and space for tree plantings. There was one travel lane in each direction for buses, cars, and, yes, autonomous vehicles. It took space away from single occupancy cars and gave it to pedestrians, cyclists, and mass transit. A classic win for urbanists.

Since then, Dixon, CNU, and Mehaffy have been working on a final report based on those designs, going block by block to figure out the nitty gritty details. Mehaffy said the report will be done in May or June, at which point the community engagement process would continue. He couldn’t peg a specific timeline for when shovels will hit the ground on Washington Street. First, they have to hold more public meetings and meet with the plannings and zoning boards. But, he emphasized the pandemic has not changed their plans.

Still, I couldn’t help looking at the drawings and thinking to myself: was this not just a typical street redesign that, to use Barr’s phrase, could occur in any North American city? A similar project is happening not far away on Niagara Street, which took years to get approval for. Was plopping AVs into the regular travel lane solving any of the difficult questions about how they fit into the urban landscape? Mehaffy assured me the final report will be more elaborate than the drawings and demonstrate the project is significantly different than the Niagara Street refurbishment.

For their part, many of the planners emphasized to me on the final day that it is just a pilot, and they can expand this design city wide in about three years if all goes well.

At the public feedback tables set up outside the auditorium, Buffalonians reiterated the points they had made three days prior. Who needs an AV shuttle when the free light rail is just a block over? Was this an effort to privatize public transit? It only takes about ten minutes to walk the pilot area. Was a shuttle really even necessary? And what about all the stuff they asked for in the first meeting, the bus shelters, getting rid of the beg buttons, and the painted crosswalks?

Aaron Zimmerman, one of the planners from D.C.’s Department of Transportation, said he was a little disappointed that all of that “tactical urbanism” stuff got dumped. Talking near the tables before the event started, Zimmerman recalled walking across Niagara Square a few days prior, which is a sea of pavement. He wondered aloud how cool it would be to get some paint out there, to narrow the lanes a bit to slow traffic down, to make it a nicer place to walk around and admire Buffalo’s architecture. After all, those are the good bones.

I took a sip of my coffee, which I had walked to purchase from one of the only coffee shops open in downtown Buffalo on a Saturday. The coffee was from a shop called Public Espresso and Coffee in the lobby of the Lafayette Hotel, a renovated landmark with a lobby decor in retro 60s charm. Both the hotel lobby and the coffee shop are classic examples of "third places," a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg referring to where people spend time between work and home. They're exactly the types of businesses Buffalo wants more of. But the coffee shop was mostly empty.

When I left, I saw a few people huddled by a pole on the other side of Washington Street waiting for a bus, holding their hoods over their faces as the wind whipped across the square.

The 19th Century’s “Best Planned City” Tries Again syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[antiquatedimages]

Belgium

I know I’m going to like a country, when upon exiting the train station you’re immediately met by a huge and overflowing bike rack. Belgium, looks a lot like its brother to the north; The Netherlands. It’s a small country whose old cities are lined with tall buildings and narrow brick roads that are spilling over with bicycles. The other pleasing thing about Belgium is its centuries long dedication to making some of the best beer in the world. Bruges is small, walkable and overflowing with tourists and we did what you’re supposed to do there, rubber neck by day and drink too much too late into the night. From Bruges we went to Antwerp where we let our hangovers recover and tried to find some culture. Instead we found a biker party and stayed up too late drinking. Seems I spent more time with a pint in my hand than a camera, maybe that's why I have so few shots from Belgium.

[torontotravelblog]

Toronto Travel Prep Guide

Toronto, Canada can sometimes get confused with just another city, as it’s neither the capital nor the cultural favorite like Montreal. However, there’s so much more to it than skyscrapers! The neighborhoods like Kensington Market, Distillery District, Queen Street West, and Chinatown offer so many chances for exploration. The yearly Toronto International Film Festival is one of the city’s most popular events. Shops, ethnic eats, and street art all make Toronto a great destination for all types of travelers.

If we’ve left anything out or you’d like to join the conversation, please leave comments below!

Toronto Travel Expenses Tips

Toronto is a reasonably priced destination for travelers, especially when compared with other North American cities like New York or Miami. As long as you know how to cut corners, you’ll be able to get plenty of bang for your buck in Canada.

Enjoy the free attractions. You don’t have to spend a fortune to appreciate Toronto. For example, the street art that covers the city is completely free, as are the parks! Tour Guys offers a number of free tours of the city. The Art Gallery of Ontario has free admission on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The Bata Shoe Museum offers “pay what you like” admission on Thursdays from at 5 pm. The Scarborough Historical Museum also offers the same system every day.

Exploring Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Twirl the Globe

The Big List of Free Things to Do in Toronto, Frugal Mom Eh

Skip cabs and cars. Leave the car behind because you won’t need it unless you’re venturing out further. Public transportation is easy to use, including the metro, buses, and trams. If you’re trying to go even cheaper, there’s bike rentals. Toronto is also extremely walkable and doesn’t have too many hills. I had no trouble walking from the bus station to my hostel.

How to Get Around Toronto with Subway and Streetcars, For Two, Please

Stay in one of the neighborhoods. The advantages of staying outside of the Central Business District are many. Not only will you save some loonies, but you’ll also get to experience Toronto like a local. I recommend the Kensington Market area.

Exploring Toronto’s Kensington Market Neighbourhood: A Travel Guide, Brittany Thiessen

Essential Gear to Pack for Toronto

Pack for Toronto like you would just about any other big city. It certainly depends on the season, but summers are mild and winters can be extra chilly with snow. Learn how to pack light for cold weather travel.

Comfy shoes– If you plan on walking during most of your visit, which I recommend, be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes.

Light waterproof jacket– Not only is this good to have in case of a sudden rain storm, but it will also keep you from having to buy a cheap poncho at Niagara Falls!

Cash– Change over your money to use on public transportation. Cards are accepted just about everywhere else, but I didn’t have coins one night on the train and had to borrow.

What to Pack for Summer Activities in Eastern Canada, Tortuga Backpacks

Books to Read Before Visiting Toronto

There are a number of books set in the city of Toronto but not all reach national acclaim. But these are a good few to start with before your trip.

Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood– A controversial painter returns to her home city of Toronto for a retrospective of her work. While there, she remembers her childhood and friends. Grab a copy on Amazon.

Headhunter by Timothy Findley– A librarian is reading a book when a character jumps out of the page. She frantically searches the streets of Toronto in search of him before it’s too late. In the meantime, a number of children end up in institutes with the same disease. Grab a copy on Amazon.

The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper– A failed novelist joins a writer’s group in hopes of finding inspiration. During this time, a serial killer is terrorizing Toronto. He listens to the tales of a fellow writer, which sound familiar to what’s going on in real life. Grab a copy on Amazon.

Consolation by Michael Redhill– Telling two stories at separate points in time in Toronto, a geology professor throws himself from a ferry and a young apothecary is struggling to make his life in a new country. Grab a copy on Amazon.

Lemon by Cordelia Strube– A high school girl named Lemon has a dysfunctional life and decides not to try and fit in any longer. Grab a copy on Amazon.

Movies to Watch Before Visiting Toronto

Fans of shows like Degrassi may know the skyline well, but the independent film scene is also thriving in Toronto.

Breakfast with Scot– Based on the novel of the same name, a gay retired hockey player lives with his sports lawyer partner in Toronto. Their lives are changed in when they take in his brother’s stepson. Grab a copy on Amazon.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World– Another film based on a popular series, Michael Cera stars as Scott, who must battle the ex-boyfriends of the girl he likes in honor to win her heart. Grab a copy on Amazon.

This Beautiful City– The lives of four Toronto residents collide one night when a woman jumps from her window in a suicide attempt and runs into a couple trying to recover from addiction. Grab a copy on Amazon.

The F Word/What If– The film had different names in some countries, but it starred Daniel Radcliffe. He stars as a medical school dropout who falls in love with his best friend, who happens to be with her live-in boyfriend. Grab a copy on Amazon.

Top Things to Do in Toronto

Toronto has the most attractions and museums of any Canadian city, so you certainly won’t get bored. If you plan on visiting a number of them, get a CityPass or other combination pass. And don’t forget about the outdoors as well!

CN Tower– The most imposing structure in the Toronto skyline, go to the top for the best views or even a walk along the edge!

Niagara Falls– While not in Toronto proper, this easy day trip showcases the beautiful waterfall that straddles the American and Canadian borders.

St. Lawrence Market– This food hall predates the current trend, offering butchers, bakeries, and much more.

Casa Loma– Once a private home, this castle is now a museum and event space where you can see how the other half lives.

Hockey Hall of Fame– Sports fans will appreciate a trip to the museum devoted to Canada’s favorite pastime.

Centre Island– The island across the harbor from downtown has its own theme park and petting zoo, open seasonally.

Art Gallery of Ontario– This art museum’s collection includes works from Africa, Oceania, Europe, and, of course, Canada.

Bata Shoe Museum– It seems like an odd choice for a museum, but this one has four galleries of footwear ranging from ancient China to the modern day.

Royal Ontario Museum– Memorable exhibits at this museum include Chihuly glass, dinosaur fossils, and Egyptian mummies.

Tours– There’s a tour for every interest including street art, beer, history, and even pork. I recommend Urban Adventures and Tour Guys. Or search on Viator.

Caroline in the City Guide to Toronto, Caroline in the City

The Travelettes Guide to Toronto, Travelettes

Things to Do in Toronto, Canada, Y Travel Blog

Where to Stay in Toronto

There’s an accommodations option for every price range, starting from the hostels and going up to luxury hotels.

Planet Traveler is a luxurious hostel with a rooftop patio, full kitchen, and computers for you to use.

The Drake Hotel is a chic boutique hotel in the heart of the hip Queen Street West district.

Thompson Toronto is a luxury hotel with the best rooftop pool in the city.

The Ivy at Verity is a boutique property with unique rooms, each different from the next.

AirBnB is another option, which is ideal for a more local experience and additional space.

What Not to Do in Toronto, Conde Nast Traveler

Food and Drink in Toronto

You may not think of Canada when it comes to well-known dishes, but you will certainly eat well in Toronto.

Poutine– Ah yes, a Canadian classic. The hand cut fries are topped in brown gravy and cheese curds and can be found all around town. Some varieties are standard while others are topped with pulled pork and other offbeat toppings.

Craft beer– Toronto has a surprising number of craft and local breweries like Steam Whistle, Left Field, and Granite breweries.

Caesar– Don’t call it a Bloody Mary! This Northern interpretation uses Clamato juice instead of tomato juice.

Butter tart– These tarts are totally decadent with butter and sugar in a pastry crust.

Anything at Tim Horton’s– You can’t go to Canada without stopping by this quintessential coffee shop for a cup and a doughnut.

My 10 Must Eats in Toronto, This Beautiful Day

Toronto: Where to Eat, Round the World Girl

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