Category: Things to Do

Categories
Sweden Things to Do

Visiting Stockholm can be affordable

Stockholm is a lively, cosmopolite and beautiful European city. Sweden’s capital sits on 14 islands, connected by 500 bridges and offers an interesting Old Town, along with many parks and gardens. However, Sweden is not exactly a very cheap place to visit, and, as a result, tourists often avoid planning a vacation here.

Most of the city’s attractions are located in the inner city. Norrmalm is the commercial district and where you should look for shopping opportunities. The Old Town is dominated by the Royal Palace and the Riksdag (the Parliament). But if you want to see most of the attractions, then you are better off using a Stockholm Card. The 72 hours one costs about US$100 but most entrance fees start at US$15 so it will quickly pay for itself.

Planning to visit Stockholm on a budget means you should use the public transportation ; plus if you use the tub, the cost of transportation is included in the Stockholm Card. Also, when planning to eat out, avoid the Old Town where everything is overpriced. Most Stockholm hostels also have a common kitchen so you can buy groceries at the store and cook for yourself. Not to mention that you’ll also save on accommodation, if you choose a hostel.

Aside from accommodation, airfare to Stockholm will also burn a hole in your pocket. So, plan your vacation a bit in advance (4 to 6 weeks before the departure). And also look for low cost carriers which fly into Stockholm.

Photo credit

Categories
Portugal Things to Do

Things to Do in Porto

Porto is best known as the center of Portugal’s port wine production, and that’s probably what most visitors come for. Yet this charming city on the Douro river, with its colorful houses stacked seemingly on top of one another as the climb the city’s steep hills, is worth a visit even if you aren’t a wine-lover. For a quick taste, plan on 2-3 days, plus another if you plan to take a day trip to the nearby Douro Valley.

Museums and sightseeing

Start in the Ribeira, the riverfront of Porto, with its sidewalk cafes and plenty of tourists. Head up into the city center to see the Centro Português de Fotografia (Portuguese Photography Museum), the Fundação de Serralves modern art museum, and the Casa da Música (House of Music) concert hall. Take a stroll through the Mercado do Bolhão, a traditional market and stop for a photo op (or to shop) at Livraria Lello, one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

For art and history buffs, there’s even more to explore. Check out the Casa do Infante, where Prince Henry the Navigator was supposedly born (now a museum), the beautiful Palacio da Bolsa (19th century stock exchange) and the Museu do Carro Eléctrico (transit museum). For one of the best views in the city, climb the 200 stairs of the tower of the Torre dos Clérigos church. Finally, see more of the river on a short cruise of the Douro. These cost only 10 euros and last about an hour.

Port tasting

Even if you aren’t a wine connoisseur, don’t miss a visit to at least one of Porto’s port wine cellars. Some offer tours and tastings, others just offer tastings or wine flights. Some charge a fee while others are free. At at some you’ll be the only person in the room while others will be packed with tourists. Sample from a few different places, or head to the Port Wine Institute to take your pick from hundreds of options in all styles and price ranges.

>> Read more on port tasting in Porto

Day trips

From Porto, you can take a cruise upriver to the Douro Valley. Full day cruises range from 50-100 euros per person and may include lunch or a tour and tasting at one of the valley’s wineries.  Visit the town of Guimarães (about 30 minutes away by train) which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was chosen as a 2012 Capital of Culture for its many art galleries and museum and lively art and music scenes. Closer to the city, you can visit Foz, a sophisticated seaside village  with lots of cafés and restaurants a short bus ride away from Porto.

Dining

As in Lisbon and the rest of Portugal, cuisine in Porto relies heavily on fresh fish. Try bacalhau (cod) grilled, broiled, poached, or in a soup, or opt for other popular fish like grilled sardines, horse mackerel, cuttlefish, grouper, turbot, or mullet. Portuguese food also uses a lot of pork and sausage. Try the suckling pig or sausages like “chouriço” or “linguiça.” Alheira, a smoked sausage made of pork, poultry meat, wheat bread and olive oil, seasoned with salt, garlic and paprika, can also be found on menus all over Porto.  For a splurge meal and a modern take on traditional local food, make reservations for the dining room at the beautiful Yeatman Hotel. And if you tire of Portuguese food, check out Sitar (one of a handful of restaurants offering international food) for excellent Indian food.

If you try no other Portuguese food though, make sure you sample a Francesinha (or Little Frenchie). The slightly monstrous-looking Francesinha is the artery-clogging Portuguese version of the croque monsieur. A sandwich of  wet-cured ham, linguiça, and steak or roast meat, covered with melted cheese and topped with a thick tomato and beer sauce, it’s served with french fries for 7-11 euros each and can be found all over Porto.

As elsewhere in the country, breakfast is a very light meal – coffee and bread or pastry – usually had in a cafe. Lunch may be served between noon and 3pm and dinner is generally between 8 and 11pm. When you sit to eat, a plate of sausage, cheese or bread may be brought; just be aware that this is not free and you will be charged for what you eat.

Photos by: b00nj, iNolsonRocha

Categories
Portugal Things to Do

Port Tasting in Porto

Porto (or Oporto) is the home of port wine. In the early 1700′s England was at war with France and so the people of England (longing for the delicious wine of France) searched for an alternative. They discovered the wines of Portugal, but quickly realized that the wine was spoiling before it made the long trip from Portugal to England. So the clever Brits devised a method of fortifying the wine to increase its longevity.

They added a neutral grape spirit, called aguardente, which stops fermentation and keeps more of the natural sugar intact. The wines are then aged in barrels (or bottles depending on the style ). Now we have white port, ruby port, tawny port, late bottled vintage, colheita, blends, and vintage port.

In the early days of the port industry, the grapes were grown in the Douro and then sent to Porto to be made into wine and aged in the city’s cellars, which are called caves. This was all done in Porto so that the finished product could be easily shipped the short distance down the river to the Atlantic and then on to England. Now, while the grapes are still grown in the Douro Valley, the rest of the process is completed there as well, leaving many of Porto’s wine caves just for show or to welcome people who want to come taste the port wine. In fact, port tasting is the main activity in Porto and one you should not skip.

The port houses of Porto aren’t actually in Porto. They’re across the river (a 5-10 minute walk) in Vila Nova de Gaia. Just over the iron-trellised Ponte Luís I bridge (which may look familiar in style, as it was made by a partner of Eiffel) there are over a dozen port houses that open their doors for free or low-cost tasting.

My advice is to start at the top of the hill and work your way down. Like Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia is quite hilly, and steep cobblestone streets become more difficult to navigate after a few glasses of port. And be sure to eat before you go, as there are only a handle of dining options on this side and most are down by the riverfront. There are signs and arrows throughout the town pointing you to nearby port houses (most hotels have a map as well) from the more touristy Sandeman (which does have an excellent cafe attached for a quick snack), to the famous Taylor’s and Graham’s. I preferred the lesser-known (and still Portuguese owned) Wiese and Krohn (where we were the only people on the tour – as compared to Sandeman’s sold-out tour of more than 30 people!), Burmester, and Kopke.

Some, like Croft, Wiese and Krohn, and Taylor’s, offer free tours. On the tours, which last about 10-30 minutes, you’ll learn more about the history of port and how it is made.  Sandeman and a few others change a small fee for the tour and tasting. And still others, like Kopke, just have tasting rooms with no tours.

Though there is no tour at Kopke, I highly recommend visiting this oldest port house. You have to pay for samples, which you can  try by the glass or flight paired with chocolates. Tastes range from 1-3 euros on up to 8-15 (and much, much higher) depending on the age and style. I recommend going with a flight; I enjoyed two Portuguese wines and three port wines with accompanying chocolates for just 13 euros. If you’d rather not schlep from port house to port house and don’t mind paying for tastes, head to the Port Wine Institute. Here, overlooking the Douro River on the Porto side,  you can sample from hundreds of ports starting at 1 euro per glass.

For more port wine fun, you can book a day cruise down the Douro to see where the grapes are grown (some tours also include a stop at one winery).  And if you want the wine theme to carry over into your hotel, stay at The Yeatman Hotel, in Vila Nova de Gaia side, where wine themed rooms with private patios are  just steps away from the port caves.

>> Read more about the Yeatman

Photos by: Katie Hammel ,  rene j,

Categories
Things to Do

Seeking Out Celebrity in Italy

When we are surrounded by something all the time, it loses its allure – even if it’s something that’s supposed to be enticing. The rest of the world might shriek when they see celebrities walking down the street, but in LA? That would be a lot of shrieking. Angelenos are famously unflappable when it comes to celebrity, and with good reason. But what about when LA residents go on vacation?

Popular wisdom holds that we become different people when we travel – we lose inhibitions, we try things we would ordinarily shun, and we indulge in things we might call guilty pleasures back home. In other words, when LA residents go on holiday to Italy, there’s no reason not to get a bit giddy should you come upon any of the places where movies were shot.

Who among us, no matter how jaded, can avoid the comparison with “La Dolce Vita” upon seeing the Trevi Fountain? Or think of “Roman Holiday” when sticking our own hand into the Mouth of Truth? It should be no different, then, seeing any of the movie hotels in Italy, getting a peek at rooms or grand hotel lobbies where famous scenes were filmed.

Some of the more famous movie hotels may be out of reach of the average traveler, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look at them from the outside and recall what parts of the movie were filmed there. For instance, there really is a gorgeous room in Venice’s Hotel Danieli where Angelina Jolie left Johnny Depp sleeping on the sofa in “The Tourist.” The stunning Positano hotel in the film “Only You” starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. is Le Sirenuse, and it remains a boutique budget-buster to this day.

One movie hotel you might actually be able to afford is the Hotel degli Orafi in Florence, made famous by the 1985 movie “A Room With a View.” As you might imagine, some of the rooms in the hotel overlook the Arno River – but (and this won’t surprise you if you’ve seen the movie) some of the rooms don’t have river views. In other words, if re-living the movie is your top priority, book room 414 or another of the rooms on the river-side of the building.

Above all, it’s okay to fawn over the places in Italy that have served as the backdrop for films over the years. The truth is there are plenty of reasons to fawn over them anyway.

Tempted? Book cheap tickets to Florence and find out what your itinerary could look like if you were spending 4 days in Florence.

photo of Hotel Danieli lobby by quatre mains

Categories
Edinburgh Things to Do

Getting to the Fringe Festival on a Budget

Visiting a city when it’s in the midst of a celebration always makes a trip more interesting – and when the celebration is a world-famous month-long festival of arts, that’s even better. In other words, a visit to Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival is a trip you won’t soon forget.

As the name suggests, the Fringe Festival isn’t about the arts in the usual sense. Yes, there are theatre, music, and dance performances scheduled at venues throughout the city during the month of August, for which you can buy tickets and sit in the audience like you would in any similar venue around the world. In addition to that, however, there are street performances everywhere you look – and it’s this kind of artistic expression that the festival is perhaps best known for. Buskers are on every street corner, performance artists attract crowds on every pedestrian street, and the crowds that fill the city are never without entertainment.

Unfortunately, the month when all of this is going on is also one of the most expensive times to visit Europe in general. It’s more challenging to find good deals on airfare to Edinburgh or cheap hotels in Edinburgh during the summer when the city’s weather is most conducive to visiting. This is compounded by the popularity of the Fringe Festival, since people often book up the best budget accommodation months in advance. There are Edinburgh Festival Fringe travel deals to be had, though, if you’re willing to do your research.

It’s advisable to begin your search for accommodation at least six months before your trip (more if you’re on a tighter budget), and for a good deal on a flight you’d be smart to start looking at airfare even more than six months beforehand. Just by keeping an eye on what airfare costs you’ll know when the prices are going up or down, and you’ll know whether a so-called “deal” is all it claims to be.

As for tickets to the events themselves, if you’re intent on seeing specific performances then be sure to sign up on the official site so you know when tickets go on sale. Otherwise, you’ll never lack for entertainment even if you never buy a ticket to a show just by walking through the city and stopping to watch any street performers that catch your eye. Just remember to bring small change for tips.

photo by Shadowgate

Categories
Los Angeles Things to Do

Catalina Island , a gem still well hidden

Over the years I’ve started to enjoy exploring places that are not over run by tourists. Even when I visit a popular destination, I manage to find hidden places where there’s no rush , no lines and you can soak up the atmosphere.

Such is the case of Catalina Island, of the little known American islands . It is located off the coast of Southern California and is a popular day trip destination for both locals and tourists.

It can be reached from either Los Angeles or Orange County, so do a little research and figure out which flights are cheaper. Flights to Orange County from New York start at $570 RT per person in mid-August, while to Los Angeles, you’ll pay from $520 RT per person for the same period. Depending on which city you choose to fly into, you then need to catch a ferry from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point into Catalina Island.

Most tourists come here for snorkeling and scuba diving. The underwater life can be viewed from a submarine or glass-bottom boats, as well. Another option is to play golf while you are here. If you want to be active but don’t fancy spending time in the water of playing golf, then choose one of the many hiking trails and explore the island (but you need a permit).

You can also spend some time in Avalon to explore the sights. The Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden are open year round and you can see plants native to the island. The Catalina Island Museum is located within the Casino and displays the history of Catalina from the early Gabrielinos through Catalina’s heyday, as a playground for the rich and famous.

You can book one of the hotels on Catalina Island but the prices aren’t very low so your best alternative would be to stay in one of the near-by cities.

Photo credit

Categories
Portugal Things to Do

Things to Do in Lisbon

The capital and largest city in Portugal, Lisbon offers plenty to see and do and more then enough activity to fill three to four days (more if you take some day trips). Here are a few ideas for things to do in Lisbon.

Explore the neighborhoods

Wander down (rather than up) through the narrow streets of the Alfama district, the oldest district of Lisbon. The area starts at  the Castle of São Jorge before tumbling its way down the hill to the Tejo river. At night, the district is a great place to eat, drink or attend a Fado show.

The Baixa district is the city’s downtown area, which was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. Wide avenues lined with shops, cafes and restaurants lead to the Rua Augusta Arch and beyond it, the grand Praça do Comércio and the Tagus River. From the Baixa, take a ride up the vertical Elevador de Santa Justa to the Bairro Alto, the central district of Lisbon. Filled with trendy restaurants, designer shops and sleek bars, The Barrio Alto is the place to go for nightlife in Lisbon.

Take in the view

The hilltop fortification of Castelo de São Jorge is one of Lisbon’s “must see” historical attractions, but it also provides one of the best views of the city. For another perspective, ride the wrought-iron Elevador de Santa Justa, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel’s apprentice and offers sweeping views over the city’s skyline.

Museums and monuments

Aside from the Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon is home to several other museums and monuments worth exploring. There’s the Oceanário,  Europe’s second-largest aquarium, the Lisbon Botanical Garden, the Museu da Electricidade (Electricity Museum), and the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, which houses Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Asian artifacts, along with art from masters like Monet, Manet, and Degas.

Take a ride

Lisbon’s iconic yellow tourist trams are one of the best ways to see the city. Climb aboard Tram 28 and you’ll climb up and down Lisbon’s hills, twisting and turning down the cobbled streets past some of the city’s best sights, past the Castelo de São Jorge and the Alfama district, the Chiado district, and the Estrela Garden.

Belem

The Belem district is one of the most historically important in Lisbon. Six kilometers west of the city center, it’s home to a number of museums and monuments, including the Coach Museum , the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belém Tower, and the heavenly pastéis de Belém custard tart.

>> more on things to do in Belem

Sintra

Sintra makes an excellent day trip from Lisbon.  About 30minutes away from the city by train, you’ll find the beautiful hilltop Palácio Nacional da Pena, an eclectic architectural mix of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance and Moorish design in pastel pink and yellow. The walled Castelo dos Mouros, the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and the Palácio Nacional de Sintra round out the area’s attractions.

Photo by rstml

Categories
Articles Las Vegas Los Angeles Things to Do

Go Beyond the Weekend Road Trip

Weekend road trips are a summer staple – jump in the car and head a few hours away for a few days’ change of pace. But if you’re itching to get away for longer, there are plenty of options for extended road trips from Los Angeles. If you have a week or more, consider planning your next road trip to Yellowstone National Park.

The first National Park in the world and home of the famous Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone is comprised of 3,468.4 square miles of  lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges that stretch from Wyoming into Montana and Idaho. Driving is one of the best ways to visit Yellowstone National Park on a budget – particularly if you’re comfortable camping in a tent or in a small popup trailer.  But you don’t have to make the 2300 mile, 36+ hour drive in one stretch; that would take all the fun out of it!

Instead, take your time. You could stop in Las Vegas or spend a day or two hiking around the Grand Canyon and then make your way through Zion National Park to Salt Lake City, Utah. From there, swing by Jackson Hole, Wyoming or head straight to the park for camping, hiking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. The drive around Yellowstone is one of the best road trips for nature lovers, with the park home to Grizzly Bears, wolves,  bison, elk and hundreds more species of animals that roam freely.

You’ll want to devote at least a few days to Yellowstone as the park is massive and there is so much to see and explore. If you’re short on time, you can return your rental car at the airport and fly home, or take the meandering drive back, stopping at places you missed on the way out. The drive from California to Yellowstone, through Nevada, Utah and Idaho, is a classic summer road trip you won’t soon forget.

Photo by Jim Dollar

Categories
Portugal Things to Do

Things to Do in Lisbon: Belém

Belém, a parish of Lisbon, sits at the mouth of the Tagus River, six kilometers west of the city center. It’s home to a number of museums and monuments, including the Coach Museum , the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belém Tower, and the heavenly pastéis de Belém custard tart.

Belém is 15-20 minutes from the center of Lisbon via tram or bus; you could choose to base yourself here or come for a day or afternoon to enjoy the attractions of the area.

Other museums in Belém include the the Electricity Museum, the Folk Art Museum and the Presidential Museum. Also of note are are the Overseas Garden, the Imperial Garden, the Vasco de Gama Garden, and the Tropical Garden Museum. But what most people come to see are the Coach Museum (the most visited attraction in Lisbon), the Belém Tower (the Tower of St. Vincent) and the Jerónimos Monastery.

The Belém Tower is a fortified tower built in the 16th century as part of a defense system. It was also the starting point for many explorers who set out from Portugal and is now a UNESCO World heritage Site . The Tower is open to visitors from 10am to 5pm (from October to April; it’s open until 6:30pm in summer) and is closed Mondays. Admission is 4 euros.  

The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos another UNESCO site, was built by Henry the Navigator in the mid 1400’s and is renowned for its European Gothic design, elaborate sculptural details, and cloisters carved with maritime motifs like rope, coral, and sea creatures.  It’s open from 10am to5pm (October to April, open until 6pm in summer) and closed Mondays. Admission is 6 euros.

 

While in Belém, don’t miss a stop at the Pastéis de Belém shop just up the street from the Monastery. A pastéis de Belém (or pastéis de nata) is perhaps Portugal’s most famous export. This creamy custard tart can be found all over the country, but many say the best one can still be found at the original shop in Belém. The story goes that the pastéis de natas was created before the 18th century by Catholic nuns at the Jerónimos Monastery. In 1837 the Pastéis de Belém shop opened and began selling them to locals. Though many other shops have imitated the original, no one knows the exact recipe except for three of the shop’s employees. The secret is so closely guarded that it isn’t even written down.

The tarts are served hot warm from the oven, sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar and costs less than a euro each (but you’ll want more than one). You can sit and enjoy with a coffee, take a few to go, or order them by the roll of six to take with you on your travels.

Photos by: 1, 2

Categories
Portugal Things to Do

Things to Do in Lisbon: The Coach Museum

Lisbon’s most visited attraction, the Museu Nacional dos Coches, tells the story of Portugal’s history through transportation. At first glance, a museum dedicated to coaches and carriages may not seem all that interesting, until you come face-to-face with the ornately-carved and lavishly appointed carriages that would make any Disney princess jealous.

The museum was created in 1905, by  Queen Amélia of Orleans and Bragança, wife of King Carlos I. She realized that the Royal coaches, which were at the time scattered around Portugal, would not always be in use and that they should be preserved for their cultural and historical significance.  She chose the Royal Riding Arena in Belém as the site of the museum, which now holds coaches, berlins, carriages, chaises, cabriolets, litters, sedan chairs and children’s buggies dating from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Continue reading “Things to Do in Lisbon: The Coach Museum”