You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October, 2007.
Williamsburg is a part of Brooklyn and like a mix of New York City and Europe. Everything is personal. You won’t see any large coffee or fast food chains here as on Manhattan, I hope it stays that way. The only picture I had of Williamsburg was from the Swedish culture journalist Nina Solomin’s “ok, amen”. This book about her time with the ultra-orthodox Jews in Williamsburg gives a unique insight in a radically different culture and mentality. You can recognize the Chasids on their black hats, black coats and corkscrew curls. Even though they live in the heart of a world metropolis, they live more or less isolated from their surroundings.
Williamsburg is very different from Manhattan, in a good way, and I think everyone visiting New York should travel here at least once. The subway’s L-line (the grey on the map) starts at the 8th Avenue on Manhattan and continues along 14th Street through whole Brooklyn. The Bedford Avenue subway station in Brooklyn is only one stop from Manhattan. If you choose the J-, M-, and Z-lines, you will end up further south closer to the blocks where the Chasids live.
I just found Tower Hamlet’s Quirky Shopping Guide, a great guide over east side London featuring stores with fashion, furniture, design, jewellery and other interesting things. Not to be missed!
According to SKI’s annual study on the Swedish travel business, Swebus Express‘ costumers are more satisfied than both SJ and SAS. Swebus Express has over 10,000 departures each week, travels to more than 150 destinations in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and serves about 3 million passengers per year. Apart from Scandinavia, Swebus Express also travels to Brussels, Hamburg, Berlin and Paris.
For more information, call +46 771 218 218
One of the best ways to get to know the people and the culture in a country is through hitchhiking. The best book about hitchhiking I have ever read is Kinga Freespirit’s Led by Destiny. It’s full of inspiring diary style chapters and various pictures from around the globe.
Kinga and Chopin began with nearly $600, 2 backpacks, a one-way ticket, almost no plans and many dreams. Kinga’s book is an amazing story that starts in Poland with a one-way flight to New York City and continues to Toronto, Alaska, Mexico, Central America, South America, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Australia, Brunei, Taiwan, Japan, and through Asia and East Europe. Apart from interesting writing, Led by Destiny includes beautiful photographs from all over the world.
I admire their strenght to accomplish their goal of hitchhiking around the world and hope more people will set out to realize their travel dreams.
digihitch Tribute page to Kinga Freespirit
Grosvenor Square, Mayfair
St James’s Park, St James
Hyde Park
Shot in August 2007
Stalos Beach, Crete
Whether you look for serenity, magnificent beaches or party all night long, you will find it in Greece. Anyone can enjoy a vacation on one of the Greek Islands. The question is which one of the islands is best for you.
Top 10 Calmest Charter Islands
1. Paxos
2. Agistri
3. Tilos
4. Andros
5. Karpathos
6. Alonissos
7. Cephalonia
8. Syros
9. Tinos
10. Mytilini
Top 10 Beach Islands
1. Skiathos
2. Naxos
3. Crete
4. Thassos
5. Ios
6. Zakynthos
7. Paros
8. Cefalonia
9. Corfu
10. Kos
Top 10 Party Islands
1. Ios
2. Kos
3. Mykonos
4. Zakynthos
5. Skiathos
6. Rhodes
7. Corfu
8. Crete
9. Paros
10. Santorini
The Swedish company Ticket has researched the travel trends this winter and noticed 40% more early bookings compared to last year.
The most popular countries were Thailand, Spain, Egypt, USA, India, Cap Verde, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia and Portugal.
The top ten destinations were Phuket (Thailand), Gran Canaria (Spain), Bangkok (Thailand), Tenerife (Spain), Krabi (Thailand), Hurghada (Egypt), Lanzarote (Spain), Goa (India), Miami (USA) and Fuerteventura (Spain).
Source: Ticket Travel Group
NEF (New Economics Foundation) has made a global ranking of the countries with the happiest citizens. The Happy Planet Index shows that people can live long happy lives with a minimal impact on the Earth.
Number one and two was Vanuatu and Colombia. Costa Rica, known for its trademark expression pura vida (absolute life) landed on the third place. Other Central American countries among the top ten were Panama (5th), Honduras (7th), Guatemala (8th) and El Salvador (9th). The combination of community engagement and Central America’s decreasing conflict and political instability can be one reason to these countries success.
The Happy Planet Index are affected by life expectancy, life satisfaction and environmental impact. NEF created this study to show that people can live happy, long lives without using more than a reasonable share of the Earth’s resources. The Happy Planet Index also proves happiness has nothing to do with a nations national income. USA ended up at the 150th place.
I can’t deny I love reading, especially travelogues. Below are some of my favourite reads:
A Fortune-teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani - Warned by a Hong Kong fortune-teller, the Asian correspondent Tiziano Terzani decides not to fly for a whole year. Traveling by foot, boat, car, bus and train, he consults shamans and fortune-tellers wherever the roads take him.
A Death in Brazil: A Book of Omissions by Peter Robb - Through art, history food and his own twenty years of encounters, Robb delivers a brilliant description of one of the strangest and greatest countries in the world.
Almost French by Sarah Turnbull - Backpacking around Europe, twenty-something Sarah Turnbull meets Frédéric and spontaneously accepts his invitation to visit him in Paris. Years later, they are married. Almost French is her exciting and entertaining story of dealing with Parisian life.
Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan - During four months, Marlo Morgan wander through the Australian outback with a tribe of Aborigines, realizing how meaningful they live and how rewarding it is to trust our intuition.
The Happy Isles of Oceania by Paul Theroux - A fascinating story from Theroux’s paddling journey from the Solomons to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, the Marquesas, and Easter Island.
Catfish & Mandala: A Vietnamese Odyssey by Andrew X. Pham
As many tourist sights in Basel are located close to each other, the city is perfect for walking. A good start is following the road Tiergartenrain past the Zoologisher Garten, and into Arnold-Böcklin-Strasse. Continue to Schützenmattpark, a nice park where people walk their dogs, jog around the path, have picnic in the grass or relax on one of the benches, reading a good book.
From the park, follow Schützenmattstrasse, turn right into Spalenvorstadt and make a left into Petersgraben. After a few minutes you will reach the beautiful St. Peters Church at Peterskirchplatz, a quiet oasis with high trees.
Take a left, follow Petersgasse to Blumenrain and turn into Sankt-Johanns-Rheinweg by the river Rhine. To the right, just where the street turns, is the smaller Drei-König-Weglein. Follow this way along the water as far as possible and you will get a beautiful view over the river and Basel’s many bridges.
The Old Town is not far from this spot. Continue to the central Marktgasse and keep on to Marktplatz (Market Square). Don’t miss Freie Strasse to the south, a pedestrian street with lots of great shops and cafés.
From there, walk to Augustinergasse by the river and admire the pretty Basilisk Fountain. The Old Town is extremely walking-friendly.
Hotel Clarion Sign will open in Stockholm in February 2008. Apart from 558 rooms, the hotel boasts spa facilities and a heated outdoor pool. The buildings of the hotel started in 2005.
For over 60 years, more than two-thirds of Vieques in the Caribbean was used by the US Navy for military exercises. Since 2003 the island has been left to the US Fish and Wildlife service to become the largest and most ecologically-diverse National Wildlife Refuge in the Caribbean.
For obvious reasons Vieques has - apart from other Caribbean Islands - not been an attractive travel destination. But that will change when W Hotels opens W Retreat & Spa, Vieques, the 10th December 2008. The hotel is one of 14 upcoming W Hotels in the world.
One of the best things with Vieques is that no matter where you live, the nearest beach is never more than fifteen minutes away.
Snowy Park Bench © Henry Yao
Someday I want to experience New York City during the winter. If not this year, the following. Every place has something special about it and seasons are what makes a place even more special. Winter in New York is…
The day when I have returned from a wintry New York, I will complete that sentence. In the meantime, feel free to give your opinions about the winter in NYC.
This month, author Beth Whitman tours the US west coast to promote her book Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo and inspire women to travel independently. She travels between the seven cities on her motorcycle and stays with fellow travellers from GlobalFreeloaders and Couchsurfing. Beth Whitmans’s Wanderlust and Lipstick, released in March 2007, has received great reviews in dozens of newspapers and magazines throughout North America.
Sometimes things don’t turn out as you plan. As on Lanzarote when my sister and I planned to visit the tourist resort our surf instructor Vanessa had recommended.
We sit in the taxi, the driver turns his head and highs a questioning eyebrow. Both of us expected the other would remember the name of the resort and now we have no idea where to go. I catch sight on a small map I left in my bag. At random I let my forefinger stop at one of the destinations along the coast.
“Punta de Mujeres.” I smile; confident I picked the right place.
We leave Caleta de Famara, an old fishing village (and popular surf destination) located on Lanzarote’s northwest coast. After a fifteen minutes drive across the island we see the ocean.
“Pero no hay una playa allí.” (But there is no beach here.) The taxi driver looks at us.
I see the approaching turnoff to Punta de Mujeres.
“¿No hay una playa?” (There is no beach?)
“No”.
“I actually want to go to the beach”, my sister says, as if our three years age difference automatically puts the responsibility to whom of us should solve the situation.
I try to remember more of the Spanish I learnt in school.
“¿Donde está … una buena playa? (Where is there a good beach?)
“Está una buena playa blanca tres kilometro de aquí.” (There’s a good white beach three kilometres from here.)
“Bueno.” I give my sister a “see-how-great-I-did” look.
After the exit to Punta de Mujeres we pass the turnoff to a village named Las Escamas, a couple of minutes later the taxi driver makes a right turn into a gravelled road.
“¡Esta aquí.” (Here it is.)
He drops us off by a stretch of sand scattered with black stones. Definitely not a real beach, we can’t even see the water, but this was the most peaceful “beach” I have ever been to and better than any crowded tourist resort on Lanzarote. It doesn’t really matter if things don’t turn out as you planned.
Click here to read the other post from ”The White Beach”.
According to Forbes, the best spas in the world include:
1. Terme di Saturnia Spa Resort, Italy
2. Beau Rivage Palace, Switzerland
3. Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, India
4. Soneva Gili & Six Senses Spa, Maldives
5. Maroma Resort and Spa, Mexico
6. The Island Experience, Brazil
7. Hayman Island Resort, Australia
8. Four Seasons Resorts, Thailand
9. Chiva Som, Thailand
10. Como Shambhala Retreat ved Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands
From the 15th to 25th November, Stockholm International Film Festival will show more than 170 films from over 40 countries. The festival has been arranged since 1990 and attracts visitors from both Sweden and abroad. A membership to the festival for 200 SEK gives access to the festival and includes offers such as pre-shows of upcoming movies.
If you like the idea of bumping into a famous actor or director, stay at Scandic Anglais by Stureplan.
From the 27th November, Qatar Airways will fly non-stop to Doha, Qatar, from Stockholm Arlanda International Airport. Their Airbus A319 planes, offering eight seats in Business Class and 102 seats in Economy, will depart four days a week. The travel time to Doha is about six hours.
Click here for the full press release.
Budapest © Bernard Mukarubibi
Many European cities show their best side during the Autumn. Why not book a last minute trip to Barcelona, Rome or another European destination?
Eat tapas at one of of many tapas places, go bar hopping in El Borne, and dance into the wee hours in Barcelona, visit Szécheneyi Bath, have a coffee at Gerbeaud and stroll along the Donau river in Budapest, go shopping in Berlin, stop at the Uffizi Gallery and admire the architecture in Florence, go sightseeing in Rome or enjoy a romantic weekend in Paris.
See Ryanair and Flydeals.co.uk for the latest offers. flycheapo and Which Budget, featuring 115 airlines in 124 countries, are great flight finders.
Today, Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva reopened its doors after two years of renovation. The hotel with 423 rooms including 43 suites is located at the shores of Lake Geneva and offers stylish modern accommodation. Rates start from €270. A comforting stay is best combined with a fresh dinner at ”FLOORTWO“, a work out in the fitness center, a relaxing massage, some laps in the indoor saltwater swimming pool and a visit to the shopping arcade on the ground floor of the hotel. Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva also boasts the largest in-house conference facilities in the city.
Kempinski Hotels is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance and celebrates its 110th anniversary this year.
Baglioni Hotel & Rácz Thermal Spa, a luxurious 5 star boutique hotel, opens its doors in Budapest during the Spring 2008. The hotel is located in a park in the center of Buda close to the well-known Castle district. With 35 deluxe rooms, 8 executive rooms and 20 suites including the 168 sqm Presidential Suite, guests can expect nothing but the best in comfort and style. The exclusive Rácz Thermal Spa, the elegant Brunello Restaurant & Bar and the Italian Brasserie offering modern Italian dishes will make Baglioni Hotel the new hot spot in the Hungarian capital.
Later in 2008 Baglioni will open a new hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Between the 10th October and the 2nd November, travelers can choose between 12 new routes from Skavsta Airport in Nykoping.
The new destinations are Pisa and Trapani in Italy, Alicante and Valencia in Spain, Berlin and Baden-Baden in Germany, Bratislava in Slovakia, Malta, Porto in Portugal, Basel in Switzerland, Liverpool in England and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
From the 19th December to the 29th March, Skavsta will also offer a winter route to Salzburg in Austria.
A stranger is simply a friend you haven’t got to know yet. What lies between are openness and contact. It doesn’t matter whether you are in London, Lisbon, La Paz, Laos, Lesotho or Long Beach. Cross that boundary line. Maybe you will get a nice chat, an interesting discussion, another viewpoint, a new friend. Your travel experience will anyway be richer in many ways.
Lac d’Annecy
When I talk about Annecy I use words such as charming, beautiful, picturesque, gorgeous, attractive, pleasant. Describing Annecy without using clichés isn’t easy. I first came to this French city in the Rhône-Alpes an early Autumn morning a couple of years ago. I went into a small café near Lake Annecy to have a cup of coffee and followed the French customs by ordering a warm croissant.
Annecy is surrounded by mountains and the city is situated just by Lac d´Annecy. The lake promenade is perfect for a walk, I especially liked the bridge over to Quai Jules Phillippe and the following Quai Napoléon III.
Annecy is full of culture and history and the pedestrian paths along the river is lined with pretty buildings, cozy cafés and restaurants. There’s always something interesting to look at. The area by Lake Annecy and the river, particularly Promenade Louis Lachenal from Rue de la Gare to Avenue de Chambéry, and the pedestrian paths in the Old Town are the best places for an easy stroll.
Pier in Coney Island
Saturday afternoon. We stand by Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island’s main station. Most people living on Coney Island, located in southernmost Brooklyn with its famous beach on the Atlantic Ocean, are Hispanic or African-American. Previously the area was a major resort and home of amusements parks as the Steeplechase Park, the heart of Coney between 1897 and 1964. Its founder George Tilyou once said: “If Paris is France, Coney Island, between June and September, is the world.”
Above the beach is the Riegelmann boardwalk, named from Borough President Riegelmann and reputed to be the world’s longest. On the crowded boardwalk we see a teenage girl in the middle of a crowd. She sings with a clear, powerful voice resembling of Beyonce and receives lots of whistles after her performance. On Coney Island, it’s the mixture of people that contribute to the special atmosphere.
Before you leave New York City, visit Coney Island at least once. The D-line from Bronx in north passes through Manhattan and over the East River on Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn. The ride with the subway from Midtown Manhattan takes about an hour.
New York City
To all you writers out there, please use comparisons with care. I don’t know how many times I have seen Buenos Aires described as The Paris of South America, the same obviously goes for “Paris - The Buenos Aires of Europe”. I shouldn’t even mention “Amsterdam - The Venice of the North” or the village Giethoorn north of Amsterdam that apparently passes as The Venice of Holland.
And Berlin is not The New York City of Europe as I have read on several occasions. I guess you have heard the expression “Ain’t no city like New York City”. Well, whoever said it first was right. Period.
The most accurate comparison I have read and heard so far is “Canary Wharf - London’s Mini Manhattan.” Everyone who has seen the high buildings around Jubilee Place and Canada Square will probably agree. “Lanzarote - Europe’s Hawaii” is not that bad either, especially not if you’re at El Quemao - some call it The Pipeline of the Canary Islands - between November and February when the swell reaches 6ft.
What else? I recently read that Fritschestraße in Berlin is The Champs Elysées of Germany, but whether that’s true or not I have to see for myself.
“Mummy, I’m hungry. I want Mc Donald’s.” The young plump girl seems sleepy but her determined voice is enough to catch her mother’s attention.
“Yes sweetheart, I know you’re hungry. Charlie, can you look for somewhere to stop please? Daddy will find a place soon sweaty.”
“I want Mc Donald’s now. I want Mc Donald’s now.” She bounces up and down in the seat, repeating the four words endlessly.
This was my first time in USA; I sit in the front seat next to Charlie on my way from Detroit to The Fowler Center outside Mayville where I will spend the summer as a Camp Counsellor, working with kids and adults with special needs.
“I’m hungry mummy.” Charlie’s daughter looks out the window.
“I know honey. Daddy will stop somewhere. Next exit is a Wendy’s…how about that? And I know there’s a Taco Bell within a few minutes.”
The light voice is impatient. “Mummy, I said I wanted Mc Donald’s! I want Mc Donald’s mum!”
I rest my head against the window and stare at the dark flat landscape. The fast food chains rectangular neon signs are luminous along the highway. In a country where numerous people suffer from obesity I find it perplexing to see how so many people can indulge in Big Mac’s, super sized sodas, fries and other obvious unhealthy meals.
Charlie skids into the next exit, stops in front of a Mexican restaurant. His daughter doesn’t say a word about Mc Donald’s. Two plastic men with bushy eyebrows clad in gaudy costumes and sombreros welcome us by the entrance.
I order a vegetarian tortilla plate, expecting two filled tortillas with some salad on the side. Ten minutes later, the waiter serves me a meal enough for two grown-ups. Four filled tortillas, a big portion of rice covering a vegetarian mince, melted cheese on top of everything. No salad. I manage to eat almost half of it until I am full.
“Don’t you want a doggy bag?” The mother holds up one of the four boxes and highs a questioning eyebrow.
What is a doggy bag?
My puzzled look tells her I don’t get it.
“For your food, so you can eat it later,” she says, as if it is the most natural thing to bring your remaining food home in a take away box.
_
I can’t deny it’s fun to learn new customs and expressions when abroad.
1. Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco
Djemaa el Fna is located in the middle of the town next to the souk.
2. La Bouqateria and Mercat Santa Caterina, Barcelona, Spain
La Bouqueria is situated at La Rambla 89, Mercat Santa Catarina, Avenida Francesc Canbó.
3. Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Jalan Alor is a parallell street to Jalan Bukit Batang in Kuala Lumpur’s so called Golden Triangle.
4. Krabi nightmarket, Krabi, Thailand
Bicycles next to Malmo Railway Station
I often find cycling a better choice than public transportation, especially when I arrive in a new city. As long as it’s not pouring outside, cycling has a lot of advantages - fresh air, free excercise, no need to check timetables, you get to see things you might have missed from a crowded bus, you can stop whenever you want…the list goes on and on.
Geneva, Zurich, Strasbourg, Vienna and Malmo are some of the destinations I have explored from the saddle of a bicyle. Many European cities now cater for the increasing demand from tourists and locals. In Paris, cycle enthusiasts have made use of the city’s self-service bicycle-lending program, Vélib, since July and Lyon launched a smaller version two years ago. Hopefully more cities will follow in their footsteps.
Lonely Planet was recently sold to BBC and apparently they will make the content in their guidebooks available on their website. This will be a great advantage for travellers who soon will be able to catch up on destinations online. Rough Guides has offered their guidebooks online for a long time and interested can choose between over 70 different guides from countries all over the world.
Read the full news article from The Guardian here.
Beach, Corsica © Christophe Libert
Bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, France offers plenty of beach destinations for everyone from families and pensioners to pro surfers and fussy celebrities.
THE ATLANTIC COAST
While the north and west coasts have long isolated beaches, family resorts, and splendid surfing, the water is not as warm or as clear as on the Mediterranean coast or Corsica.
Arcachon
This small resort on Cote d’Argent near Bordeaux is encircled by France’s largest pine wood and offers small and delectable beaches. A couple of kilometres south is the Dune du Pyla, the largest sand dune in Europe.
Saint-Jean de Luz
A cozy seaside resort a few minutes from the Spanish side in the heart of the Basque Country. Saint-Jean de Luz has stunning beaches, good surfing, and lots of shops, cafes and markets.
Biarritz
During the Surf Festival each July, surfers from France, Hawaii, Australia and California come here to celebrate the birth of surfing in Biarritz. Aside from great waves, this posh town offers popular beaches, superb cooking, golf courses, several sporting facilities and a nearly constant breeze.
THE FRENCH RIVIERA
In Cote d’Azur’s beach destinations you tend to face more crowds and higher prices, but don’t let this put you off. The French Riviera has a fantastic climate, terrific shopping, first-class dining and nice, but packed, beaches.
St Tropez
The most attractive spot on Cote dAzur is the place for beautiful people, million dollar yachts, expensive Ferraris, and chic designer shops lining the cobbled streets. The town has a balance of modern luxury and charming fishing village look. Sit at a sidewalk cafe, sip a coffee and watch the jet-setters saunter by. Don’t forget to spend a day at Bouillabaisee Beach near the town.
Cannes
In May, Cannes turns to the hottest location in the world - at least within the film business - when actors, directors, producers, journalists, wannabes, gonnabes and fascinated tourists gather in town. The traffic and parking is a nightmare. Wait a few weeks if you prefer a less busy atmosphere.
Opt for the beaches Graniers or Port Grimaud, and the free public beach in front of the Palais des Festivals. Don’t miss the fireworks show on the main beach during the summer, a stroll along the famous walk La Croisette, gambling at Casino Croisette or a taste of Cannes’ exquisite cuisine.
CORSICA
Corsica is accessible by ferry from Marseille, Toulon, or Nice, or a 40-minute flight from Nice. Aside from some of France’s best beaches, Corsica has diverse scenery with a mild climate - perfect for outdoor sports. Travel here between May and June when the weather is sunnier and the tourists are fewer. The most well-liked beach destination is Calvi in north-west Corsica. Its shallow and warm water makes it a terrific vacation site for families.
Marseille Harbour
Set between the hills and the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille offers the better of two distinct worlds. The sea, lined with 14 marinas and more than 20 beaches, attracts divers, sea kayakers and sailors all year round whilst the mountain area entices nature lovers in all ages. You can see them admiring the over 12 mile long Calanques massif’s amazing white limestone cliffs plunging into the clear Mediterranean Sea. Divers prefer to appreciate the Calanques from underwater.
The interesting mixture of people and cultures creates a cosmopolitan and multicultural feel to Marseille. Its previous reputation for crime resulted in fewer tourists over a period, but things have changed and the city is now a sought-after location on Provence’s gorgeous coastline. Marseille is divided into sixteen arrondissements twirling out from the Vieux Port, the central spot of the city. La Canebire, the broad avenue leading from the Vieux Port, is in central Marseille and bordered by Quartier Belsunce’s small streets to the north and shopping streets to the south.
Buy a City Pass valid for one or two days to get as much as possible of your visit. I recommend the site of the original Greek settlement in the old town Le Panier, Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde on the hill of La Garde, the Chateau d’If situated on the ancient prison island If and the big Borely Park. Sport interested should check out the events at Marseille’s stadium seating 60,000 people.
When in Marseille, don’t forget to savour the regions delicious specialties. Apparently the city has the planets best bouillabaisse, but as a vegetarian I wouldn’t know. If you rather eat seafood, order the local “Cassis” blanc-de-blanc from the Cassis region and don’t miss the “navettes”, a biscuit flavored with orange blossom, for dessert.
Marseille is accessible from motorways A7, A50, A52 or A55. TGV high-speed train from Paris to the Marseille St-Charles station takes 3 hours. Marignane MRS, France’s second largest airport, serves daily flights from French and international destinations, tourists can also enter the city from cruise ships as Marseille has France’s biggest commercial port.
Bordeaux - shopping street © Christian Bauer
Rue Sainte-Catherine, the longest pedestrian street in Europe
Where
Located in the southwest of France near the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux is the sixth largest city in France and attracts more than 2,5 million visitors each year. The city has a busy and creative atmosphere with festivals, events and other culture happenings. Because of its important seaport, twenty cruise ships tie up opposite Place de la Bourse in the centre of Bordeaux every year.
Bordeaux certainly lives up to its name as the “City of Art and Culture”. Lovers of art prefer the museums with outstanding collections of artists such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Verones, or the major modern art festival Novart Bordeaux each November. On the first Sunday of every month, Le bus de l’art contemporain (The modern art bus) tours all over the city to promote contemporary art. At each stop, passengers can listen to commentary by an art expert, and artists and gallery owners display their works.
Bordeaux has a lot to offer, but it’s for the wine the city is most recognized. In June, thousands of people come here to attend the Fete le Vin (Wine Festival) and Fete le Fleuve (River Festival). Lovers of film should postpone their visit to the autumn when the “Festival International du Film au Feminin” honours women in cinema and acts as a major event for national and international directors and screenwriters to present their creations.
Although the high-tech tram and the cruises departing from Quai Louis XVIII offer enjoyable sightseeing, the best way to explore Bordeaux is on foot. Stroll along the redeveloped waterfront by the river Garonne and stop for lunch at one of the excellent restaurants lining the river walk. Shoppers will like the pedestrian Rue Sainte-Catherine, Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping street starting at Place de la Victoire.
The city’s neighbourhoods all have their own personality. Visit the vibrant Saturday market in Saint-Michel, saunter along the narrow streets in Saint-Pierre (old Bordeaux), admire the chic boutiques and townhouses in Grands Hommes (the triangle), or enjoy the dynamic ambiance at the Colbert Sunday market by the quays in the Chartrons district. The afternoon is best spent in the gorgeous Jardin Botanique, Parc Bordelais in the residential district Bordeaux-Caudran, Bois de Bordeaux next to the Bordeaux Lac, or the neighbouring Floral Park.
At night, several of the Bordeaux’s remarkable historic monuments are floodlit to show off their beauty. Many of them are highlights along the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela and listed as World Heritage Sites.
What to Eat
Don’t miss the delicious green asparagus from the Landes or Mauve asparagus from the Blaye region. Ceps (wild boletus mushrooms) cooked with garlic and parsley, or the garlic soup “Tourin” with egg yolk are also worth a try. For dessert, don’t miss the “canel”, a cake that is soft on the inside, but crisp on the outside.
Where to Live
With its 154 hotels in all categories, nine bed and breakfasts with 20 rooms and one youth hostel with 108 beds, Bordeaux cater for all needs and budgets.
How to Get There
Flights depart to Bordeaux from French cities and international destinations several times a day. Shuttle buses from the airport to the city centre (Place de la Comedie) and the SNCF Saint-Jean train station leaves every 45 minutes, seven days a week.
Bordeaux is located less than 3 hours from Paris by TGV high speed train, 45 minutes from the ocean and 2 hours from Spain.
Earlier today I started thinking about the different places I have lived in during my work and travels abroad. My one bedroom apartment in Zurich, 100 m from the lake, was definitely one of the better but the cozy flat I shared with a Swedish friend in Notting Hill wasn’t bad either. And I can still remember the small comfy bunk bed in the cabin at the Fowler Center in Mayville, Michigan, where I worked as a Special Needs Counselor.
But so far nothing beats the room I lived in throughout my four months in Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, a village near Grenoble by the French Alps. The first morning when I looked out my window and saw the impressive mountain chain Belledonne and the snow-covered Alp tops straight in front of me I knew I couldn’t do anything else than love it. Thanks to the extremely comfortable bed I felt great every morning - apart from that one time I forgot to close my window and woke up with mosquito bites all over my face, but that’s another story.
In Montbonnot, the most beautiful time of the day is during the morning when the fog lies as a veil over the valley. If you ever pass by this village, take a walk towards the nearby Biviers - the view over the mountains on the other side of I´lsere is nothing you forget in the first place. For the best view over Montbonnot you should head up to the park by Chateaux de Miribel, a quiet park with a children playground and great picnic spots, west of the main square.
Another beautiful place is the Chemin de la Souchiere leading through the forest down to Impasse de la Souchiere and Chemin de la Laurelle. To reach the center of Montbonnot, return the same way uphill, take a left towards Route de la Doux, or turn right towards Chemin de Saint-Martin. Montbonnot only has one main street, Rue du Général de Gaulle, followed by Avenue des Sept Laux towards the village Meylan. So no risk to get lost.
Apart from the unavoidable stunning surroundings, Montbonnot’s main square is also worth a look. Even though a church, two bakeries, a fruit seller, a coiffeur, a pharmacy and a post office might sound sparse it is a charming spot where the inhabitants meet, talk and make their daily errands and purchases. I remember the day I stepped out the post office after saying my first complete French sentence - “Je voudrait six timbre pour la Suede, s’il vous plait” (I would like six stamps to Sweden, please) But what I remember most is my spacious bedroom with a mountain view that brought a smile to my face every morning.
Ski resorts as Engelberg, Chamonix and Val Thorens are almost unbeatable, but if you will only be away for a day you might as well choose Airolo - a small and charming ski resort in the Italian part of Switzerland. I traveled with Cisalpino from Zurich, changed to an InterRegio train in Art-Goldeau and reached Airolo after 1,53 hours to be exact.
I saw a few other ski-dressed people walking towards a small white van on the nearby parking lot. We were five people in total, and a woman drove us to the ski lifts for free. An Italian guy who sat in front of me kept repeating different versions of “è caldo” (it’s warm) and “sono caldo” (I’m warm). The woman driving the van told us they hadn’t had this little snow for two or three years. Of course skiing was possible, but you had to look out for patches of grass or visible stones at some parts in the slopes. But even though the skiing conditions weren’t ultimate I enjoyed Airolo, mostly because of the amazing views and I can recommed all ski addicts to come here at least once. Such a shame I didn’t bring my camera.