Street Art, Graffiti, Vandalism — Buenos Aires, Argentina

  Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina
Thursday, July 19, 2012

Morning- up and at it at about 10:30 - barely made breakfast. 

Hoofed it down to see the giant flower - obviously not in time for it to automatically open with sunrise. Oops. OK - cool.. seen it. No time for much - hopped a cab and headed to the meeting spot for the "Graffiti Mundo" tour.

Here's the link:
http://graffitimundo.com/

Price was affordable - it involved a combo of some light walking and shuttling on a van. I found it to be pretty neat, if you're into Graffiti... if not, you might find it a bit drawn out. I love art so it was great for me. Mike thought it was a little long... but it's a great activity for an afternoon if you have a week in BA like we did. 

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Final day of Cusco — Cuzco, Peru

  Cuzco, Cusco, Peru
Friday, July 15, 2011

For our final day in Cusco, we decided to just wander the streets and BE there. 
Sadly, we had to check out of Andenes al Cielo, the most fantastic hotel experience... I would absolutely recommend that place to anyone. 60 bucks a night... I felt like I Was staying at the Ritz!
The next hotel, Rumi Punku, was just up the street. We had looked around for a place for the final night but had no luck, so we splurged on a 100/night hotel almost across the street (5 minutes farther from the action). I immediately knew it was a waste of money. They put us in a room that was basically in the lobby and pushed twin beds together to make a king. There was a mini bar with expensive bottles of water and snacks. Oh well- one night there and we certainly wouldn't be spending much time in the room. By 9am we were out and about, wandering around. We had a couple more museums to cross off the list... so we bopped into those (can't recall the names) before shopping some more for goofy trinkets and alpaca sweaters. Spontaneous parading seemed to be occurring among the school kids because of the Virgen del Carmen festival (happening tomorrow) 

After wandering for the morning, it was time..... 

 
Mike had never tried Cuy (guinea pig) which I happily choked down while on a horseback ride in Ecuador a few months prior. It was his turn.  Our Pisac driver, Isaac, told us about a place that was just across the street from our new hotel Rumi Punku. Quinta Eulalia is a local spot visited by families out to lunch, business people, and not many tourists. No English was spoken there, but I definitely knew I was getting Pollo and Mike was having Cuy!

He went for it - a whole guinea pig... not quartered .... head, eyes, teeth, whiskers. mmmmmmmmmmmmm rodent. 

I think the most disappointing thing for mike was that there wasn't enough meat. I really didn't love Cuy, so I'm happy I didnt eat it again. I enjoyed taking photos of the frisbee shaped Cuy, but that was it. 

The restaurant patio was really packed...great atmosphere. Two guys strummed on their guitars, we laughed and cringed at the guinea pig (poor guy) and enjoyed a Cusquena in the sunshine. What a great last lunch! 

It's easy to lose days in Cusco - every building is interesting, every alley feels like a museum. I was happy to spend the final day here.

Of course we made our way to a bar overlooking the Plaza de Armas - how could we not? The people watching is spectacular...kids trying to sell postcards to tourists, guys playing guitars, little crowds of uniformed students. So we sipped a Pisco Sour and let some time pass..

San Blas definitely stole our hearts - so we wanted to spend our last night there, relaxing and enjoying the neighborhood, artists, hippies and locals.

Just above the Plaza de San Blas is a narrow street with bars and street artists- we stopped into one and had an outdoor drink ... 2 for 1 mojitos? yes please.

The temp in Cusco drops about 20 degrees once the sun sinks, so we finished our second drink inside the bar, where we talked for a long time with a couple from the Amazon - really nice people, explaining their lives here in Cusco and life in the Amazon. I wish I remembered what town they said they were from. Their spanish was beautiful... and by beautiful I mean slow.j

Quick trip back to the stupid hotel, shower, back out! It was COLD when we got out... we had had a little too much to drink and didn't care much about dinner, but we knew we had to eat....so we hoofed it up Hatunrumiyoc, the steep street that leads up to the plaza san blas, where we'd just come from an hour before.

One place on the left had spaghetti - perfect. So we had nachos and spaghetti on our last night. I took a picture of the condor origami which I got a huge kick out of.

After dinner we visited one bar in the plaza to listen to live music. I bought a winter hat from a street vendor because I was cold- Mike was amazed at my impulse buy. I had already purchased quite a few of these hats but they were back at the hotel - it was 2 bucks... I explained that we'd easily spend twice that on a beer in the US... it didn't seem so amazing after that. My head was warm.

We emerged from the bar to a celebration in the Plaza- probably for Virgen del Carmen... sparklers and fire crackers sprayed all over cars parked in the plaza...dancing, drumming, trumpets, celebration! What an atmosphere.

We soaked that in before heading to bed - our last night in Cusco was perfect.

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Wandering shoes — Quito, Ecuador

  Quito, Ecuador
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Quito - walk around ... enjoy the city. I was surprised at the lack of tourist places to sit outside and watch people in the old city. There are plenty in the new parts but they feel a lot like Cancun. There was one in one plaza that was cheap for snacks and drinks - we ended up there twice. 

Watch your things and take note of the police presence- go where is recommended and not beyond. I felt pretty safe wandering around during the day... the old part of town is great during the day but quiet and apparently quite dangerous at night.

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Day 3 - Sea Lions have the cutest little ears — Espanola, Ecuador

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Recoleta, etc — Buenos Aires, Argentina

  Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

We wandered around Buenos Aires today.... Checked out the Evita museum which was the only one in BA we spent any time in - it was great... filled with interesting stuff - clothes, toys and books created for Evita's youth programs- some of her outfits, video clips of her ...all the way to her death - she was so loved. 

 After Evita, we meandered through the botanical gardens - free... not really all that impressive but probably because it's winter?   grabbed a bite at an adorable cafe in Palermo... I was attracted to the bright white walls with red and turquoise accents. The food was awesome...Pupila Madre on Guatemala, if you find yourself in that area. 
By the time we made our way back to our hotel it was time to get ready for dinner and our tango show at El Viejo Almacen

.

The tango show has a pre-show dinner option which is apparently terrible, so thankfully Mike only reserved the show and we picked out another spot close by for dinner.  The show included transportation from the hotel which was really great considering the show in San Telmo was about a 30 minute drive from our Palermo B&B.  

Amici Miei was our dinner spot of choice- one of the top BA spots on Tripadvisor. It wasn't crowded because we ate at 8pm, WAY too early by Buenos Aires standards. We got a glass of wine (saved ourselves for open bar at the tango show) and 2 of the most gigantic, heavy, and FANTASTIC pasta dishes ever. We could have had just one for 2 of us and not even finished it, but we wanted to try two. Ugh, we were so stuffed. 

Here is a link to the restaurant. 100% recommend.
http://www.amicimiei.com.ar/

The tango show didn't disappoint. It was just long enough... any longer and it would have been too long- open bar...tons of wine ... not great wine (probably felt a little spoiled with all the fabulous Malbec and whatnot) but whatever... beggars can't be choosers.

After the show we had our van driver bring us to Caracas, a bar in Palermo, to meet up with our new friend Parnilla and my old friend from college who I ran into on Sunday, Marc. We arrived at the bar to find Parnilla and Marc had already met and were having a drink together! Love.

3am - bed time. 

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From Frigate Birds to Otavalo! — Otavalo, Ecuador

  Otavalo, Ecuador
Sunday, May 15, 2011

Official Itinerary Description:"Arrive at North Seymour in the morning to see frigate birds, blue-footed boobies and sea lions. Seymour Island is probably the most exciting island photographically. Bird life abounds, and close to the trail you will find many nesting pairs and young chicks. Seymour is also home to the Galapagos's largest colony of magnificent frigate birds. Their mating ritual is an ostentatious display: males expand the red sack at the base of their throat and perch atop a bush with wings fully extended, flapping furiously. Interested females circle overhead, and if so inclined, may join the male on terra firma. Further along the trail we can observe
a colony of sea lions."

The final day was actually pretty packed, considering it was just one excursion before a midday flight back to mainland Ecuador. We got up extra early (I think around 5:30) and saw the sun rise, which was beautiful. The crossing to the island (N. Seymour) was rougher than other days... but still not bad. No one had a problem making the zodiac to land hop.

The frigate birds puffed their red neck thingys (that's a highly technical scientific term) which was absolutely spectacular. They were so close and so still, you could really get a nice close up shot of the brilliant red. To be honest, I'm not sure how ANY male frigates are single!   Those red things are HOT. 

 

We saw tons of blue footed boobies...also very close- some even blocking our path! Afterwards, we headed around the corner to the Santa Cruz airport and before I knew it, my 8 days in the Galapagos was over. 

The flight wasn't so bad... we arrived in mid-afternoon and had pre-arranged transport to Otavalo. We were there by sunset. 

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Public Bussing — Otavalo, Ecuador

  Otavalo, Ecuador
Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Why not, right?

We hopped a bus from Otavalo to Cotacachi to see the beautiful leather goods. Why didn't I buy myself a purse? 

It's a beautiful and clean village- many expats live here, I know why. 

Wander the streets, visit the shops, snap photos, smell the leather. We had lunch at a lovely little spot... grilled chicken and rice- tasty and simple.. also very cheap. 

Dinner in Otavalo at a small place on the square- Otavalo was pretty dead. We shared the restaurant with no one except the cook's little girl who sat with me and colored until her mother yelled at her to leave me alone- I was happy with her sitting there but mom knows best.

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Dancing with Sea Lions - Snorkeling highlight! — Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

  Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Official Itinerary Description:"Plazas / Santa F?

In the morning we visit Plaza Sur —home of a colony of sea lion bachelors .in the afternoon Set sail and reach Santa F? Island. Learn about the prehistoric-looking land iguanas from our naturalist guide, as well as how mangrove trees survive in this harsh environment. In the afternoon visit Plaza Sur —home of a colony of sea lion bachelors. Santa F? Island (also called Barrington) is well-known as a great place for watching (and swimming with) sea lions. There is only one place to land launches, but two different trails offer varied experiences. The shorter of the two hikes leads from the beach into a sparse forest of prickly pear cactus. The second, longer trail goes up a cliff side into an area inhabited by Land Iguanas. The interior terrain of the island is interesting, with a good panoramic view from the cliff top

. Back on the beach, it is easy to sit for hours just watching the antics of the sociable sea lions."

Snorkeling was the definite highlight on this day... We were able to stay in a calm, protected cove for a very long time. The guys on the boat even left a couple of us out there while they shuttled others back - We were having so much fun playing in the shallow water with a bunch of young sea lions. Once you get comfortable with their behavior, it isn't scary at all.  They can swim calmly around in circles and then dart off, sneaking up on you upon their return - if you swim on your back, they will too! 

I followed a large sea turtle for quite some time on this trip, and then returned to the sea lions playing next to the rocky shore.

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Don't miss the first bus. — Ollantaytambo, Peru

  Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
Sunday, July 10, 2011

Getting up at 3am after only a few hours of not so great sleep at La Pequena Casita (not a great place, but not bad either) was half exciting half awful.... I stayed in bed for a few minutes while mike went down to wait in line for the first bus to Machu Picchu.

The first bus doesn't actually leave until 6, but if you're not on it, you'll miss the chance to get your ticket stamped for Wayna Picchu, that rock structure jutting out of the earth behind Machu Picchu in all the pictures...

When I finally convinced my body to get out of bed, I dragged myself downstairs and out the door to complete middle of the night darkness and a line as long as a city block, quickly forming for the 6am bus. I was only about 15 minutes behind Mike, but there were at least 60 people already in line behind him by the time I actually located him in the darkness. The best part about La Pequena Casita was its location: Directly in front of the line for the bus to Machu Picchu. I took a seat in line and let Mike go find one of the women selling coca tea which we drank to warm us up and WAKE us up. So yummy.

At about 5am, Jose showed up and found us - He saved our space while we went to eat breakfast, which was actually better than I expected. At 6am, the line started moving and busses started filling up - We were probably on the 4th or 5th bus, so we thought for SURE we'd be one of the 400 Wayna Picchu climbers for the day. What they don't tell you is that those are not the only buses that go to MP and the line we waited in is not the only way you can have a chance to get your ticket stamped for Wayna Picchu. When we arrived at MP, it became very clear that we would not be one of the first 400 people in line. People walked from Aguas Calientes, private buses crowded the parking area, people got in line from the hotel located right at the entrance (cheaters)....

We didn't have a shot. Bummer. Jose disappeared for a while and re-emerged from the crowd. He pulled us out of line and we felt up to the front where his buddy was working - VICTORY (yes, we cheated)... 2 stamps for Wayna Picchu. Only one or two people noticed us cutting. I didn't feel bad about it. Survival of the fittest.

 

Jose showed us around MP for a couple of hours. We watched the sun rise over the ruins - Don't miss this. Even if you don't have any interest in a 1 hour vertical climb (why anyone would NOT want to put themselves through that torture is beyond me) - you MUST get to MP for sunrise. The crowds are relatively thin, people are quiet, the air is crisp.  

 

 At 10am, we said goodbye to Jose and passed our Wayna Picchu stamped papers over to the gatekeepers at the entrance. We signed our name in a book and headed up.

 
The climb was far more difficult - Straight up, sheer cliffs (no railings in most places), steps that were spaced far enough that they didn't feel like they were helping, lots of people to navigate. The people aspect was pretty cool - Everyone encouraged everyone else. We passed people on their way down who cheered us on. We learned quickly that all the climbers headed down who told us we were almost there were liars!!! We did the same thing on our way down... it's what kept us motivated to make it to the top. Reaching the top was a victory in itself. We climbed on stairs that were carved thousands of years ago up to the top of a mountain that had a few giant boulders, great views and nothing else at the top. A few stone houses were built hanging off the face of the cliff- How they built those houses is a complete mystery - Jutting straight out from the side of the mountain, the only way I could see them getting there is by magically being placed there by a giant crane. The fact that they were built rock by rock high above Machu Picchu is baffling.

How did the residents of Wayna Picchu get their groceries up to their houses?

We chilled at the top for a half hour, took some great photos, chatted to the other VIPs of the day and then headed back down.

By the time we reached MP, we had had enough of the ruins. I'm sure many people stay for the day to walk around and relax and photograph, but we were really finished with the whole thing by noon. Starving, sweaty and exhausted, we caught a bus (I think they run every 10 minutes) back to Aguas Calientes.

FYI, if you want to head out of Aguas Calientes before night, make sure to explicitly state that when booking a tour. Our tour ended at 10am (another annoyance, considering we paid for a 2 day tour..we got about 26 hours) and we didn't have a train back until 6pm. We wandered around Aguas Calientes, ate nachos (it was a good idea at the time) and bought some silly things - magnets, alpaca stuffed animals, cheesy things.

We were pretty sick of Aguas Calientes by 6pm - The train ride back was ridiculous: The poor PeruRail employees had to serve us tea and coffee and snacks AND put on a fashion show, making quick changes in the teenie bathrooms. This was the weirdest part of the trip - They were selling fine alpaca scarves and shawls and sweaters, modeled by the train staff. There was a pre-recorded history lesson on an upcoming festival and some dancing... It was all a blur, really.

I was so happy to return to Hostal Iskay for one more night. I don't think I could have made it all the way to Cusco. Having one more night and day in slow-paced, quiet Ollantaytambo was just what we needed.

We finished our long and incredible day at Heart's Cafe. The food was delicious- We inhaled our dinner and went straight to bed.

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This market beats Otavalo, any day! — Saquisilí, Ecuador

  Saquisilí, Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Thursday, May 19, 2011

We arranged for a driver to take us to the Saquisili market from Quito early in the morning - The drive was pretty quick (thanks to the deathly speeds of the driver) ..it probably took about an hour and 15 minutes. Since we left around 6, traffic wasn't that bad...

I would recommend doing this early so that you can get down there to see the action - Remember, market-goers are early risers!

The market was divided into two sections... animals and then foods/crafts/housewears/clothes. Although the handicrafts for tourists section was smaller (MUCH) than Otavalo, there were a fair amount options that weren't the standard cheesy options - Yes, I know everyone needs an alpaca statue made from REAL alpaca. Why the heck would I go all the way to South America to not come home with one of those fluffy goodies? 

Aside from the tourist "musts", this market had some beautiful wooden spoons and bowls, ceramic bowls, hand woven reed baskets that were being sold to both tourists and locals. I bought a bunch of little pitchers that I absolutely love- They aren't really good for anything but decoration but they are adorable. I also have a giant wooden spoon that was clearly not for tourists but handmade .. I'm probably not going to use it for serving soup, but I do love having it on display. 

The animal market was also pretty interesting- dusty and dirty outside area. I wouldn't bring the PETA board of directors here....or any kids that think sheep are just pets. 

 

An interesting market experience (to me) was the herbal medicine salesmen. One guy was standing around selling some product that was supposedly a cure for cataracts - another some remedy for sore muscles. The whole dynamic reminded me of those guys in old movies who would roll into some town on a wagon and give speeches about some magic potion, sell a bunch, and then quickly leave. I'm sure someone catches my drift with that one...?

We wandered around checking out the food stands but didn't buy any snacks. There was a bread lady that was selling some amazing looking treats and I still regret not getting one...

Saquisili's market is clearly an event that is more important to the surrounding locals than the tourists- It is a day of congregation for this area and I was so happy the tourist market aspect hadn't totally consumed the authenticity (like Otavalo).. 

 Amid the chaos, there was a beautiful, simple way of life being displayed in Saquisili...people chatting, bargaining, listening to music, laughing... I wish I'd had more time to sit and people watch or talk to more locals.

I would highly recommend a trip on a market day - It's not far and the road is flat and straight. We paid $40.00 for the driver to take us, wait for 2.5 hours, and drive us back to the hotel.  

I wouldn't recommend our driver because he was kind of insane, but getting there is as simple as having your hotel call you a taxi!

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"Grey Day" — Vienna, Austria

  Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Tuesday, June 11, 2013

There is no blue song title to fit today. We wake to rain and we spend the whole day in either drizzle or torrential rain.

Hotel 1060 serves an excellent and extensive breakfast for a relatively small hotel. It fuels us well for a tram ride out to Schönbrunn Palace where we connect with the Fun Bus as they arrive in Vienna. Our Perth buddies greet us as if we've been gone for years!

First stop is the Hundertwasserhaus apartment house, built by Austrian architect and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The photos show the crazy style. We snap shots while huddled under the souvenir shop awnings opposite, as the apartments are privately owned.

The remainder of the morning is a guided bus tour with another excellent local guide, but it is extremely frustrating..

. We catch limited glimpses of many sights and are unable to take photos through a bus window covered in raindrops. The overall impression though is a city of great opulence with much to explore at a later time.

The bus tour ends at St. Stephens Cathedral that we have already seen ourselves. From here, we walk through the pedestrian malls of the old town - just as lovely as yesterday. The highlight of the day comes when l pass a Wolford shop and find my favourite leggings for €29 - they cost AU$79 back home!

I should have bought more!

The rest of the day is spent meandering. We find the Butterfly House in a huge old conservatory and the Hotel Sacher - but we do not venture into the latter for more cake! I doubt their's have 'whippet cream' though...

Tonight, we meet the Fun Bus at their hotel - and they are excited to be staying at a good one finally - and all travel to the Vienna Concert Hall for dinner and a "Sounds Of Vienna" recital. The room is opulent but many of the 400 or so seem ill-informed about concert etiquette. Despite signs to the contrary, numerous cameras rise, flash and drop throughout the performance. It is very distracting, as are the chattering children.

The twelve performers, however, are exellent and play a selection of Mozart and Strauss favourites. There are intermittent operatic and dancing acts to accompany them and champagne at interval.

A subway ride home completes the day, although the planning of timetables for the train tomorrow leaves me in a grey mood for sure... A 6.15am start!

"Grey Day" by Madness

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"Blue River" — Amsterdam, Netherlands

  Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Thursday, May 30, 2013

Today is committed to the last must-dos before departure... Dam Square and the red light district. Hilary, Gayle and I walk through our neighbourhood to the city's main square which houses both the Royal Palace (no longer an official residence) the war memorial and the church.

The ladies in their windows jiggle and dance - even for us! The vista continuously confronts us. Despite their industry being as regulated and taxed as any other, the sight of one man walking away from a €35 'quote' leaves me feeling that their position is still a demoralising one.

Collected by the others in a maxicab for the short trip to the dock, we excitedly board the Amadeus Princess at 4pm. Hilary joins us onboard for a look-see before a semi-teary farewell and a return to the station and London

. It has been a good mini-holiday together for both of us.

The remaining six of us loiter in the Panorama Lounge for the welcome and safety talk before glamming up for the Captain's Welcome Drinks and Gala Dinner.

We are somewhat saddened to learn that this trip has been filled with two tour groups of Americans and some Canadians. The remainder are New Zealanders and about ten Aussies.

Not one European guest!

Consequently, the dress standard drops immediately, especially since the average age is somewhere around 70. It is not quite as we had hoped on an Austrian boat...

The staff, on the other hand, seem to be predominantly Romanian. Bogdan, our food waiter, has been doing this job for three years. He works 14 hours a day, seven days a week - and not necessarily finishing for some time off at Budapest if he's needed elsewhere. Most of the staff are on an eight month contract before four months off.

The first dinner gives us an idea of what is to come... five courses plus tea or coffee. Other dinners, we are told will only have one entree! They may well need that gangplank to ROLL us off the boat at the end of this.

Our first night sees us remaining docked in Amsterdam and sound asleep well before midnight.

"Blue River" by Elvis Presley

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Insolite : une station de ski est en vente sur Leboncoin

 

Depuis ce week-end, une station de ski est en vente sur Leboncoin.

Comme les divers articles sur l'internet, Marc Trancart prendra bientôt sa retraite. Le propriétaire du site situé dans la Loge des Gardes (Allier) vend son domaine pour 550 000 euros tout compris : itinérant, en accord avec l'autorité de développement forestier, ascenseurs dont trois remontées mécaniques, une location avec boutique de matériel de plus de 500, une crêperie, un toiletteur et autres véhicules de la montagne.

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Such recklessness!... — Melbourne, Australia

  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Saturday, January 19, 2013

Taureans are home bodies and I typify the breed, happy to spend days in my little patch of Bush. When travels do arise, it is with much excitement, but careful consideration and planning. I do not like the unease of uncertainty, especially where lodgings are concerned.

So when Gisela rings to ask if I want to fill a cancellation and join a group of our friends on a cruise down the Rhine in May, I am very interested. When she says the travel agent needs a firm booking by the end of the week, I am quietly agitated.

But today was the funeral for one of the ladies in my glass class who died unexpectedly.
My friend Laura then tells me as we shop that she is administering the estate for a 63 year old lady who had had Alzheimer's for TEN years

. It all confirms again that life is short. Armed with my health and a Visa card, I send the deposit off to the cruise company and book flights to Frankfurt.

So spontaneous and seemingly undisciplined...

And having now tasted the pleasures of premium economy, I know I don't want to be a sardine any more. Certainly around eight hours to Asia is acceptable, but not 26 hours to Europe. I am happy then to find that Cathay Pacific's premium fares for my dates are still as reasonably priced as last year's "specials" - and half the cost of Qantas's. No-one else can deliver the combination of premium, price and direct flights so I happily pay for a comfy seat that I have already road tested!

What's more, checking seat allocations shows that at this early stage, there are single window seats available in the coveted front row on all four legs... WINNER!

From here on is also very familiar. I easily find the train connections from Frankfurt airport to Amsterdam for a mere €49 (direct MEL-AMS flights with premium don't exist) then head to booking.com to find my first bed in Amsterdam

.

It's all starting to seem as routine as online banking or grocery shopping with Safeway!

In celebration of our adventure, we organise a 'Bon Voyage' party with the inevitable excesses of delicious German cakes! One week on, Rohan and l are still working through the corn chips and hummus and as usual, there are so many little jobs to complete.

Especially pressing this time is the need for presentable clothes for a fortnight's worth of respectable touring and dining... I am unlikely to get away with just 13kg, a feat l was mighty proud of last time. This boat apparently expects standards above jeans and t-shirts at dinner. What's more, old t-shirts for nightwear when sharing sleeping quarters will just not do!

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Ungewöhnlich: das Restaurant für die Leute, die wollen nur essen

 

Eine kurzlebige Restaurant für Menschen, die nur essen wollen, entwickelt seine Pforten öffnen Freitag zuletzt in Amsterdam (Niederlande).

Laut dem Schöpfer des Begriffs, Marina Van Goor, ist"Eenmaal ein spannendes Erlebnis für diejenigen, die nie ausgehen, um allein zu essen." Das Essen (Vorspeise, Hauptgericht und nachspeise mit Getränk) kostet 25 Euro. Das Experiment dauerte nur zwei Tage und das Restaurant seine Türen geschlossen Samstag.

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"Blue Danube Waltz" — Regensburg, Germany

  Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany
Sunday, June 9, 2013

We farewell a second crew this morning and head off towards Kelheim. It's another trip along the same freeway as that to Nürnberg and on. At least the air conditioning works today...

At Kelheim, we board a smallish river boat for a 45 minute cruise up through the Donau Pass and meet the Danube for the first time. It is the narrowest part of that river, impassible to cruise ships that use the Donau-Main canal instead.
And it's easy to see why the canal was built... Steep rocky walls and semi-submerged boulders would challenge most! The flood waters whiz along at around 10km/hour.

We pass The Befreiungshalle ("Hall of Liberation"), a historical classical monument on Mount Michelsberg and overlooking us, completed in 1863

. We travel to Kloster Weltenburg, an abbey incorporating an elaborate chapel, a brewery and a restaurant. The provided lunch of goulash and dumplings along with their Weletenburg brand beer is prounced excellent.

And then it's on to Regensburg, allegedly a very nice town - and today's guide is lovely and knowledgable - but the body is sagging. Along with about a third of the bus, I head for tonight's stop and an afternoon rest.

The Mercure Regensburg sits in the back streets of a light industrial part of town and is about as exciting inside as it's neighbours. It's nice to feel carpet underfoot, but the room is otherwise unremarkable. Dinner is a hot buffet with one roast meat, potatoes swimming in butter, pasta and cauliflower. There's one white soup and a creme brulee. All very white really.

Drinks are no longer included with dinner and the coffee machine is a game of chance.

The program for tomorrow is announced... a drive to Melk to see the abbey and then on to the next marooned boat somewhere a reasonable distance west of Vienna

. Eight hours bus travel, not counting road works, accidents and failing air con.
With a couple of bad backs and a general feeling of dissatisfaction in our group, we decide to jump ship - to some extent... It's high speed train travel and no more one night stands for us.

By the end of the night, I have found the direct ICE train from Regensburg to Vienna - €78 - and two nights in a suitable hotel near the station.

The prospect has me dancing on air!

"Blue Danube Waltz" by Johann Strauss

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Dossier « J'ai un problème en vacances »: je perds mes papiers, que dois-je faire ? (partie 1)

 

Vous avez un problème en vacances et vous ne savez pas comment le résoudre. Pas de panique ! Tout au long de l'été nous répondrons à toutes vos questions dans notre dossier « J'ai un problème lors d'un voyage ». Cette première partie est consacrée à la perte de documents.

En cas de perte du passeport, rapport de la perte ou le vol de vos papiers aux autorités policières locales. Ensuite, vous allez au consulat français dans le pays. Vous devez conserver les documents du vol que vous avez signé avec la police. Le consulat peut vous établir alors un passeport d'urgence ou un laissez-passer pour que vous revenez en France. N'oubliez pas cetemps est nécessaire avant que ces papiers et essayer de donner des éléments de preuve pour justifier de votre nationalité. En cas d'urgence, vous devez demander un passeport provisoire au consulat. Il peut également vous aider dans vos rapports avec la police et vous donner des adresses utiles (interprètes...).
Certains pays n'ont aucun consulat. Vous devrez contacter l'ambassade qui a une section consulaire. À votre retour en France, vous aurez besoin d'engager des mesures nouvelles pour refaire vous un.

Avant de partir, il est toujours plus sûr de la photocopie de vos billets d'avion. Si vous perdez vos billets, aller faire une déclaration à la police locale. Ensuite, vous pourrez visiter les bureaux de la compagnie aérienne correspondante. Cette dernière vous fournira avec des instructions pour la ré-émission de billets. Faire attention, cela peut coûter jusqu'à 100 € selon les compagnies.

En cas de perte d'un billet de train, la SNCF vous avertit: « les billets n'étant ne pas de préférence, ils ne sont ni remboursés ni échangés. '' "Tous les billets perdus ou volés ne peuvent être remboursés ou échangés. Internet, que ce problème n'existe pas.

Avant votre départ, n'oubliez pas de contacter votre banque pour vous renseigner sur le nombre d'opposition internationale. Il s'agit de la 0.892.705.705. Vous devez également aller à la police si votre carte de crédit a été volée.
Vous donnerez à votre interlocuteur votre compte bancaire numéro (qui se trouve sur votre client internet et factures). EC-dernière vous donnera un numéro de référence. Votre banque vous enverra alors un formulaire à remplir dans lequel vous indiquez ce numéro de référence célèbre.
Selon le type de carte, vous serez en mesure de bénéficier d'un dépannage espèces plus près à l'endroit où vous séjournez.

La chose la plus importante est donc à photocopier ou numériser des documents. Ainsi, vous perdrez moins de temps si n'importe quel problème vous arrive.

[Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3]

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Die Lotterie mit den Zahlen von Touristen zu spielen

 

Jede Woche können Sie durch die Touristen zahlen Lotto spielen .

3 : fr Mio. Euro Budget von 3 Millionen Euro für die zweite Auflage der Reise nach Nantes, die Zahlen hat, sondern dieser Stadt eine echte touristische Destination machen. EUR 8 Millionen im Jahr 2012 betrug der Haushalt 48,5 Millionen Euro an direkten nutzen. 7 : Dies ist als Prozentsatz von der Zunahme der Zahl der französischen Besucher, die nach Kroatien zwischen Januar und Mai 2013 im Vergleich zum gleichen Zeitraum En 2012 reiste. So besuchten 81,300 Französisch Kroatien in diesem Zeitraum.29 : die Tour de France 2013 beginnt diesen Samstag, Juni 29 von Korsika. Das Finish ist in Paris am Sonntag, Juni 21 geplant.33 : Es ist in Prozent, die Zahl der Europäischen Hotels, die nicht das bieten, kostenloses Wi-Fi, Umfrage HRS. In Frankreich sind 57,7 % der Unterkünfte mit kostenfreiem WLAN ausgestattet.46 : fr Euro der Preis des Clubs "Sandwich" von "Hotel Hullett House in Hongkong.1 : 1 Französisch 2 (52 %) lassen nicht auf Urlaub in diesem Sommer nach der sechsten Welle der PMU/TNS Sofres-Erholung Observatorium.

[Foto 1]

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Flop 5: retour sur l'actualité touristique de la semaine

 

Depuis hier, il est officiellement été. Retour sur l'actualité touristique de la semaine par un top 5 et un flop de 5

TripAdvisor a dévoilé cette semaine les destinations estivales les plus chers. Paris, 5e du classement est la plus cher ville française. En Europe, c'est Oslo, remportant le trophée.

Une personne est morte, une autre est dans un état grave. Ils ont tous deux essayaient le jeu « balconing ». Ce concept stupid est de sauter depuis le balcon de l'hôtel et la plongée dans la piscine. Ces dernières années, plus de gens meurent après cette pratique.

Une troisième personne est décédée Jeudi dans les Landes après les inondations survenues dans le sud-ouest de la France. Cette semaine, plusieurs lignes SNCF sont restés coupés. Les sanctuaires de Lourdes n'a pu pour rouvrir cet été.

Parfois, ils disent que c'est être mieux être dans une relation de type single. Une ville du Swaziland, petit pays coincé entre l'Afrique du Sud et le Mozambique, va mettre des amendes aux amateurs qui sont embrasserait trop fougueusement en public. Cela considéré comme comportement « indécent » coûtera 9 euros. Pour mémoire, c'est aussi dans ce pays que déroule chaque année la « danse de Reed », impliquant des dizaines de milliers de filles très dépouillées. Pendant ce festival, le souverain, polygame, peut choisir une nouvelle épouse.

C'est la vidéo c'est le buzz cette semaine. Porter a été filmé sur l'aéroport de Guangzhou en Chine. 4 Minutes vus jetant des paquets sur le tapis roulant. Attention, ne surtout pas montrent cette vidéo dans vos bagages. Ils risquent d'être traumatisés.

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A la découverte du Bleu d'Auvergne

 

Officiellement créé par Antoine Roussel, que bleu d'Auvergne s'est, depuis 1996, l'appellation d'origine protégée. Aujourd'hui, il est produit principalement dans le sud du Puy de Dôme et dans le nord du Cantal.

Officiellement, considérant Antoine Roussel comme le créateur de la Bleu D'Auvergne. En 1845, ce fils d'agriculteur auvergnat eut l'idée d'ensemencer le lait caillé de lait avec une moisissure bleue, de plus en plus sur son pain de seigle et puis explorez les pains de caille avec une aiguille. Fromage Bleu D'Auvergne est né.

En 1975, il a obtenu l'Appellation d'origine Contrôlée et depuis 1996, il a l'appellation d'origine protégée.

 

Aujourd'hui, sa production de prend place principalement dans le sud du Puy de Dôme et dans le nord du Cantal.6 197 tonnes de Bleu D'Auvergne ont été produites en bleu agréé que d'Auvergne Festival a lieu chaque année. L'édition 2013 se déroulera les 17 et 18 août à Riom-es-Montagnes. Programme : dégustations, expositions, animations...Il existe une confrérie de la Gourmandins et Gourmandines des fromages d'Auvergne, dont le but est de transmettre des fromages artisanaux des revenus de l'Auvergne.Ingrédients (pour 4 personnes):

-une pâte brisée
-3 oeufs
-25 cl de crème épaisse
-150 g de lard fumé
-bleu D'Auvergne 225 g
-100 g de dés de jambon (facultatif)
-une poignée de Gruyère râpé pour gratiner
-poivre

Tout d'abord Préchauffer le four à 180 ° C (gaz thermostat 6). Dans un bol, émietter le bleu D'Auvergne. En même temps faire le bacon de dos dans une poêle sans ajout de matière grasse. Dans un bol, casser les oeufs et ajouter la crème. Bien mélanger et poivrer.

Étalez la pâte brisée dans un moule à tarte et la piquer avec une fourchette. Top drop bleu de manière cohérente et verser la crème de haut sont ajouter de bacon. Parsemer de fromage râpé et faire cuire 45 min (pour un four à convection).

Regarder la cuisson en piquant le dessus de temps en temps pour éviter la quiche gonfle trop.

Bon appétit.

[Photo 1, Photo 2, recette]

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"Blue Hotel" — Arnhem, The Netherlands

Arnhem, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Friday, May 31, 2013

Gayle wakes me just before 7am this morning. I have slept very well.

Breakfast continues the oversupply of calories on offer, with cooked and European cold offerings in the dangerous buffet format!

This morning is a guided road and canal tour of Amsterdam. At this stage, I remember that l once asked to be shot if l ever embarked on such a thing. However my five companions lower the average age and l choose to forget the earlier request. The grey rinse set and we six pile on to three buses.

Well, we shuffle on...

Much of the tour we have covered ourselves the past four day, but the detailed commentary is interesting

. We have earpieces attached to a radio unit that lets us hear the tour leader up to 100m away. They are an ingenious device that allows us time to stop for photographs or to drop back if something special catches our eye, yet miss nothing.

We return at midday and depart right on time. The boat is exceedingly smooth and quiet as it manouvres its way out of its berth, into Amsterdam harbour then west to the Rijnkanaal canal. We sit for lunch at 12.30... only four courses this time - buffet salads, two soups, three mains and dessert cakes or fresh fruit!

It is exceedingly pleasant dining as we glide through the Dutch countryside, through Uttrech towards tomorrow's stop at Köln (Cologne). There is an endless and fascinating procession of barges of all types heading back towards Amsterdam.

I am intrigued - although l shouldn't be surprised - to see milage markers alongside the canal and 'street name' signs left and right where the canal divides.

The countryside is populated by contented Friesans being stripped grazed on verdant pastures, the occassional modern white wind turbine, large flocks of ducks, fat rabbits and numerous bridges - all modern in this man-made canal

. Alongside us the entire way is a bike/footpath, shaded by an endless avenue of elm trees.

We are fascinated when we reach the first of what will be many locks over the next two weeks. It is a huge, concrete split lane structure - one upstream, one down. A small tug, a large petrol tanker and two canal cruisers (including us) pack into the space before being raised about 3m over an impressively short time. Most of the passengers are on the sundeck to watch this manoevure.

With afternoon tea and live Muzak now on offer, we continue through the flat polder landscape of southern Holland to the town of Arnhem.
We are faced with another four course dinner before tonight's entertainment: a Dutch folklore show. Predictably, audience members are dragged up to participate in the dances. I fail to escape in time...

Some time around 11pm, we enter the Rhine proper and spend our first night sleeping in this mobile hotel.

"Blue Hotel" by Chris Isaak

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Top 5 : retour sur l’actualité touristique de la semaine

 

Cette dernière semaine de juin a été marquée par un pigeon qui traverse le Pacifique mais aussi par le record de fréquentation pour le Louvre en 2012. On revient sur l’actualité touristique de la semaine à travers un top 5 et un flop 5.

8.000 km. C’est la distance qu’a parcouru un pigeon japonais. Parti du pays nippon, il a traversé tout l’océan Pacifique avec d’arriver au Canada. Le pigeon a été lâché le 9 mai dernier pour une course de 1.000 km au nord du Japon.

Une statue vieille de 4000 ans représente un homme portant le nom de Neb-Senu se trouve dans un musée de Manchester (Angleterre). « Un jour, j’ai remarqué qu’elle avait tourné », explique Campbell Price à NDTV. « J’ai trouvé cela étrange car elle est gardée sous verre et je suis le seul à posséder une clé pour y accéder ». « Quand je l’ai regardée un autre jour, elle avait encore changé de position. Et un jour plus tard, elle était encore dans une autre position », raconte-t-il au tabloïd. Le conservateur a voulu tirer cette histoire au clair et a installé une caméra de sécurité pour l’observer. Après avoir regardé les heures de vidéo obtenues, il n’a pu que se rendre compte que l’objet se déplaçait réellement tout seul. Pour le physicien Brian Cox, l’explication ne serait pas du tout surnaturelle, mais relativement simple : la friction différentielle. « Il a suggéré que les deux surfaces, la serpentine qui compose la statuette et le socle en verre où elle repose, entraînent une vibration subtile qui, au final, fait tourner l’objet », explique Price au Daily Mail.

Un utilisateur de Reddit a demandé à des employés d’hôtels, qu’elle était la chose la plus bizarre que les clients aient laissé derrière eux, rapporte le huffingtonpost. Parmi les réponses insolites : « J’ai vérifié une chambre vide dont la porte avait été laissé grande ouverte. Sur la table, il y avait un sac avec 20.000 dollars en liquide ». ou « Un client nous a dit que son micro-onde ne fonctionnait pas. Quand je suis allé dans la chambre, j’ai découvert une assiette de nourriture placée dans le coffre-fort ».

Jusqu’au 31 décembre, le Comité Régional du Tourisme de Franche-Comté offre une réduction de 100€ sur un séjour de 2 nuits minimum pour 2 personnes minimum dans un hôtel de la région labellisé Qualité Tourisme Franche-Comté participant à l’opération. Pour profiter de cette proposition, il suffit de se connecter sur
http://www.addict.franche-comte.org/

La cathédrale Notre-Dame et la Basilique du Sacré-Coeur restent les monuments les plus visités par les touristes avec une fréquentation stable, respectivement 13,6 millions et 10,5 millions de visiteurs en 2012. Le Louvre de son côté est en hausse avec près de 9,7 millions de visiteurs (+ 9.3% par rapport à 2011). La Tour Eiffel est, quant à elle, en baisse à 6,3 millions, soit -11,5%.

On finit ce samedi sur une bonne note. Bon week-end à tous et à la semaine prochaine.

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Top 5 Gründe für einen Besuch von Cannes

 

Badeort Cannes befindet sich im Département Alpes-Maritimes. Früher einfache kleine Dorf der Fischer, die Stadt wurde eine glamouröse und reiche Stadt. Schauen Sie sich unsere Top 5 Gründe für Cannes besuchen.

 

Die meisten publizierten in dem World Filmfestival, dem Festival de Cannes erhält jedes Jahr Filmemacher, Promis und Film-Industrie-Profis. Tausende von Touristen hat sich ebenfalls auf der Croisette, einen Filmstar zu sehen. Die Veranstaltung findet im Mai statt und dauert 12 Tage.

 

Gegenüber der Croisette gelegen, ist die Île Sainte-Marguerite ein außergewöhnlicher Ort, wo Natur Harmonie Kultur und Entspannung kombinieren. Sie können Fort Sohn besuchen, wo der Mann mit der eisernen Maske wäre geblieben. Die Île Saint-Honorat ist kleiner. Es ist berühmt für sein Kloster.

 

Märkte und blumige Räume vermitteln den Eindruck, im Herzen der Provence. Empfehlen wir Ihnen Umkreis Suquet, thront auf einem Hügel. Der älteste Stadtteil von Cannes hat schöne alte Häusern. Dort besuchen Sie auch die Musée De La Castre versteckt Werke von provenzalischen Maler sowie der "Archäologie des Mittelmeerraumes.

 

Genießen Sie einen Rest des Wochenendes zur Entspannung an den Stränden Cannes. 13 Strände in Cannes erhielt l 'Ecolabel "blaue Flagge" für ihre beispielhafte Umweltqualität, nach den Kriterien des französischen Büros der Fondation pour l' Bildung für die Umwelt in Europa (de-FEEE).

 

Es wäre eine Schande, Cannes ohne Geschmack der lokalen Gastronomie zu besuchen. Sie empfehlen: Oliven, Kräutern, gefüllt, Gemüse-Ratatouille und die Pissaladière.

[Foto 1, Foto 2, Foto 3, Foto 4, Foto 5, Bild 6]

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Flop 5: zurück in den Tourist-Nachrichten der Woche

 

Diese letzte Woche Juni wurde durch einen Streik am Eiffelturm, ein Autofahrer kontrolliert mehr als 250 km/h oder von der Stadt Nancy zum Verkauf auf dem Internet. Auf die Renditen auf Tourismus-News der Woche durch Top-5 der Vereinten Nationen und der Flop UN 5

Nach einer Schlag-Bewegung, die zwei Tage dauerte, hat den Eiffelturm seine Türen für die Öffentlichkeit wieder Donnerstag eröffnet. Mitarbeiter mangelnder Sicherheitsmaßnahmen und schlechtes Management der Arbeit die Schuld. "Im Jahr 2008 wurde der Renovierung des Kurys West-beschlossen. Es sollten die letzten beiden Jahre und 18 Millionen Euro Kosten. Nach fünf Jahren ist es immer noch nicht verfügbar (...). Das Fehlen dieser Aufzug hat ernste Konsequenzen für die Aufrechterhaltung der andere Mittel des Aufstiegs muss wiederum verhaftet, Wartung und Pflege, "sagte die Veröffentlichung.

Ein britischer Autofahrer, Rollen in einem Audi R8, ein Sommer kontrolliert die Twin über 250 km/h auf der A28 zwischen Rouen und Alençon, am vergangenen Wochenende. Seine Lizenz wurde beschlagnahmt. Er bezahlt eine Kaution von 1.500 Euro und ein Verbot auf französischem Gebiet. Alle 6 wurden andere britische Autofahrer bei über 190 km/h während dieses Wochenendes überwacht.

Nach AFP Beschwerde das Rathaus von Nancy eine für "missbräuchlichen Verkauf von einer guten kommunalen Betrieb". Eine Person hatte setzen online auf Leboncoin eine Anzeige, die behaupten, im Rathaus des Ortes Stanislas für 65 Millionen Euro zu verkaufen. Beitrag wurde inzwischen von der Website entfernt.

87 % der französischen Arbeitssuchende gehen nicht in den Urlaub diesen Sommer, nach Angaben der Qapa, eine Beziehung, die Agentur für Arbeit gewidmet. Laut einer Studie von mieten Arbeitgeber weniger in der Urlaubszeit...

Samoa Air Fluggesellschaft hat die Gründung einer 'XL'-Klasse in ihrer Flugzeuge. Preise "Billets"-Variante, die anhand des Gewichts des Reisenden. Nach dem Lesen dieser Informationen auf sagen kann, dass ist ein "groß auf die Kartoffel.

Schönes Wochenende an alle und nächste Woche.

[Foto 1]

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Top 10 Zahlen während einer Runde der Welt am meisten besuchten

Eine Weltreise ist lange vorzubereiten. Die voyageAutourDuMonde.fr-Website hat ermittelt, zahlt nominale besuchten 100 französische dessen aus dem Netz zu Land umso mehr bei einem Rundgang durch die Welt zu bestimmen. Die Globetrotters durchlaufen im Durchschnitt 16 Ländern. Das überprüfen der ersten 10 Länder die am meisten besuchte während einer Runde der Welt.

 

80 % der Franzosen deren den Thailand zu besuchen. Dank seiner abwechslungsreichen Landschaft (Meer, Berge, Strände mit Kokospalmen gesäumt) ist Siam, früherer Name des Thailand ein sehr beliebtes Ausflugsziel.

 

78 % der Franzosens haben bereits die Welt tourte wählte wohnen auf diesem Landstreifen von ca. 4.300 km lange für 175 km breit. Osterinsel, die geheimnisvollen Statuen wieder in das Meer durch die trockenen Wüsten des Nordens, die Chile ist ein Paradies für Naturliebhaber.

 

Buenos Aires für Cosmopolitan von Microsoft mit seiner Atmosphäre, Córdoba mit seiner Altstadt, den Iguazu Falls oder sogar Patagonien, haben Reisende die Wahl. Alles in allem sind sie 70 %, die Argentinien zu entdecken.

 

Staunen Sie 69 % der deren vor Machu Picchu, Nazca, Titicacasee oder sogar auf die Cordillera Blanca-Linien.

 

Die Bolivien ist bekannt, dass das höchste ökonomische Kapital der Welt, La Paz besitzen. 64 % der Bevölkerung die Welt Kreisen auch gerne entdecken die weißen Salzwüste Salar de Uyuni, einen typische Bowler-Hut kaufen oder Skifahrer auf der Chacaltaya-Strecke liegt auf einer Höhe von 5500 Meter gehen. Es wäre die höchste Skipiste der Welt.

 

Viele Reisende verlieben sich in Kambodscha und der Bevölkerung sein. 63 % haben entdeckt die architektonischen Wunder von Angkor oder hielten an Sihanoukville, die Häuser der schönsten Strand von Kambodscha, der Strand von Ochatial.

 

Wüste Plateau, Megacities oder derselben Bergkette, großer Höhe Berg, chinesische Landschaftswandel von einer Region zur anderen. Zu den bekanntesten Sehenswürdigkeiten auf die von umfassen, große Mauer, der verbotenen Stadt oder der Terrakotta-Armee. 63 % der Reisenden auswählen, dieses Land zu überqueren.

 

Zwischen Dschungel, Tempel und französischen Kolonialarchitektur die vorbeigehen um 63 % der Globus-Trotters in Laos. Es sei darauf hingewiesen, dass viele Backpacker ein Trek Fahrrad in einer herrlichen Landschaft Een in das Dorf Vang Vieng sind.

 

61 % der deren standard machen einen Zwischenstopp in Australien. Sie Liebe zu entdecken, Sydney, Great Barrier Reef sowie den riesigen Monolithen "Ayers Rock", wer da ist Aboriginal Wurzeln zahlt der erinnern.

 

Fertig Top 10 macht es am meisten besucht während einer Runde der Welt durch die Viet Nam. 58 % der Reisenden entdecken. Schönsten Naturschönheiten der Personalabrechnung-Cache als die anderen: das Delta des Mekong, der Insel Phu Quoc oder die Halong Bucht.

Wie Sie in diesem Ranking bemerkt haben vielleicht, besuchen die deren vor allem asiatische Länder wegen der sehr günstigen Preise. Und besuchen Sie eine Tour durch die Welt, Trigger-Abrechnung?

[Foto von Foto 1, Foto 2, Foto 3, Foto 4, Foto 5, Foto 6, Foto 7, Foto 8, Foto 9, Foto-10, 11].

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"Blue Shadows in the Street" — Prague, Czech Republic

  Prague, Hlavní mesto Praha, Czech Republic
Friday, June 14, 2013

We have half a day to fill in Budapest before moving on. The morning starts with an excellent breakfast at a little cafe at the end of our arcade. We enjoy great coffee, Art Deco decor and a charming host.

We walk around the Jewish area of Budapest. The buildings are not as well maintained as their Viennese cousins and there are still signs of bullet damage in some walls.

The Doh?ny Street Synagogue in built in a moorish style with polychromatic brickwork and is the largest in Europe and fifth largest in the world. It consists of the Great Synagogue, the Heroes' Temple, the graveyard, the Holocaust memorial and the Jewish Museum. We just peek from the outside but decide against paying the admission, given that we have just missed a guided tour.

Instead we walk the neighbourhood towards the river

. We find Margaret from the tour and enjoy another refreshing limonade together before hitting the market across the road. The Budapest market sits in a building not unlike a Victorian railway station. The ground floor houses produce stalls and a mezzanine levels has food and variety shops.

We waste no time buying fruit for the train and lunch for right now.

The onward trip to Prague is a seven hour train ride from mid-afternoon late into the evening. First class in a Hungarian carriage doesn't quite match that of a western European equivalent. Still, we have the carriage mostly to ourselves until Bratislavia in Slovakia. The time actually passes reasonably quickly between reading, chatting, photos, snoozing and eating.

I have been to Prague once before and have memories of a station populated by homeless men and/or drunkards. Arriving at 11pm, l have a transfer booked in Prague and am delighted to see a man with a sign with my name waving at the end of the platform. What's more, the station has been rebuilt, houses some designer shops, is clean and has our minibus parked out the front!

Arriving in inner Prague on a Friday night reveals pub crawls in full swing. Our taxi weaves through dark shadows, narrow streets and packs of party-goers to Apartment Tynska. It is perfectly positioned in the centre of town, behind Our Lady of Tyn Church yet protected from the noise. From our windows, we see the Rumplestiltskin-like turrets of the church and hear the bells. The spires are beautifully floodlit at night. Our host, Kreshmir meets us for an introductory tour and chat.

It's been a long day, but by midnight, we have largely hatched a plan for the next two day's activities...

"Blue Shadows in the Street" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet

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"Schwarz und blau", Köln

Köln, Nord-du-Nordrhein-Westfalen, Deutschland
Samstag, 1. Juni 2013

Wir wecken, um dem industriellen Herzen Deutschlands vor unserem Fenster zu finden. Kraftwerke, Schwerindustrie und Container Kais gleiten durch. Hochspannung Stromleitungen Kreuz und quer durch die Landschaft und Rauch Stapel überall sind. Es regnet nicht, aber der Tag ist ein trauriges grau.

Wir sind irgendwo zwischen Duisburg und Düsseldorf im entsprechenden Rhein. Der Fluss ist etwa 500 Meter breit und scheint recht hoch, das halb versunkene Graffiti auf Brücken nach zu urteilen. Es fließt sehr schnell mit einer final Chop. Von einem Tag auf den anderen scheinen die Verkehrsregeln haben sich geändert mit der Barke wir von nun an unserer linken. Am Ufer gibt es Marker... 739, 740, 738. Sind Countdown in Kilometern oder Meilen, aber was Sie? Ich muss ein Mitglied des Personals vor zu viel mehr Fragen Versand Quiz, wenn Jack de Crow helfen können.

Düsseldorf kommt und geht mit einer Reihe von Hängebrücken, ein historisches Zentrum und ein modernes Silber Frank Gehry Gebäude.

Es ist fair, 09:15 Wenn die Gerüche der Suppe Puff nach oben aus der Küche unten und Gedanken (bereits) zum Mittagessen drehen!

Wir wenden uns an andere schwarz und dunkel, Fabriken, einschließlich Fabrik Ford in Köln Körper enormen Assembly, die etwa zwei Kilometer entlang der Flussufer erstreckt. Mittagessen kommt zu dem Schluss, wir ziehen in Köln und dock im Schatten der Eisenbahnbrücke, die täglich 1200 Züge trägt.

Der Wissenschaftler Dr. Stefan, mit einer Promotion in Kunstgeschichte und ein Interesse an Architektur und Textilien, führt uns auf einen Besuch zu Fuß vom Stadtzentrum entfernt. Es ist randvoll mit Wissen über seine Stadt, insbesondere den Kölner Dom, eine römisch-katholische Kathedrale gotischen begann im Jahre 1248 und beendete im Jahre 1880. Die Kathedrale ist die größte gotische Kirche in Nordeuropa und hat die zweite höchste Pfeile und die größte Fassade einer Kirche in der Welt. Es ist eines der wenigen Gebäude in der Stadt, die überlebt der Zerstörung während WW2 und traditionsgemäß geglaubt, um die Überreste der Heiligen drei Könige enthalten

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Nach der zweistündigen Wanderung entkommen vier von uns, auf der Suche nach einem anderen Schatz... einige iPad-SIM-Karten zu einem günstigen Preis! Die deutsche Bürokratie erfordert, ID und Formen in zweifacher Ausfertigung eine SIM-Karte kaufen ab 5 €, aber die Aufgabe erfolgt für drei von uns und wir rasten auf das Schiff in der Zeit... mehr essen.

Eine Nacht schwarze inky senkt sich, wie wir Sie live-Musik in der Lounge hören, elektronisch mit der Außenwelt verbinden und von Bonn verbringen.

"Black and Blue" von Van Halen

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Letstravelweb: "beginnend mit Tasche auf der Rückseite auf einem ein Gefühl von unglaublicher Freiheit.

 

Marco und Risa dargelegt, um die Welt zu umrunden. Die zwei jungen Unzertrennlichen trafen sich Ende 2009 in Australien. Während dieser Tour der Welt, die nicht die Abfahrt für Juli geplant ist, werden sie in der Lage, auf dem http://www.letstravelweb.com/-Blog zu finden, in dem sie ihre Erfahrungen teilen. Marco hat auf Fragen der Änderungen reagiert.

Ab wann die "Idee einer Welt-Tournee wurde konzipiert in deinem Kopf? Was war die "Element Posicionado? ''

Ich denke seit vielen Jahren Reisemagazinen, lesen und träumen von Geschichten über aussehende fr TV, die immer hat mich gemacht.
Nach meinem Jahr in Australien (in 2009-10), sagte ich zu mir bin: "weil ich die Runde der australischen gemacht Warum nicht machen auf der ganzen Welt jetzt. Und dann wurde es allmählich seinen Weg.

Warum haben Sie entschieden, das Thema ' in Rucksack um die Welt "?

Dieses Thema kam natürlich, ich überlegte eine Sekunde, um es nicht anders. Beginnend mit seinem Sack auf dem Rücken auf einem ein Gefühl von Freiheit unglaublich, kann jederzeit Ihre Route an den Thread unserer Wünsche. Es ist auch eine gute Möglichkeit für schöne Begegnungen mit den Räumlichkeiten des jeweiligen Landes.

Was ist Ihre Route?

Beginnend mit Europa, dann Richtung Amerika wechselte Oceania dann de Asien. Für Afrika auf was passiert, wenn haben uns noch ein wenig Geld, dorthin zu gehen. Rahmen ohne Ticket auf der ganzen Welt, um entscheiden zu können bleiben ab sofort weitere UO weniger lange in einigen Ländern und auch mehr frei zu sein.

Wie viel kostet die Fahrt?

Zuviel (lacht). Ich konnte Sie Antworten Sie genauer gesagt nach meiner Rückkehr weil es schwer vorherzusagen ist, wie viel es Kosten wird, über einen langen Zeitraum. Weitere 'Tourdumondiste' zeigt alle ihre Ausgaben etwas, es ist immer noch ein Tabu Thema-En France. Preis enthaltenen kleinen Venet enorm, wenn wir nur in billig Ländern (Asien und Südamerika) wird oder wenn eine Microsoft entwickelten Ländern (Europa, USA und Ozeanien) und die Zeit, die bleibt. Es sollte auch neben Transport, wohnen und Essen, Besuche oder andere unerwarteten Aktivitäten hinzugefügt werden. Um nicht zu vergessen die Kosten vor dem Abflug sind Impfungen, Versicherungen, der Kauf des Unternehmens, dass man bringt mit sich selbst usw.... Nach meiner Schätzung dies wenig schwankte zwischen 12 000 und 16 000 Euro noch mehr sehen, weil jede Reise grün ist.

Was war die Reaktion Ihrer Umgebung?

Sie nicht einen einzigen Moment überrascht worden, alle wussten seit langem, die eines Tages wollte ich tun. Sie finden es, obwohl ich tun was ich will und einige würden gerne mitkommen.

Arbeiten Sie in welches Feld? Wirst du deinen Job zu verlassen?

Ich Koch, war ich viel Hilfe, Arbeit in einigen meiner früheren Reisen zu finden. Ich kam am Ende meiner letzten Arbeitsvertrag und plötzlich bin ich frei.

Sind Sie in Ihre Vorbereitungen?

Wir organisieren den Beginn des Spiels Reisen von Notre-Dame von Europa, wird der Wille in den Rest auf der Straße machen. Wir kaufen auch Fälle, die uns in der Tasche vor der Abreise zu scheitern.

Benutzen welche Verkehrsmittel Sie?

Wir werden mit allen Mitteln reisen werden: zu Fuß, fr, fr-Fahrgemeinschaften zu stoppen, Zug fr, fr, bus, Flugzeug, Boot fr etc.... Auf den Weg, das passt am besten Folgendes wählen wird die Lage, Chancen und Preis.

Wo gehst du schlafen?

Wir wollen vor allem in Jugendherbergen, Gästehaus und Couchsurfing schlafen. Wir bringen unser Gepäck mit uns schlafen.
Unterkunft Reise können schnell hören, sehr teuer, so ist es ein wichtiger Teil des Haushalts versuchen und Orte zu suchen, die entsprechen unsere Modus des Spielraums, zu wissen, dass wir nicht zu schwer sind, aber dass es sichere Orte sein muss.

Was ist EG-Wer gab Ihnen den Geschmack für die Reise?

Ich war immer von anderen Ländern angezogen, am Anfang war ich durch die Arbeit von Montag unterwegs, aber jedes Mal, wenn ich arbeitete so viel, dass ich nicht Zeit hatte für einen Besuch. Dann eines Tages mir sagte es schön wäre, zu entdecken, was es ist um und nehmen Sie sich Zeit zum genießen von der der in.

Welchen Teil der Welt macht, dass Sie die meisten Traum?

Mittelamerika und Südamerika sind Orte, wo ich war noch nie und ich sehne mich zu, entdecken, während meiner Reise. Mehr, wie ich spreche Spanisch, die ich hoffentlich einen guten Kontakt mit Menschen haben. Nachdem ich auch Nordpol (für Tiere) gehen würde und in Korea im Norden (aus Neugier) aber sie sind ziemlich teuer und ich komme nicht in meine Runde Welt aufnehmen zu können. Diese Ziele sind nicht geeignet für Rucksack-Reisende, es muss ein Reisebüro für den Zugriff auf gehen.

Seit einigen Jahren Reisen. Was war der "ungewöhnlichsten Erlebnis, das mit dir passiert ist? ''

Als ich ging spazieren in vollem Umfang auf Penneshaw auf Kangaroo Island Beach an einem Nachmittag machte ich die Bekanntschaft von einem Pinguin Pygmy (Zwergpinguin 30 cm) versucht Sohn Terrier zu finden. Es ist verdammt selten, ein blauer Pinguin in ganzer Tag zu sehen, weil sie ihre Höhlen in den frühen Morgenstunden verlassen ins Meer und erst nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit kehren. Ich wird verwendet, um es zu sehen und Foto von fr, bis er wieder in seinem Versteck. Es war ein einzigartiger Moment, stellen Sie sich an einem Strand mit als nur Begleiter einen kleiner Pinguin!

Bildnachweis: Letstravelweb

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Insolite : une statue se déplace seulement au Musée

 

Un 4000 ans vieille statue représente un homme portant le nom de Neb-Nuss signaux se trouve dans un musée de Manchester (Angleterre). « Un jour, j'ai remarqué qu'elle avait transformé », explique Campbell prix à NDTV. « J'ai trouvé étrange parce qu'il est maintenu sous verre et je suis le seul à avoir une clé pour accéder à ». "Quand j'ai vu un autre jour, elle avait encore changé de position. Et un jour plus tard, elle était encore dans un autre poste, "il dit au tabloïd.

Le conservateur a donc essayé de prendre cette histoire au clair et a installé une caméra de sécurité. Après avoir visionné des heures de vidéo obtenus, il a découvert que l'objet se déplaçait vraiment tout seul. Selon certains experts comme Brian Cox, cité par Manchester Evening, ce mouvement peut être causé par les vibrations des visiteurs sans. « Il a suggéré que les deux surfaces, la serpentine qui compose la statue et le verre du piédestal où il repose, provoquer une vibration subtile qui tourne finalement l'objet », explique le prix chez le Daily Mail. Mais ce dernier n'est pas convaincu et je me demandais pourquoi cette statue dans les années 80 du Musée n'avait pas bougé jusqu'à présent.

Capture d'écran

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Sierra Leone, die korruptesten Land?

 

Die NGO Transparency International Umfrage eine von 1.000 Menschen darüber, die welche Länder die korruptesten waren.

Sierra Leone kommen in diesem Ranking. Das afrikanische Land vor Liberia und der Jemen. Laut der 'Studie, einer von vier in der Welt würde Bestechungsgelder an eine öffentliche Instanz-l gezahlt haben"im vergangenen Jahr.

Von der interaktiven Karte der BBC, die Frankreich erscheint nicht in diesem Ranking.

Foto

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"Blue Red and Grey" — Würzburg, Germany

  Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany
Saturday, June 8, 2013

It's another blue sky morning as we rise early for a quick breakfast before a 90 minutes bus trip to Nürnberg (Nuremberg) on the Pegnitz River in the Bavaria where Nazi rallies dominated during WWII and the subsequent Nuremberg Trials relating to war crimes were held.

With a local guide on board, we see the inner town from the bus windows. It's a very frustating exercise as travel is too fast to see properly or for photography.

We alight at Nuremberg Castle, first documented in 1050 and expanded over the years. It sits within extensive city walls with impressive fortification, towers and has never been breached.

It was damaged in WWII but subsequently restored and contains a youth hostel in one of the larger buildings

. We enjoy the panorama of the city from the forecourt. There are numerous spires and Fachwerkhäuser - 'half timber' houses.

Our guide then walks us through the town to the market square where a produce market is in full swing. There is an impressive Gothic Schöner Brunnen - a gold spired fountain and a Glockenspiel in the clocktower of the church along one side. It plays daily at midday with puppet musicians 'playing' their instruments while others parade around central figure.

We buy some delicious cherries and gingerbread from the market and head for the bus. The air-conditioning fails again...

We barely have enough time to wash our faces and eat lunch before returning to the bus for for a short ride to the Würzburg Residenz. The vast UNESCO-listed compound near the center of the town was commissioned by two prince-bishops and was modelled on the Palace of Versailles. It was extensively damaged in WWII but completely rebuilt. Fortunately, all that could be remove for safe-keeping had been. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created the largest fresco in the world, which adorns the vault over the staircase and survived in tact

. It is an impressive work of art. It has rococco room after room with extensive plaster stucco detailing, crystal chandeliers, a gold mirrored room like Versaille and enormous tapestries. However, the bishop now lives in a more modest residence in town.

This afternoon's guide stresses she is from the region of Franconia, not Northern Bavaria!
She is an art curator and a good leader through the Residenz. She then leads us down to the old town. A wine festival is in full swing in the market square with many long tables of people eating and drinking.

Along the river, we find the Alte Mainbrücke - a bridge dating from 1473. It is similar to the Charles Bridge in Prague with statues of saints across its width. From its centre, we can see that water is spilling over walls and still raging downstream.

It has been a long, tiring day - not an example of the sort of relaxing travel and sightseeing we had paid for. There is the unappealing prospect of full days of bus travel to get us to Budapest in time. We return to the boat for dinner. The mood is more grey and sombre as the various tables talk amongst themselves, postulating what would be best after tomorrow's planned program

.

Luckily, the crew are putting on a show tonight to lighten the mood. 'Our' original crew would have done the same on our last night, had we stayed with them the full 15 days. It is a blend of slapstick, a bit of toilet humour and a very clever (and funny) act using frying pans and ladles as 'gongs' under the dressing gowns of three otherwise scantily clad waiters.

With no energy left to even shower, l flop into bed. Sleep is required before tomorrow's early departure to Regensburg.

"Blue Red and Grey" by The Who

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"Blue Sky" lll — Koblenz, Germany

  Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Thursday, June 6, 2013

There is a serious dearth of useful 'blue' song titles... I may have to diversify into other colours. And why not? This itinerary has also altered...

The message has got through that yesterday's six hour round trip was too much for everyone, so today is a gentle 45 minutes to Eltz Castle in the Mosel valley. The skies are again blue and the forecast is for a balmy 23°C.

Eltz Castle is your typical fairytale castle and was first established nearly 1000 years ago by the Eltz family. It has remained with them entirely since - 33 generations - and has been expanded to three 'houses' within the complex.

We tour the Rübenach House, an eight storey turreted residence completed in 1472

. It contains priceless furniture, tapestries, artifacts and art works from that time onwards. It also displays the wealth of the earlier noble inhabitants... the house had over forty fireplaces, bedrooms had toilet closets that flushed using rainwater collected above, windows had large amounts of glass rondelles and furniture was exotic.

Supplies for the ship arrive today... an entire truckload of perishables, non-perishables and domestic supplies. ALL HANDS ON DECK! Everyone from the captain down to the cleaning staff as well as the pianist and tour leaders form a human chain to shift large amounts of goods up the gang planks and through the dining room to the kitchen in the bow of the boat. One passenger is disgusted that this is going on during the day, but the mood amongst the staff is jovial and Walter and Gisela join the fun!

This afternoon, three of us set off to investigate the Koblez Mosel 'fish pass'.
http://mosellum.rlp.de/english/
Many species of fish migrate up and down the Mosel. To enable them to migrate up the Mosel despite man-made barriers such as dams, modern fish passes are built – not only here but in other EU rivers as well

. This helps fish keep their natural migratory routes by giving them a route through dams walls, both up or downstream.

It sits off to one side of the river, away from the turbulent overflow. Fish are channeled in to a long concrete-walled maze the breaks the flow into the pass sufficiently for fish to swim safely through.

The 'Mosellum' also contains static displays relating to aquatic and shore life and shipping in the river. The highlight is spotting a small school of metallic blue Ukelei fish through the underwater observation windows as they swim upstream.

Michael, the Hotel Manager, does not look happy as we return to the boat. He hasn't had an all clear from further upstream. There are now fourteen ships berthed in triples along the promenade, plus two barges.

Luckily, we can forget those worries temporarily... tonight is Pirate Night.

AARRRRRRRGGHH!!!

The dining room is decked out in pirate flags and paraphenalia. The staff are in striped t-shirts and bandanas. The tables are a jumble of cutlery, scrunched napkins and screwed up menus. The food is conventional and delicious but the service is 'atrocious'! Christian dangles a rat over unsuspecting ladies' plates and taunts the older ones with his swashbuckling moves

.

Only the two tables of Aussies respond to the theme. Our Perth neighbours have arrived in the cabins' life vests and wrap their napkins around their heads for bandanas. We have an assortment of scarves around our hips. Gisela sports her nautically themed PJ 'pantaloons' and I tuck my black pants into my boots. Walter adapts his plane eye mask into a single eye patch but the Hawaiian shirt is unconvincing!!!

To complete the celebrations, Michael announces that we will sail tomorrow morning. It may be raining in Mainz and berths are uncertain both there and in Wertheim, but we will go!

"Blue Sky" by The Allman Brothers

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Les choses les plus insolites trouvées dans des chambres d'hôtels

 

Mitglied der Vereinten Nationen Reddit (eine Community-Website) gestellte Mitarbeiter von ' Hotels, es war der gewählten mehr seltsam, dass Kunden hinterlassen haben.

CAMEL_DICK sagt, dass ein Kunde Son Chat in seinem Zimmer mit einem Papier-Dankeschön verlassen hatte "um mein Haustier kümmern, ich in einer Woche zurück sein werde." Er kehrte nie zurück. In der Zwischenzeit hat Bluepaul eine Ziege als Abraham Lincoln verkleidetgefunden. "Ich wollte das Zimmer, mit ein wenig sauber" Befürchtung weil Kunden dort für eine Beerdigung des jungen Lebens waren, und ich eine Ziege fand. Ich weiß nicht, wie sie dorthin gebracht wurden, auf jeden Fall, es hat mir eine gute Geschichte für eine lange Zeit. »

Backw00ds ergab eine andere Anekdote: "Ich habe ein leerer Raum macht die Tür war noch weit geöffnet." " Auf dem Tisch, gab es eine Tasche mit 20.000 Dollar in Bar '.

[Foto]

ungewöhnliche Dinge in den D\hotels Räumen

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Lady Gaga entre au Musée Grévin

 

Lady Gaga va faire son entrée au Musée Grévin, à Paris, le 2 juillet. Brune, blonde, avec des cheveux rouges ou roses …. On ne sait pas encore comment sera immortalisée la chanteuse.

L’artiste ne sera pas présente pour l’inauguration.

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"My Blue Heaven" — Vienna, Austria

  Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Monday, June 10, 2013

It's another early start, an average breakfast but a good shower.

We join the rest of the Fun Bus for a lift to the station in Regensburg, score a few hugs and wave goodbye... although we will meet them again when they catch up to us in Vienna.

Suddenly, I am back in a happy place - a EU train station! We secure tickets on the 09:32 to Wien (Vienna), a three and a half hour trip in high speed comfort. We might miss the tour of the abbey at Melk, but we also avoid eight hours on a bus. Heaven!

We travel through Plattling, Passau, Wels, Linz, St. Pölten to Wien Westbahnhof. From there, it's about a 500m walk to The Hotel 1060 on Webgasse

. Our room is heavenly after the onboard cabins and last night's bland offering. It has space, colour and some stylish decorator furnishings. And free wifi. AND working air con! HEAVEN!!!

Last time l was in Vienna thirty years ago, l had a dental abcess coming to it's climax. I spent the short time there in a feverish, pained haze, fending off an Austrian dentist who wanted to extract my tooth and searching the streets for an English speaking pharmacist.

This time, l hit the streets in good health doing my favourite thing... just wandering. We aim to reach the Danube about 3km to our east but get as far as the old town after passing through the extravagant Museum Quarter.

The shops are very stylish, the buildings are glorious and the whole vibe to the city suggests an extended exploration is warranted at a later date. We eat lunch at an outdoor cafe then find a cake shop and buy lemon tarts. Yum! The young baker serving us tells me that one cake is filled with 'whippet' cream! YUCK!

We don't make it to the Danube... today.

"My Blue Heaven" by Fats Domino

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