#Beehive Hostel

[alexiusgoesrogue]

Status Update: Day Two

Once again, the morning started earlier than planned (8am). We chose to get ready and go to the shops to buy some drinks and snacks for our lunch boxes we wanted to make for today’s adventure. Bee cooked sushi rice as well for us to pack.

With our backpacks full, we made our way down to the cable car station.

Up the hills, we took a quick look around the museum/shop and enjoyed the view right next to the station.

Our next stop was the Space Place, an observatory and sort of small space museum. We got tickets for both the museum and the show which was scheduled to begin just a couple of minutes after our arrival. The museum itself was fun to explore, and the show was a 20 minute kids animation about the tilt of the earth, and a roughly 25 minute presentation of the night sky, constellations, and the insane size of space, all projected on the dome ceiling.

Afterwards, we went on to explore the park and gardens. About halfway through and after buying some souvenirs (which I won’t reveal here, because they’re gifts for family), we sat down to eat our lunches.

(Video for listening to the amount of noise the cicadas made the entire time)

Food Ranking:

Sushi Rice with Tuna and Garlic powder: 4/5, a really neat idea for an easy but tasty lunch, maybe could need a bit more spices or other ingredients to get a bit more flavour in (or just more tuna)

Apple Juice: 4/5, very similar to the apple juice I know but a bit sweeter. Not overly sweet, but sweeter than I’m used to

Apple-Mango Puree: 5/5, very neat flavour, really just a better version of apple sauce and really great for a small snack on the go

Strawberry jello with Mango: 3/5, the jello is fine and not very sugary (probably because it’s intended for kids to eat), but I found the fruit bits in there to not really fit the flavour profile of the jello

***

The trip continued, and our aimless walking and reluctance to reading the map had us ending up lost somewhere in the complete opposite direction of where we wanted to go. While trying to make our way back on track, we met a very nice woman who let us pet her dog and even take a picture of it.

The walk to the start was treacherous and very uphill. Turns out, we took it backwards, just like the walk around the space museum. We took a break in the grass to recharge and then went back the same path to the souvenir shop, determined to make it to the rose garden as intended. Near the succulent garden, I took the first Polaroid picture.

The rose garden was a very nice place, and right next to was a small market set up, but it was about to close down just as we arrived. Our destination was just around the corner though, a small waterfall with a bunch of ducks living their best lives.

Once again, we recharged for a while and agreed to head back to the hostel for a break. It was 2:15pm that moment, meaning we’ve been up and going for almost five hours already. And we noticed how our tours so far never took us further away from the hostel than a 20 minute walk, which is very convenient when your feet are getting tired.

The walk back was even more treacherous than getting lost on the bush trail in the park, requiring two short breaks before finally making it to the pedestrian bridge crossing the highway. We passed the Beehive, the parliament building, and I took another picture of it and Bee with my camera before reaching our hostel.

We took a couple of hours to unwind and to let our feet rest, then it was time for a small surprise idea Bee had for us, a horror maze.

I’ve never really done a lot of horror related attractions aside from the occasional ride at some fair, but I was willing to try it out.

We had to walk in a single file line, so of course, the coward that I am, immediately called out Bee to walk in front. The maze was pitch black with just very rare bits of light and red dots above our heads to lead the way. The scare actors did a fantastical job, they scared us so well all the time. In the maze, I genuinely was really scared and swore to myself I’d never do this stuff ever again, but it was so much fun after getting out. (Probably because it was finally over.)

(Below is my favorite picture taken of us in the maze)

Before leaving, Bee bought the pictures and video for us to cherish the stupid faces we made, and I got myself a Freddy pin for my collection. After that, we made our way over to a gaming cafe.

We each paid $8 for two hours of time. Bee played League of Legends the whole time with friends, I tried getting back into Halo Infinite and Among Us.

The day came to an end around 11pm, sitting together in the common room while I ate ramen noodles (again) and writing the rest of this report while Bee bullies me for the stupid faces I always pull (love you pookie lol).

Sponsorships of the day: One-way cable car tickets, tickets for the Space Place, Fear Factory tickets, chicken kebab, L&P lemonade

[lindsaystravelblogs3]

Days 88-89  Monday-Tuesday  21-22 August

Monday

We were both pretty whacked from the last few days so decided to spend a restful day in the room.  We both busied ourselves with all the usual things we do, including ringing the kids, and had an easy lunch at our ‘desks’.

I decided I needed to get out for a while and had wanted to go down to the Vistula River, nearly two kilometres away.  I took my camera and binoculars in the hope of seeing some different birds and walked most of the way that our guide had taken us yesterday or the day before.  I could see the river from there and walked across the parklands to get there.  There was a huge water feature down there, with hundreds of water jets dancing up and down in tune with some music, and quite a few people were picnicking there and watching.  Part of the area was closed with some workmen making some repairs but I found an underpass to escape the busy traffic on the big dual carriageway highway and reached the river quite easily.  I couldn’t really get that close to it and almost all the birds were on the far side anyway, but I did identify about six or seven species to add to my Polish list.

I walked a couple of kilometres along the river to a huge tramway bridge with walking/cycling paths along both sides and made my way very gingerly across the wide river and back again.  The bridge is very (very) high and I found it quite frightening, but I had to do it to confirm a couple of my sightings.  One tiny bird I had seen from the bank looked a little like a White Wagtail at two hundred plus metres away (it just flashed momentarily across my binoculars while I was focussing on a Gull) and I went right across the river and saw it on the rocks immediately below my shaking knees.  Worth it?  Maybe, but I really didn’t need the adrenalin!

Once back on the original side of the bridge, I took quite a convoluted path over a hill and back to the parklands, seeing a couple more birds and passing a cordoned-off area with many active beehives in it.  From the signage, I think it may have been part of a scientific research or government project of some sort, but I don’t read Polish so I am really not sure – but there were plenty of bees there anyway.

Back at our room, I was again locked out because the code had been changed again.  Fortunately, Heather heard me banging violently on the door and came out to open the door from the inside where no code was required.  We asked the people at the other hostel associated with our hotel to arrange for it to be fixed – and in due course they did so.  We did a few puzzles together – we have done very few this trip, mainly because we have been woken early most mornings so that we can be ready for the day’s activities and it would be nice to have a few days to just lie in and loll about without trying to fit in with other people’s timings.

We went out to dinner at a restaurant around the corner and when we got back, the code had been fixed and we were able to get into our room again.

Tuesday. So endeth our Warsaw sojourn.

We were in our room for most of the day, reading, writing and sorting/editing photos, as well as packing ready to leave well before dawn tomorrow.

We had booked a food tour for 3 pm and had to meet our guide a bit over a kilometre away so walked up there around 2:30.  I decided not to take my backpack with my heavy camera, but forgot that my spare hearing aid batteries were in the backpack.  Sure enough, a few minutes before we met our guide, my aid warned me that the battery was dying so I rushed back to our room to get a replacement - only to find I was locked out again - for the fourth time.  We think the cleaners assume we are leaving each day and reset the locks when they leave.

By now, I was late for the tour, but I called in at the hostel near us and told them about the problem and the guy there said he would look at it while we were doing the tour.  I raced back to our meeting place to find our small group waiting, but in no hurry to head off.  The rest of the group was just two young Austrian 'madchens' and an older American guy and after us all chatting in the sun for fifteen minutes or more, we set off to our first tasting a couple of hundred metres away.  Our guide took us on a slightly circuitous route and pointed out a few more interesting features and historical perspectives along the way.

We started with a tasty soup in a hollowed-out bread bun, with some delicious potato pancakes to follow.  We sat and chatted over a drink or two before walking to a very pretty little restaurant in a narrow alley.  Our guide had plenty more interesting comments about things we passed (or detoured to pass) - he was very knowledgeable and had fascinating stories to tell every few steps.   We had four different types of pierogis at this restaurant and lots more chat.   The American guy was a lot of fun and had his own stories to tell, including some about Polish history because he has a PhD in European History (I think).   Our final stop was at a restaurant just under our window - and that was to sample a couple of local vodkas, very delicious they were too!

The tour and the food was all very traditional, especially the second stop in the alleyway. It was in an old house or apartment with tires of flowpots and bright flowers all around the door and beautifully-worked wall hangings and more flowers inside. This is apparently the way many Polish families arrange and decorate their homes and it quite delighted me. The whole effect was very homely and comfortable, even if the pierogis aren't our most favourite food.

We broke up the party about 9pm because we still had to do a few things ready for the next morning and we thought we may still be locked out of our room.  Fortunately, we weren’t!  The guy from the hostel up the road must have sorted it out and we were able to get in without difficulty and ready ourselves for tomorrow’s trek.   (I looked out the window an hour later and noted that our fellow foodies were still sitting at the restaurant.)

[merskrat]

Y’all need to calm down. I didn’t even start my education until I was 26. I didn’t finish until I was 28. I spent the years of my life that I was in my physical peak (meaning health) having insane adventures with my friends across the country. You think your life is over when you’re 25, when in reality, that’s when your brain is fully developed and is the perfect time to settle down and decide what you want to do. You guys are too scared to live. Take a fucking chance once in a while, but especially when you’re young. I’m almost 30 now and I managed to get by without committing to any particular path at 18 or even 25. And I don’t feel like that time was wasted. I have regrets like everyone else but probably less than someone who got into debt at the age of 18 after feeling forced to choose a life path a year earlier. I understand it’s the dream some of us were sold, but for the next generation—don’t do that. For years the toughest choice I had to make was which states, cities, and towns I should visit/settle for the winter months, or whether to go east or west that day. I can’t promise you’ll be fine just meandering in whatever ways appeal to you for however long, I’m just telling you that I am. If you are still one of those people who believes your life is over at 25, why are you not spending your adult years up to that point having fun, exploring, experiencing new things, and LIVING?

This is a picture of me on a freight train and I think I was about 22 or 23. Super beautiful ride where I passed miles and miles of blossoming fruit trees and beehives. The train sided here and we got off and skipped rocks for a few minutes. I’m not saying that everyone needs to be a straight up vagabond like I was, but you can do anything. Anything you want! Work a seasonal job, save money, go to Thailand! Live cheap and travel! Work part time, live in some shitty apartment and write your novel, or join a band! Go to Europe and stay in hostels! Drive around and visit state and national parks with your dog! You can be a traveler, you can be a starving artist. In fact, that is the best age to do it, both to manage your own time, and because people look at you and see pure potential. No one is gonna be like “when are you gonna get yourself a husband” when you’re twenty. Have fun and stop wasting your time!

I snapped a few pics from my photo album just now to add. I never had a phone so all of my pics were taken on disposable cameras.

The black dog at the top is my dog JJ. I bought him for $20 from some crack heads in Florida when he was 8 weeks and I was 18. He’s turning 11 this year! I think he is happy that we have settled cause he’s a lazy boi. All of these pictures were taken before I turned 20. I was 19 and had already been all over the country, all the way west and all the way down to the keys. That “hobo family photo” drawing with the stick frame? People saw it, my friends saw it, and they knew I had been there. We left our tags, sometimes with the date or direction that we were going, so we could keep track of each other in a way. Sometimes we left cans of food, or a few beers. We had no phones, but we had notebooks, instruments, sometimes a CD player or cheap MP3 player. We carried little hammocks and tiny stoves sometimes. We had our sleeping bags and dog food and each other. I was constantly running into my friends without even planning on it, or making new friends with whatever kids I ran into if I vibed with them. I have known the guys in the Hawaiian shirts literally forever, happened to run into them in key west while they were trying to dress “in disguise” to blend in lol. We camped out on a beach in the middle keys for New Years, drinking and making tacos, swimming, waking up to seeing sharks and dolphins and stingrays swim by us. It was magical. Dude with the tequila bought his own home recently, and him and his gf rebuilt it, did the plumbing and electricity, and painted every single room to their own tastes. We might all look like bums in these pictures, but we are all in our late 20s-early 30s now and are literally fucking fine. I never felt like I was “behind” my friends. Most of them are not even doing as well as I am now, and the amount of life experience and people skills I made in even one year of my life living like this was worth more than five of them working a minimum wage job, or dropping out of college, or whatever. It was certainly hard sometimes, but it gave me confidence in myself and the ability to adapt to any situation.

Now go out and fucking live, kids!

[michellemaphoto]

Rome, Italy

Hello there! I was in Italy in mid-summer, but as life took over since then, I’ve only had a chance to write about it now that I have a bit of downtime around the holidays.

Italy was a magical trip, not least because I had such a wonderful host and ample time on my hands to explore and wander. For those who have never been to Rome, it’s an amazing city to wander in, and I savored every minute of it. From wandering the streets, finding historical sites every few blocks, coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques, there is always something interesting around the corner for me to discover and think about. Below are the highlights and more photos here. Enjoy!

Where I Stayed

I don’t have any photos of this place as I didn’t much like it, but I stayed at the Beehive Hostel, at the Clover offsite apartment house so I could have my own home. It’s only a few blocks from Termini station, but the off site apartment wasn’t in the best part of town and was definitely sketchy at night. While the interior was clean, it was little more than a place to sleep and shower, and wasn’t a place I felt like I could chill in. The guest turnaround was also what you’d expect from a hostel. Some were polite and friendly, some were rude and noisy, and others in-between. Overall, I would have had a better experience if I stayed on-site, but there weren’t any openings for the time of year I went, and I needed to be reasonably close to my friend and a subway station, plus I had budgeted more money into eating and shopping, so my options were indeed limited.  It wasn’t the most expensive place to stay in, but I was happy to be out and stay with Alexandra in her beautiful art-deco home for the remainder of my time in Rome.

Food

Ain’t a Rome post without writings on food. Rome was full of fresh and affordable food so I didn’t feel the urge to have fancy dinners here.  The best part about food in Italy is that it’s high quality, portioned well (neither too much nor too little, and never stingy), and affordable for students and working people alike. Food equality! I can’t emphasize enough the quality of ingredients and attention to the enjoyment of food. None of the food I had made me sleepy, sick, or otherwise feel horrible, which often happens in the US if I indulge in starch and sweets. And the passion people put in their food prep translates into an otherworldly experience when I take my first few bites, until the very end of my meal.  An entire country that loves food as much as, but likely more than, I do, and that makes all my favorite food beautifully. I’LL BE BACK!

Breakfast Food

For breakfast, I often had an espresso drink, either straight espresso, macchiato, or cappuccino, and perhaps with a pastry, such as a cornetto or chocolate croissant, when I was feeling more peckish. It’s usually what Italians eat for breakfast, and I don’t eat a lot of breakfast normally anyway, so it suited me well. Usually it’s 1 euro each for a drink and a pastry. I can’t imagine getting this level of quality and experience in the Bay Area for even 3x that price. Bay Area’s gotta step it up!

1. Cambridge Cafe

Cambridge Cafe was in a beautiful, more suburban part of town whose architecture was reminiscent of some neighborhoods in Paris. I loved the morning bustle here but it wasn’t touristy at all, which I much enjoyed. The coffee and pastries were also delicious!

I went here quite a few times for the delicious coffee and variety of pastries. The chocolate croissant was fresh and still had molten chocolate inside. 

2. Mizzica

This gem of a bakery serves Sicilian pastries and it was absolutely wondrous to look at the displays while I waited in line. I got a small pistachio cannolo and a chocolate pastry that resembled a donut (dunno what it’s called, sorry!). Both were incredible and I savored every last crumb. The cannoli in Italy are a different item completely from the starchy mess I’ve had in the US. It’s definitely worth a try from a genuine Sicilian bakery.

I made a real mess eating this. No regrets.

3. Mercato Centrale

Mercato Centrale is a food court that is connected to Termini Station above ground. But, calling it a food court is really a disservice because I have never seen any food court like this back in the US. Perhaps it’s a bit like the higher end food courts I found in the fancy department stores in Japan, but this definitely had its own flavor and personality. It’s open early and closes late, which is perfect for commuters and travelers alike, and serves a variety of foods, ranging from breakfast and pastries to coffee, wines, other drinks, and prepared foods such as pasta, sandwiches, and desserts. It also features a meat market and pasta market, so there’s plenty to see here.

I went here a couple times as well since it was at the train station nearest my hostel and served such delicious food I knew I could count on it in times of hangriness. The mercato here also serves coffee and pastries and I went here on one of my first days in Rome to try a couple items. I got a cappuccino and cornetto speciale (which has chocolate swirls in the crust), and had a bit of heaven. 

Lunch

There are so many lunch options in Rome it’s hard to list out all the choices I had, but I’ll list the highlights below. Any form of starch you want, you got it! Pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and so much else, that I’d have to live here at least a few years to go into detail what the city has to offer. Here are my humble meals.

1. Mercato Centrale

Ok, I went here a bunch of times because of its convenience, quality, and sheer variety of food to eat. It also was smartly situated at my subway stop and was a great option after sightseeing all morning and needed to rest my feet before going back to the hostel. My first meal in Rome with my friend was actually here, where I had pasta with cacio e pepe. DELICIOUS. Blew my mind. No cacio e pepe in the US ever tasted like this. Actually, except for Pizzaiolo and Pazzo, no Italian restaurant in the US that I have tried has gotten even close to any pasta I’ve had in Rome. They just can’t touch this. And all this for about 8 euros! I was in heaven.

Cacio e pepe

Pesto pasta

Ravioli

2. Il Sorpasso

This place is great for a lunch or dinner and has a fun, busy vibe that’s great for meeting up with friends, and romantic enough for dinner. For lunch, I went by myself at at at the bar, starting first with a coffee, prosciutto, and having a potato tortino with vegetables. Delicious! If only there was a menu in English, as I’d actually been looking for a pasta with red sauce. So it goes. I also ordered too much, as you can probably guess. I was hungry. Just finish your food, kids, or you’ll get a disapproving look from the serving staff. SIGH.

3. Baccanale

Baccanale isn’t far from Piazza Navona or Campo d’Fiori, so it was a good stop for lunch while sightseeing that day. The sandwich options were also tasty and it was fun to walk around and see the sights while munching on a sandwich of salami and cheese.

Dinner

1. Ristorante Pecorino

This restaurant served incredible carbonara. Although, tbh, I about died at every meal because everything that I tried was so good. This place still blew everything away. It’s quite a bit pricier than the other places I listed above, but it’s well worth the money. There is even an additional level of refinement here in ambiance and food preparation that is worth every extra euro I paid for my meal. I ate with my friend Alexandra, first sharing a fried artichoke appetizer and digging into my carbonara, before finishing off the meal with a zabaione and amaro del capo. It was a dinner I won’t forget, and inspired me to make carbonara at home and search for quality guanciale. The search, sadly, continues, but the memory lives on.

The food was so good I even braved the cultural disapproval and exasperation in asking for a box to go so I could eat it for breakfast. No shame!

2. Il Sorpasso

Il Sorpasso was also a delicious place, and was completely different at night, with the darker dining area and candlelit meals. It’s a great place for a date or a nice night out with good friends, and I really enjoyed my meal here. We started with some bread and cheese, and I ordered a glass of red wine to go with my pasta.

3. L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele

This place is my pizza soulmate. It’s also incredibly busy so we went at 7:30 for dinner, which is early here, but perfect timing for me, which ended in a 10 minute wait (hooray!) For the two times I went here, I ordered local craft beer, which paired excellently with my Neapolitana and Margherita pizzas. Thin crust, baked at incredibly high temps for a short period of time, just enough to blister the crust and make it crunchy on the outside, while leaving the inside doughy and pleasantly chewy. When I go back to Rome, this will be one of my first stops after I dump my shit at the hotel. Yep.

4. Alice Pizza

Alice Pizza is Roman style pizza, and this place sells pizza by the kilo, so you can tell the server to cut as much as you’d like off the sheet of pizza on display. No shame. I loved the slightly thicker crust here, square slices, and the still-chewy dough. The Italians don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to their yeast bread, that’s for sure. 

I had this once at the actual restaurant and once at a house party, and both times the pizza was delicious and satisfying to the soul. Very different from the Neapolitan pizza, but no less satisfying. I had mushrooms and margherita, the slices were substantial.

5. Ops!

One evening, we felt like having something simple, so opted to go to Ops! for dinner, where food is purchased buffet style and weighed at the cashier. It was a simple arrangement and the food was delicious. No complaints here.

Other grocery stores

The grocery stores here were also to die for. I loved to wander the aisles and see what each shop had to offer, whether it was an incredible wine selection, chocolate section, or lots of fresh fruit. Some of the best grocery stores were small family-owned ones selling the most incredibly fresh fruit I have ever seen. I purchased a kilo of cherries for less than 3 euros, and it was a varietal I can’t find in the states. Sweet with nuance, crispy, juicy, fleshy, and better than anything people describe as fruit that tastes like candy. The bigger grocery stores that had prepared food sold a mouth-watering variety of fresh baked bread, burratta cheese and other cheeses, and cured meats, such as salami and prosciutto. These places are great when going on a picnic, and we stopped by on our way to a picnic at Villa Borghese with another friend living in Rome.

Gelato

I’m not allowed to skip this section. Mostly because I had gelato nearly every day... Yep. It was that good. And there are that many places to try. And every place serves 2 scoops of gelato of your choice, fills the bottom of your cone (and you had better get a cone, you noob) with molten milk or white chocolate, and even gives you fresh whipped cream or a cookie on top, depending on the place, for no extra charge. All under 3 euros. So eat your heart out. I certainly did, and I had no shame in walking a bit extra instead of buying another subway pass just so I could have those minutes of anticipation and bliss. So do it. You won’t regret this. Especially in a fucking June-July heat wave. 

The gelato I had at these places (and everywhere else I went) had incredibly fresh gelato, often made with organic ingredients. You could taste the chocolate, the fruit, and all the quality ingredients and love that went into each scoop. You can see the attention with which each server scoops and shapes the gelato by hand (with such flair!) onto the cone so that it’s the perfect soft-serve consistency from the first bite, or fills the cone with molten chocolate, or adds the little cookie on top. The love and attention to detail are everywhere, AS LONG AS YOU AVOID THE TOURIST TRAPS. Not only are the tourist traps more expensive, the ingredients are cheap and they might even use food coloring for how strangely some of the gelato looked coming out of those shops. Just don’t do it. Walk those extra blocks and try these places, or I’ll scorn you forever. And get the regular size -- two scoops, on a cone. Don’t try to cheap out or count calories with one cone or ask for a damn cup. Or you’ll endure the hatred of literally everyone in Italy. Eat this proper. 

1. Guttilla

This was my favorite gelato place of all I tried in Rome. The gelato was better than La Romana, the cone was slightly sweet, pleasantly crunchy on the outside with a tiny but of doughyness on the tongue on the inside, and the fruit berry gelato flavor was to die for. I went here at least a couple times. I’d learn Italian just so I could order food.

I didn’t have time to check out all the other goodies on offer here, but I’ll come back for you!

Whimsy and art taken to a fanatical level. YES. You are my people.

2. Gelateria La Romana

The whipped cream at this place trumps the whipped cream I had at any other gelato place in Italy, period. While Guttilla had better gelato, the whipped cream here is worth the trip alone. Don’t get me wrong, the gelato is still top notch and I’m splitting hairs here. Try this too!

And try these and tell me what they’re like! They look heavenly.

Sightseeing

I sprinkled all the eating in between sightseeing, so I’d advise travelers to map out what sights are close to each other and in what neighborhoods, and then do research on places to eat nearby. Rome required a TON of walking, about as much as Tokyo did, so I had to prepare for transit time and good shoes. Not to mention being hungry after a couple hour-long outing.

I organized my sightseeing highlights in order of my favs (Vatican City and Museum of Modern Art being my top picks if you only have 24-48 hours in Rome), and the rest are grouped by vicinity, for ease of planning. Hope this helps! 

1. Vatican City

The Vatican was my favorite sight in all of Rome, to my surprise. I’m neither very knowledgeable about the history of the Vatican nor Catholic, but the museum had a collection of breathtaking structures and pieces of art that I was in awe my entire time here. My favorite gallery was the Gallery of Cartography of Italy, since I love looking at maps and the ornate ceiling was captivating. 

The Sistine Chapel (no photos allowed) was beautiful as well, and well worth the crowds and the pushy people, but after seeing all the beauty around me on the rest of the tour, it wasn’t my main highlight.

My favorite at the Vatican was, of course, St. Peter’s Basilica. The architecture, art and sculpture, history and overall feel of being inside and having a quiet moment is something special which I can’t describe in words. It was a comforting and awe-inspiring place to be, and I’m lucky to have been able to visit and drink in all the beauty and history. 

No visit to St. Peter’s is complete without a climb up the cupola, or dome, for an extra few euros.The climb up is long and stuffy, and the crowds can be unbearable at times, but the view of the rest of the Vatican looking down, and the rest of Rome, is truly worth the struggle. And with the crowds that day and the intense heat, it was one of those days where I wanted a nap and gelato after.

Also, after seeing the museums and St. Peter’s during the day, it was quite a nice change to come back at night later in my trip to see the Vatican lit up at night, with quiet streets and no crowds. 

2. National Gallery of Modern Art

The National Gallery of Modern Art was a close second when it came to favorite sites. It contains art (paintings, sculpture, other installations) from the 19th and 20th centuries and has the largest modern art collection in all of Italy. Many of the pieces were striking in their simplicity and use of color and lines, and others were more whimsical. It was a great way to spend an afternoon, indoors and away from the heat. Not only are the museum grounds beautiful, but the walk through the museum was incredibly well-planned and the items on exhibit carefully curated. So, while the museum was one of the smaller ones I visited when in Italy, every piece made me pause in thought. I’m also a modern art lover, so this was an ideal place to visit! It’s accessible by tram and is pretty easy to get to. Favorite art pieces below!

3. Colosseum

I saw the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trajan’s Column, and Vittoriano in one trip as they’re all walking distance from each other, and off the Colosseo subway stop. I actually visited the Roman Forum, Trajan’s Column, and Vittoriano a few times while walking by and wandering the city, so I was able to capture the Forum and Vittoriano during the day and at night. 

I learned some really neat facts about the Colosseum while walking on the grounds. It required a ticket to get in, and took about an hour to an hour and a half to walk through different parts of the structure and through the museum. It was breathtaking not only by its sheer size, condition of the surviving structure, and also with the knowledge that the entire thing was build without modern tools. To add on top of that, the stadium seating and entrances and exits were designed so that the a full stadium of people could completely exit the Colosseum in only a few minutes. I don’t know if even modern stadium can accomplish that. Apparently, the Colosseum also had become a jungle as it grew over and fell into disuse, and in the Middle Ages, was inhabited by people who partitioned off parts into homes and workshops. What a history!

4. The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum was also a sight to see. Sunken below street level, the walkway we walked on was the same sidewalk the Romans used thousands of years ago. I pictured the marketplaces, places of worship (temples and churches), and even Caesar’s funeral pyre as I walked around the Roman Forum, admiring the beautiful marble pillars still standing and the ornate carving on them.

5. Trajan’s Column

North of the Roman Forum and across the street, Trajan’s Column was built in AD 113 or so, and celebrated Emperor Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars. The spiral bas relief was something to see, thousands of years later.

6. Vittoriano

The Vittoriano was built in the 19th century to honor Italy’s first king, and was even more beautiful at night.

7. Pizza Navona

I visited Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, Campo d’Fiori, and Pantheon in a walking tour one day, which took the better part of the late morning and afternoon, counting a couple times when I took a wrong turn, and also when I stopped to browse some boutiques. The Piazza Navona was actually my favorite spot of all of these four, followed closely by the Pantheon. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as interested in the Trevi Fountain, despite all the talk it gets. 

Fountain of the Four Rivers, with an Egyptian obelisk.

8. Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain, in the district of Trevi, is the largest baroque fountain in Rome. Even though it was stunning and beautiful, I much preferred Piazza Navona and the fountain there.

9. Campo d’Fiori

Campo d’Fiori, south of Piazza Navona, was a square with an outdoor market, comprised mostly of touristy souvenirs, and crowded as all hell. I walked around quickly and then wandered to Baccanale for lunch, barely a block or so away.

10. Pantheon

The Pantheon was something else. Another structure whose sheer scale and grandeur, not to mention condition, the Pantheon was well worth the horrible crowds, just so I could go inside and look up in amazement at the beauty around me. Sadly, my humble 50mm could not capture all I could see.

11. Largo di Torre Argentina

I couldn’t visit the site of Caesar’s funeral pyre at the Roman Forum and not go to Largo di Torre Argentina, the site where he was murdered.

11. Villa Borghese

I didn’t walk through all of Villa Borghese, as it’s huge, but the gardens are beautiful, tranquil, and the perfect spot for some morning exercises or an afternoon picnic. I opted for the latter with a couple friends and enjoyed a leisurely meal in the shade of a large tree.

12. Monti neighborhood

On my first day in Rome, Alexandra took me for a nice after lunch stroll through Monti, a picturesque and popular neighborhood, where I could start to soak in the architecture, coffee, and gelato.

13. Romeow Cat Cafe

I had to go here. I mean, I went to Tokyo just to see 20 cats eating in a row at the MoCHA Cat Cafe in Shibuya. Rome has one cat cafe, and I had to see what the Italian kitties were like. The cafe served delicious smoothies and had a coffee shop / lounge feel that was great for conversation and for searching for kitties to pet. It was really fun and low-key, and quite different from the Tokyo experience, which felt more structured.

The Cat Cafe is in the Testaccio neighborhood, so I had a chance to wander through the area, admire Pyramide, and head to Ristorante Pecorino for lunch after.

Shopping

No post about Rome is complete without a list of places to go shopping or browse:

Intimissimi: for pajamas and underwear, and all other pretty things

Flavio Castellani: for high end boutique clothing made in Italy. It’s high quality here, with the flair of something you can only get in Italy, but without the ghastly price tag of Gucci. Do check it out, even if you don’t buy!

And, if you do go shopping, ask about getting VAT refunds, and get to the airport early to cash out at a Global Blue kiosk. Don’t be those asshole tourists who try to cut in line, 10 at a time, so they can get their money back AND make their flight back. They got yelled at. No sympathy! 

Go to Rome! Also, go to Florence! I’ll be writing about it soon :)

[eniyiyerler-blog]

Bolivya Gezilecek En İyi Yerler

Bolivya Gezilecek En İyi Yerler

Bolivya, rakımı epey yüksek bir ülke olduğundan şehirleri de genelde deniz seviyesinden epey yukarıda bulunmakta. Ciğerleriniz için epey sağlam bir antrenman olacak Bolivya seyahatinde gezilecek en iyi beş şehri bu yazı dizimizde bulabilirsiniz.

Sucre

Bolivya gezilecek en iyi yerlerin başında Sucre’den geliyor. Hoş kafeleri, beyaz binaları, müzeleri ve Andean dağları ile Sucre, Bolivya’nın gezilecek yerlerinin başında geliyor. Şehir, deniz seviyesinden 2800 metre yüksekte bulunmakta ve önemli tarihi yerlere sahip. Sucre’de gezebileceğiniz en iyi yerler arasında, Bolivya bağımsızlık anlaşmasının imzalandığı ve şu anda oldukça ilgi çekici bir müze olan Casa de La Libertad ve şehrin kuzeydoğusunda bulunan, dünyadaki en büyük dinozor ayak izleri koleksiyonunun yer aldığı Parque Cretatico geliyor. Sucre, ayrıca birçok kafe ve restorana da ev sahipliği yapmakta. Farklı damak tatlarına hitap eden yerleri kolayca bulabilirsiniz. Kalabileceğiniz yer olarak, kocamana eski bir köşkte kurulan ve içinde güzel bir avlunun, mutfağın ve hamakların bulunduğu, ayrıca bölgenin kadınları için düzenlenen projeleri destekleyen bir yer olan Beehive Hostel’i tavsiye ederiz.

Uyuni ve Tupiza

Uyuni, dünyanın en büyük tuz göllerinden biri olan Salar de Uyuni Gölünü barındırıyor. Şehrin kendisi genel olarak bakımsız ve turistlerin buraya uğramalarının genelde tek nedeni, bu devasa tuz gölünü görmek. Dolayısıyla insanlar, burada geçirecekleri süreyi olabildiğince kısa tutmaya çalışıyorlar. Burada, çok daha hoş ve çekici bir kasaba olan Tupiza’ya düzenlenen turlara katılabilirsiniz. Tupiza’da ilginizi çekecek aktiviteler arasında ata binme ve kasabayı çevreleyen kızıl kayalarda yürüyüş yapmak var. Şehir, aynı zamanda Uyuni’ye göre çok daha sıcak bir atmosfere sahip. Yiyecek namına ise her iki şehirde de fazla seçenek bulunmuyor. Bolivya gezilecek en iyi yerler  yazmızı okumaya devam edin…

La Paz

La Paz, bir nevi İstanbul konumunda: Fiilen başkent olmasa da tıpkı İstanbul gibi başkent olarak görülüyor ve Bolivya’nın en uğrak şehri. Aynı zamanda bakanlar kurulu da burada ve ülke buradan yönetiliyor. Baştan söyleyelim; şehrin rakımı ciğerlerinizi epey zorlayacak. Havaalanı bile denizden 4000 metre yükseklikte. Nefesiniz çabuk kesilecek olduğundan seyahatinizi ağırdan almanızı ve kendinizi çok zorlamamanızı tavsiye ederiz.

Şehir merkezi epey kaotik ve çılgın. Görebileceğiniz en iyi yerler arasında, San Francisco Kilisesi; Plaza Mayor (sokak performansları izleyebilirsiniz) hayatınızda görmediğiniz malları görebileceğiniz Mercado Lanza gelmekte. Doğuya gittiğinizde ise Cadı Pazarını mutlaka görün.

Kalabileceğiniz yer olarak, Avenida IIIampu’da bulunan Muzungu Hostel’i tavsiye ederiz. Şehir merkezine yürüme mesafesinde bulunan bu hostel, otobüs terminaline de yalnızca 20 dakika uzaklıkta. Ayrıca Bolivya’daki hostellar için adeta bir lüks olan kablosuz internet erişimine de sahip.

Geleneksel Bolivya mutfağını tatmak isterseniz, Mercado Lanza’ya gidip tepede, yerel halkın takıldığı lokantaları denemenizi öneririz. Tavsiye ettiğimiz yemekler arasında hoşlanmış patates ve salata ile servis edilen baharatlı bir sosa bulanmış kızarmış tavuk olan picante de pollo bulunmakta.

Copacabana ve Isla del Sol

Brezilya’nın ünlü sahili Copacabana ile karıştırmayın. Bolivya’daki Copacabana, Brezilya’dakinin aksine sakin, huzurlu bir göl kenarı. Burada, Güney Amerika’nın en büyük gölünü görebilir ve Isla Del Sol’a tekne ile gidebilirsiniz. Özellikle gün batımını izlemenizi tavsiye ederiz. İnka halkının inanışına göre güne tanrısı Isla el Sol’da doğmuş. Dolayısıyla birçok antik kalıntıya rastlayacaksınız. İrtifa oldukça yüksek olduğundan (tıpkı La Paz gibi deniz seviyesinden 4000 metre yukarıda) yürüyüş yapmak bünyenizi zorlayabilir. Yemek ve konaklama namına ise pek bir şey bulunmamakta. Umarız Bolivya gezilecek en iyi yerler yazımızı beğenmisişnizdir.

Bolivya hakkındaki yazılarımıza ulaşmak için aşağıdaki linkleri kullanabilirsiniz.

Bolivya gezilecek en iyi yerler

Bolivya gezi tavsiyeleri

[plusorminuscongress]

NPR News: Long After Lockdown, Rome Hostel Owners Take A Big Hit From Pandemic

Long After Lockdown, Rome Hostel Owners Take A Big Hit From Pandemic NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Steve Brenner and Linda Martinez, owners of the Beehive Hostel in Rome, about how the EU's ban on American travelers is impacting their business this summer. Read more on NPR

[tammymazzocco]

NPR News: Long After Lockdown, Rome Hostel Owners Take A Big Hit From Pandemic

Long After Lockdown, Rome Hostel Owners Take A Big Hit From Pandemic NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Steve Brenner and Linda Martinez, owners of the Beehive Hostel in Rome, about how the EU's ban on American travelers is impacting their business this summer. Read more on NPR

[karahorirahen-blog]

興味津々！ #からほりらへん #Repost @beehivehostelosaka • • • • • • 11月4日は、 屋久島長期滞在・プチ移住 リアルシェア会 in 大阪　～大自然とワクワクで溢れた島で暮らすってどういうこと！？～」 を開催しました! 屋久島のゲストハウス、 屋久島サウスビレッジのオーナーミッキーさんから、移住に適した場所や、物価の話、仕事探しの話など��具体的なお話を聞くこと��できました！ その後自然のある場所へ行きたくなり、今週末はプチ旅に出ます😆 (ビーハイブホステル大阪 / Beehive Hostel Osaka / 大阪蜂窩民宿) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4lwxNplF6V/?igshid=u4kmsxdfb0f7

[denmarkduringthefall-blog]

Study tour in western Denmark

Last week, for “core course week” I got lots and lots at practice at sketching buildings. My “core course” here at DIS is Architectural Foundations, observing sketching buildings is one of the foundational skills they would like me to work on while I’m here. Monday, I practiced sketching at DIS with all the other architecture students. Above is a page from my sketchbook. I drew a “serial vision” of what it looked like to talk down Strøget, a shopping/walking street near school. 

Tuesday, I went back to the Open Air Museum with my architecture class. It was even more rainy this time... Here is one of my drawings from that visit, of a house with a green roof and an old beehive that was out front. 

I had the day off Wednesday and went on a tour of buildings in western Denmark from early Thursday morning to Saturday afternoon.

 I have included some pages from the program for that trip here. Each one has some pictures and some info. If you would like to read more about any of the places that I went, you can click on the name of the place as I have linked each one to its website. I have also included a few more pages from my sketchbook.

Thursday:  Kolding and Skanderborg

1. Trapholt Art Museum  (Kolding)

Though small, this museum was cool because the building was designed to blend with the natural space around it. It sits among some small hills, right on the edge of a fjord. The museum had one central corridor with smaller galleries branching off from it. I liked this design because I felt sure I had gotten to see everything. The drawing below is looking into one of the galleries from that central corridor. It seems that we got there in between major shows because a few of the galleries were closed at the time. That being said, the art that was up and visible was pretty cool. I especially liked “Think Bigger” a show by Michael Kvium, and a bunch of chairs they had on display from various famous architects and designers. 

2. Koldinghus (Kolding)

Koldinghouse is a fortress that partially burned in 1808. After the fire, the inside was given a modern renovation. Now it is a museum about the history of the fortress and the town. When we visited, they had a temporary exhibition called Beyond Icons. It was arranged by design students, each one chose an “iconic” object that they appreciated and made a small display for it. I really liked this show, and the inside of the fortress was a beautiful mix of old and new.  

3. SDU Student Center (Skanderborg)

Though I saw some cool stuff at each of the museums, This building was absolutely my favorite of the day (possibly of the entire trip). The student center is shaped like a triangle (and you will find more triangles everywhere you look, from the skylights to the window shades) with a central open area that is also shaped like a triangle but is turned a few degrees on each level (shown in orange on the diagram below). This is difficult to imagine unless you are in the space, but it has a very cool effect on the space. The railings of each level crisscross each other when you look down from the top, and this means that much more natural light can make its way onto the various floors (compared to how it would be if the open area in the center were the same on each level). There are also outdoor balconies with plant-walls and modular furniture. It is definitely a place where I would be happy to study and hang out. 

(Above: View from the top floor in SDU campus center )

We stayed in a hostel in Skanderborg for the night. We ate at a restaurant called  Nicoli Café, which was also an art house cinema. The food was very tasty but sadly we didn’t watch a movie there. 

Friday: Århus

Åarhus is the second largest city in Denmark. This year, it is one of two European Culture Capitals   (the other is Pafos, Cyprus), which means there are a lot of events and things going on there. I really liked Århus, and I hope that I get a chance to go back.

4. DOKK1

Our first day in Århus, we went to DOKK1 library and citizen center. This was a really cool, multi-functional space. The first floor is a library, and throughout there are areas to work, relax,  or play (there are many different play spaces and toys that accommodate kids of all ages). There are also offices and various spots for exhibitions of art and other projects. The building itself had an interesting but somewhat confusing layout.

2. Dome of Visions 

After DOKK1 we got to explore Århus on our own for a little bit. I went to the Dome of Visions, which sits right on the harbor. The Dome of Visions was just transported to Århus after spending two years in Copenhagen. Surrounded by community garden plots and made mainly of glass, it is hard for me to imagine a structure I would have liked more than this. It was sunny and cozy at the coffee bar inside, filled with lush plants and comfy couches. I would love to build something similar in the near future. I didn’t draw it, but I took lots of pictures! 

4. Skanderup Kirke 

Skanderup Kirke is a little church on a hill, it is one of the oldest churches in Denmark (built in 1050) . From its location, you can see out over much of the town and a large lake. It’s quite lovely. The inside of the church is almost as lovely as the view. It is made of a soft white chalk and it is decorated with hand-drawn patterns in nice warm browns and reds. I felt very calm and comfortable in there. 

Friday night, we stayed in a hostel on the edge of the lake that we could see from Skanderup Kirke! I went canoeing for the first time ever there. It was raining a little when we set out, but it cleared up fairly fast, and we got to see a vibrant rainbow stretched over the shore. Our cabin was cute and the dinner at the hostel was very tasty. After dinner, our group had a bonfire and made Snobrød. Snobrød is like the Danish version of s’mores in that you traditionally cook it on a stick over the campfire. That is where the similarities stop. It’s just bread dough which you wind in a spiral around your stick, nothing overly sweet. 

Saurday: Århus

1. City Hall

Saturday morning we headed back to the Århus. Our first stop was city hall. It is a really beautiful art-deco-like building from the 40′s. We didn’t get to go up in any of the upper floors or in the clock tower. But we did get to spend some time in the main event hall. It is a large open room with one full wall of windows on one side, and a collapsible wall made of brightly colored textiles on the other. The lights are these cool hexagonal boxes made of brass and glass which hang from the balconies of the upper floors. The room has a high vaulted ceiling with yet more windows in it. 

2. ARoS Art Museum of Modern Art

ARos is a fantastic museum. The layout made it easy to be certain that I saw everything, but I would still like to go back for a second visit. The building itself is supposedly designed to represent a trip from hell to heaven. There is an exhibition called 9 spaces (a reference to the 9 circles of hell) in the basement.  You then travel up a huge spiral staircase through the museum, until you reach the roof terrace and the rainbow halo on top which is meant to represent heaven.  The designers clearly liked playing with contrasting elements like this. The outside of the building is a red cube while the inside is all white curves. 

I loved so much of the work that I saw at ARoS that it would be hard for me to pick a favorite. I did, however, think that the 9 spaces exhibition was particularly cool and unique. I also think that they have organized the art throughout the museum very well. 

After the museum, we stopped by the Århus street food center to grab some lunch (I got a pulled duck sandwich, it was o.k.) and headed home. 

[atravellersfootsteps]

Lake Louise is one of the most scenic destinations in the world. With electric blue glacier fed Lakes, Rocky Mountains in every direction, an incredible range of wildlife, it’s easy to understand why.

Lake Louise is a must do destination on any backpackers list who is planning a trip to Western Canada. I am lucky enough to be able to live and work here and really get to know the area. What I have found to be great about Lake Louise and the Rockies is that once you get here, you can explore and experience this amazing part of the world for free or at a relatively cheap price, for example hiking is one of the best things to do in Lake Louise and it is totally FREE! Experiencing the Rockies is totally doable on a backpacker’s budget. And if you are looking for an adventure packed trip involving outdoor activities, Lake Louise is the ideal destination.

Winter activities in and around Lake Louise

Lake Louise offers a vast range of outdoor winter activities including downhill skiing and snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice-skating, dog sledding, hiking and ice climbing.

Downhill skiing and snowboarding at Lake Louise Ski Area is a popular activity, and in my opinion, one not to be missed. Lake Louise has some of the most diverse terrain catering for advanced to beginner skiers and snowboarders. The ski area has 145 marked runs, 10 lifts, 1700 hectares of tree runs, a boarder cross track and a park for the more advanced riders. Costs is around $100 per day, if you have your own gear.

Lake Louise Ski Area also has a snow tubing park for those of you looking for a fun activity. If you are not a snowboarder or skier you can always take the sightseeing Gondola to the top to get some breathtaking photos to show your friends and family back home.

Last winter I led snowshoeing tours through the Canadian Rockies. The photo below is from a snowshoeing trip up Saddle Back peak in Lake Louise.

My favourite snowshoe trails include, Fairview lookout(3kms return), Saddleback Peak(10kms), Lake Agnes(6kms), Johnstons Canyon(6kms) and Peyto Lake(2kms).

Lake Agnes                                                   Saddleback Peak

Another cheap and exciting activity is ice-skating on Lake Louise. With the cost of rentals at $12, it’s a bargain, and what better place to ice skate than amongst the rocky mountains on a frozen lake.

Summer activities in and around Lake Louise

Summer activities include hiking, rock climbing, white water rafting, mountain biking, canoeing and horseback riding.

Hiking is a popular activity for backpackers as, not only is it free, it offers some of the most amazing views in the world.

Lake Louise has an abundance of hiking trails, including the Plain of Glaciers Tea house hike, Lake Agnes, Saddleback Pass, Paradise Creek, Fairview Peak, Big Beehive, Little Beehive and Fairview look out, just to name a few.

My favourite summer trail is Fairview Peak, followed by Big Beehive and Peyto Lake.

Fairview Mountain Peak

Lake Agnes

Big Beehive

Moraine Lake

If you get to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake and don’t feel like hiking, rent a canoe and explore the lake from the water top. Although slightly expensive, it is a truly amazing experience.

Another experience I highly recommend is White Water Rafting. Again, it comes with a cost but in my opinion is well and truly worth it. Rushing down the glacier fled rivers at high speeds gets your heart pumping, and is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face for days.

The great thing about summer in Lake Louise is the amount of sunlight in a day. With sunlight until approximately 11pm, you can fit a lot of fun and adventure into one day.

Eating on the cheap!

Lake Louise isn’t the cheapest destination in terms of eating out; however there are ways to save.

HI-Lake Louise Alpine Centre has two huge, fully equipped kitchens, which I would recommend making use of. Out of the all the hostels I have travelled to, HI-Lake Louise Alpine Centre has the nicest facilities making it a home away from home. Unfortunately, grocery shopping in Lake Louise can be expensive, so if given the opportunity I would recommend bringing in groceries from Banff, Jasper or home.

Cooking meals is one way to save you money, however after a big, adventure packed day, and sometimes you just want to eat out. So cheap places to eat include:

Laggans bakery located in Samson Mall is the cheapest place to grab a bite to eat. With a large selection of pastries, pizza, pies, bagels and more, you can pick something up to eat from around $2-50 to $6.

Trailhead Café   Also in Samson Mall is the place to go if you looking for something more filling, get one of their  delicious wraps. Wraps will cost around $7-10.

Mountain Restaurant Another favourite, and a great option if you are starving after a huge day on the hill is a Mountain Burger. It is as big as it sounds and is guaranteed to satisfy. It will cost $14.

Hopefully this helps you to save $$ and time planing while living in Lake Louise!

Backpackers Guide to Lake Louise Canada Lake Louise is one of the most scenic destinations in the world. With electric blue glacier fed Lakes, Rocky Mountains in every direction, an incredible range of wildlife, it’s easy to understand why.

[shamrocks-are-whispering]

Beehive Huts, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland // 08. October 2017

[jalbertsmith]

KHAO SOK CANOE TRIP

Toooooooday we booked ourselves onto a Canoe trip down the river. We had some breakfast and were promptly picked up afterwards by our taxi. The canoe was dangling out of the back which served as a good pointer that it was meant for us.

We jumped in the back and helped our guide by holding the dirty great inflatable “nana” down with our feet. It was only a short drive down the road to the river where we jumped in and set sail.

It was instantly dead quiet and all we could hear was the sound of running water with the jungle either side of us. A little further down stream, the trees either side of us came to life too with the occasional set of rapids as the river twisted and turned.

Along the way we saw numerous snakes, frogs, fish, dragonfly, butterfly, spiders, other watery shit, beehives, an elephant and a monkey. Pretty much all of which the guide spotted from a mile off and had to point out for us. Each of the snakes that we saw were up in the trees and he stopped our canoe underneath them every time, I had my bitch slap wound up in anticipation of them dive bombing us at any moment. Luckily for the snakes, it never had to come to any violence.

Half way along our trip we stopped at a spot where the limestone mountains had been cut out by the river. I couldn’t help myself presented with the chance to swim in the crystal clear water and jumped right in. Completely out of character… I stopped swimming for a moment and like a man possessed, had a wee as I took in the scenery that resembled something out of a fantasy novel. It was glorious and for a brief moment, the jungle and I became one. I held three fingers in the air and sounded the hunger games whistle as I bid farewell to a moment that will stay with me, for the rest of my days.

We jumped back in the boat and continued down the river, the second half of the trip seemed to fly by and before we knew it he brought the canoe to a stop. Whilst we waited for the taxi home to arrive, we both agreed that it was ridiculous how cheap it was so we tipped the guide with an extra 100 baht each. It’s still peanuts when you convert it into pounds but it’s all we had and he seemed pretty happy with the gesture.

Once we’d got back to the hostel, we spent the rest of the day booking our transfers to Bangkok for our flight on the 27th and then arranged for an all day trip into the national park tomorrow.

It’s an early start so we’re being well behaved and getting an early night.

For some reason my phone and my GoPro won’t cooperate today and they’re compressing all the cool pictures that I’ve taken, to the same glowing standard as Amish Christmas lights.

[paigeacrossthepond]

Week 9: Halloween and Edinburgh

Halloween was the beginning of this week, on Monday night, the night before we left for Edinburgh, Scotland. I celebrated like I usually do, by carving a pumpkin and watching the ever-essential Rocky Horror Picture Show, which I foisted upon my housemates Allison and Bridgette. In class Monday we discussed Scotland’s reach for independence in the Scottish Independence Referendum (2014), in preparation for the days to come. 

Pumpkin carving was also my way of preparing to leave London again, a normal activity before being uprooted for the time being (we would be in Scotland from Tuesday to Saturday, effectively the rest of the week). Celebrating an American holiday confused my host mom a little bit, because she didn’t know what kind of traditions we were used to for Halloween. The same goes for me, in terms of understanding how kids in England see Halloween. We had a few trick-or-treaters knock on our door, proving that it does exist somewhat over here; it is not, however, as widely celebrated in comparison to how it’s celebrated in the U.S. My host mom was familiar with the practice of handing out candy, so the kids who did show up were rewarded. It felt weird to be leaving so soon, with midterm break still feeling like it just happened, and feeling like I just re-settled into London and a school schedule. 

The finished pumpkins outside of our homestay

My Mr. Robot-inspired pumpkin :) 

Edinburgh, Scotland

Tuesday: 

I was running on very little sleep when we gathered near a Pret a Manger in King’s Cross, waiting until around 8:30 a.m. to board the train to Edinburgh. It was a four hour journey from London, and I slept for about an hour right up until we arrived. The scene outside the window had turned from a drab grey to the bright blues and greens that characterize Scotland, a creeping excitement filling my chest. This trip would definitely be one of the highlights of my semester, and I could tell that as we approached Waverley station. 

Getting off the train was jarring. It was a much different “vibe” from London; even as London’s crowds aren’t overwhelming, Edinburgh’s crowds huddle and weave in the cold, nimbly-hatted heads bobbing in the distance. And it was notably colder than London, if London could even qualify as cold. That was another misconception about London: it may be grey, but it doesn’t feel anything like the cold I’ve felt in the U.S. London is humid, and I have managed to sweat every day since being here. I count the passing of seasons partially by how the weather changes. It hasn’t felt truly like autumn in London due to the humidity, so living here has been a sort of limbo, existing outside of the rules of the midwestern American weather I’m accustomed to. Is it spring? Is it still summer? Because it doesn’t feel like autumn. 

This was a great thing about Scotland -- it was cold! And I think I thrive in cold weather. I am no good melting onto the slabs of hot concrete in a city. Let me have the comfort of a bundled up neck, a winter coat that hugs me just right. Let me have the cold, I asked, and Scotland answered. It is simple to feel this fulfilled, but I digress. 

We walked to our hostel, in the modernized section of Edinburgh. After dropping our bags off, we headed back out, guided by Mary, the assistant director of the London GEO centre. Our destination now was Edinburgh Castle, located on a large hill. I was prepared in my understanding of why Scotland lost their independence referendum, but I was not prepared for the steps up to the castle. If I was enjoying the cold, it was then necessary to wick away the sweat I accumulated on the trip up the stairs. The stairs are in a park near the train station, accentuating how Edinburgh occupies two different levels -- modern Edinburgh below, and old town Edinburgh above. 

Once we made it to the castle, I stripped my winter coat off to greet the wind that whipped around us at the higher altitude. I took a guided tour, getting accompanied with the castle’s illustrious history as a fortress and now home of multiple museums and Scottish regalia. After staying at the castle for an hour and a half, we rounded up to go to the Scottish National Gallery back down the stairs. 

I was tuckered out after rushing around the gallery, so I called it a night along with my hostel roommates. After dinner, we went straight to bed to gear up for another long day. 

Wednesday:

We had a proper Scottish breakfast at the hostel before walking to old town, involving bacon, sausage, black pudding, runny eggs, baked beans, and toast. The walk to old town is quite the trek, because it’s all uphill (my calves got their fair share of exercise...). First on the agenda was the National Museum of Scotland, showcasing a wide array of history/artifacts, as well as some of Scotland’s premiere scientific discoveries, which includes Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal. 

The café where J.K. Rowling wrote the beginnings of what would become Harry Potter was kitty corner from the museum, so I went there for lunch. Tea time has become a favored ritual of mine (following in the footsteps of the British), and was made more special in a cute café with an acquired, famous past and real Scottish shortbread. 

We walked the Royal Mile to St. Giles’ Cathedral and then to the Writers’ Museum as recommended by my writing professor Susie. The big event for the afternoon, however, was Arthur’s Seat. 

As with most things this semester, I had no idea what to expect. I can say with certainty this time that I was NOT prepared for the climb that was required of me to make it to the top of Arthur’s seat. And to be honest, I had never hiked before, not that I’m even sure that what I did was hiking. More like taking to the inconsistent stairs feebly, stopping every five minutes to catch my breath, or try to breathe at all. Like I said, I have been doing a lot of walking this semester, but this climb takes the cake as the hardest walk (er, I guess, climb) I have ever done. Arthur’s Seat is an inactive volcano, now the popular hiking grounds for tourists and locals alike. I think it took me almost an hour to climb to the top, but what awaited me was worth the initial pain. 

This was one of the most breathtaking things I had done so far, and I know I say I have a lot of favorite moments from my semester but this was something else. I finally understand what people mean when they say they felt “on top of the world.” I wasn’t quite “on top” of the world, because Arthur’s seat is only about 900 feet above ground, but the sentiment still stands. I was high on an adrenaline rush, too, which added to the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and awe. I spent almost an hour at the peak, trying and failing to capture photos that did the moment justice. The walk back down was just as magical, with dusk falling on Edinburgh’s skyline, seen perfectly from the descent. 

Thursday:

Thursday was technically the last day in Edinburgh with the entire program, and we were free to stay more nights into the weekend. I had planned to stay until Saturday, and I’m so glad I did. If my trip had ended with the rest of the program, it would have felt like a premature ending, a trip cut too short. Those of us who were staying left our bags in the hostel, the rest of the people having to drag their bags around until they left in the afternoon. We had to go to the Quaker Meeting House in old town to talk to esteemed journalist Ian Macwhirter, who was to lecture us on Scottish independence, a topic he is well-acquainted with.

After lunch we had a tour of the Scottish Parliament, which was unexpectedly one of my favorite parts of the trip. This was due to the extreme eco-friendliness, people-friendliness, and sustainability of the building that houses parliament -- and here are some amazing facets about the building: 

The parliament building has beehives (save the bees!!!!)

It has gardens and apple trees they collect from to make food

There is no air conditioning in the main part of the building, just skylights that filter in sunlight and air along with solar panels

There is air conditioning where people work long hours of manual labor, i.e., the kitchen

Apparatuses attached to the roof collect rainwater which is then sanitized and used for labor and washing

The entire building is designed in the shape of a tree

Government workers have their own window seats where they can sit, rest, and think

This was bookended by a visit with the Scottish Minister of Education, Shirley-Anne Somerville. She briefly explained the kinds of goals she has for her position, including continuing Scotland’s exceptional University programs. 

With that, the day was mostly over, and Laura and me had planned to stay at an Airbnb the rest of the weekend. We went back to the hostel to grab our bags and took a bus to the far end of Edinburgh where the apartment was. Dinner was purchased at a Sainsbury’s, a rather uneventful end to a great day. 

Friday:  

This is the kind of thing I missed, I thought. I had left the Airbnb later than I had planned, weaving through what was called ‘The Meadows,’ a hauntingly flat stretch of land in otherwise hilly Edinburgh, with a giant bottle of Lucozade and the ability to blend in to what I would soon approach. I had left the apartment in a rush, worried that I would miss out on who knows what – was it the landscape? I had already had my fill in the days before, climbing incessantly up and down the streets, but there was more, always more to see. This just meant I hit the crowd at the perfect time, the way a minnow works its way into a stream at a seemingly fateful moment, when all collides in a song of normalcy, crowds passing into classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories.

I felt a bit like a fish out of water at first, close enough to the edge of the dock to peer airlessly back into the wet abyss – until I felt like a fish in water, nonetheless with a constant stream of other fish passing by in indifference. Stepping onto this campus, or what looked like a campus, felt like this. A particular heartstring was plucked, one note rang out within me that surged with home, home like an objective correlative. The practicality of the daywear, the sensible water bottles hung from hands, the earbuds plugged into devices no doubt playing the music I liked. Shoes and backpacks in various colors and shapes moved throughout the space, rending one complete and unblemished image of collegiate grace.

I thought of my own campus – how different it was in size and feel, Alma’s squat 70s brick being interchanged for buildings that had both the modern and ancient touches of Edinburgh. Alma reeked of the 70s, no matter how hard the administration tried to patch over the decaying brown carpets or add fancy flat screen TVs to every lobby in a bid to distract from it. It was endearing and nostalgic of a mid-20th century that I had not lived through. All the previously graduated students haunted like ghosts, sitting in armchairs by the fireplace in the Van Dusen building, noticeably replaced fixtures forever harking back to a past history. My campus could never compare to this one, idiosyncratic in its own right. But it was the campuses I would never be a student at which enticed me for that reason.

In sudden flashes I longed for familiar professors, office doors permanently cracked open, kids I didn’t know but probably saw five times a day walking the same paths, assignments done hurriedly while talking to close friends, dorm rooms bedecked with string lights and personal window decorations. This is the hum of the campus: a nucleus of he said she said, translated to a font and scribe that is easily discerned and carefully located.

There were the noticeable tawny heads tipped back in laughter, gaggles of friends walking side by side in comradery, places of interest including a café table covered in research, two girls conferencing over the drama of the past day, and good haircuts blown in the wind on their way to the back seat of a class they loathed. I was waiting for someone to look at me and smile in recognition, then remembering I was in a different, surprisingly foreign, country. I blended in well enough, happy to pretend I was a student here, sure they would welcome me with open arms on the off chance that I did move to Edinburgh and decide to enroll in their post-graduate program. It was a lovely thought. I pictured myself studying in a library I hadn’t yet seen, dauntingly filled with all the books I’d never get to finish and research I’d never do. 

Then it was on to another street; in Alma, you know where the streets end and the college begins. There is a meridian valor, a notoriety to the sidewalks that pave the very edge of campus. Further out is unknown territory, but here you are safe inside. An impervious little bubble of floating ideas, cramped connections, gathering in their own strange light, a forced light not unlike that of the University ad campaigns – jovial students on their way to class, and thus, a career, endless sidewalk and greenery created just for lounging in the quad on a spring day, lovers’ quarrels, or somber walks home after noisy fraternity parties. On this campus, though, I thought I was sure where it ended, a brief pause in the flow of traffic for businesspeople and the like to flow as well. The romance ended just as the street did. I passed into another zone, not connected fully to the campus, a phantom limb of fast buses and impatient elders. I walked on, letting the fantasy carry me to my next location. This campus could have been anywhere – though it was here. I let the feeling take its course, but it elapsed and my emotions slipped away.

That next location was the National Library of Scotland, where I would meet my housemate Bridgette, a fellow English major who, I assumed, was also into that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, you had to be a member of the library to really get inside, but we had a nice time perusing the gift shop before heading to the Scottish Poetry Library.

The poetry library is one of my favorite places in Edinburgh; one visit was not enough, could never be enough. There is an abundant collection of poetry books, cozy chairs, and an upstairs lounge worth a few good hours that I didn’t have. Nonetheless, I made the best out of the hour that I did have, taking time to appropriately read some poetry. Bridgette and me ate our lunch on a bench on the Royal Mile, until pigeons attacked us viciously and we were forced to leave. 

We went to meet up with Julia and Laura by the Scot Monument, heading to the bay at the other side of Edinburgh via bus. We had wanted to get a peek at the Royal Yacht, and upon arrival, we did, except it was behind a fence. At this point in the trip, by the bay, I had encompassed a nearly full view of Edinburgh -- its peaks, its valleys, its water, its city, its ancient town. And I felt invariably satisfied, as we rode the bus back to the Airbnb, city lights floating by in a haze.

Saturday: 

Saturday morning’s activities included walking around Holyrood Park (right next to Arthur’s seat), backpacks on and bags in hand because we had to leave the Airbnb bright and early, then working our way to the Royal Mile for shopping. We gathered all of the gifts we had to stuff in our backpacks, climbing Calton Hill, a hill filled with various Scottish monuments, most of which were closed as we soon realized. It was just Laura and me with all of our baggage, and we made it through the cold and the physical strain, fueled by Starbucks’ holiday-themed drinks and a tourist’s sense of duty. Our exit was nicely soundtracked by bagpipes, and we went to the Waverley train station to catch our train after the hill. 

I was sad to leave Edinburgh. It had encapsulated a lot for me -- my own Scottish heritage, my college’s mascot (we are the Scots), the sound of bagpipes transporting me back to campus, the sheer beauty of Edinburgh, its energy different from London -- and I left with a full, grateful heart. I was especially grateful for the itinerary GEO had planned for us, and the opportunities that came with it. I am not sure I would have had such an exceptional trip to Scotland had it not been for the help and guidance of Mary and GEO for planning it. This undoubtedly bolstered my personal experience of Scotland, and my understanding of it (and its aims for independence) too. I can definitely say cheers to that.

[shockinghocking]

Czeching out Prague and Hungaring for Budapest

Prague was as beautiful as everyone says it is, perched on the Vltava River, filled with ridiculously picturesque alleys and bridges and stuffed full of Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance features.  We stayed in a nice warm hostel not far from the Old Town Square with its famous Astronomical Clock. The clock was installed in about 1410, with the council of Prague so impressed by it they ordered the clockmaker blinded so he could never recreate his work.  He stuck it to them by throwing himself off the tower into the clock, breaking it.  No one was able to fix it for 100 years!

Not to be outdone in morbid legends, the Baroque St James’ Basilica in the Old Town was a highlight - hanging by the alter on a chain is a mummified arm, allegedly dating back 400 years.  The story goes that a thief attempted to steal something from the alter, at which the statue of Mary reached down and clamped onto his arm.  No one could get her to release her grip, so it was sawn off and displayed for all to see as a lesson learnt the hard way! Terrifyingly, it was carbon dated a wee while ago and it was only 200 years old... which means it’s a disembodied arm totally unrelated to the poor old thief.  God only knows where the church got an arm from.

But we were suitably disinclined to nick anything from the enormous collection of glitz and gold.

Next on the list was the Jewish quarter, with wonderful synagogues (the Jewish population was devastated in WWII, but there’s a long Jewish history in Prague) and checking in with Kafka appreciation statues on the way.

We also walked over the famous Charles Bridge, dotted with beautiful baroque statues, with incredible Gothic towers at each end.

By the next morning we weren’t just fighting with ghost stories and hordes of tourists but with a big snow storm that had come in overnight.  We were chilly in the extreme, but couldn’t complain as far as the picturesqueness scale went! 

We headed back over the Charles Bridge to the Castle District of Prague - Hradčany - which is newer, but almost as beautiful as the Old Town. And, of course, the castle: the biggest ancient castle in the world, with construction beginning just before the year 900 and the architecture encompassing every European style of the last millennium.

And if we thought that the myths and legends surrounding Prague were creepy, we had another thing coming when we went to the Sedlec Ossuary, a short train ride from Prague in Kutna Hora...  Basically, the churchyard was a very fashionable place to be buried (thought to include soil from the Garden of Gethsemane) and later became the site of mass graves during the plague.  When the church was extended, thousands of skeletons were dug up and the family in charge asked a local woodcarver to do something creative with them.  What resulted is an unbelievable display of an estimated 70,000 skeletons.  The two centrepieces are a chandelier made of at least one of every bone in the human body, and a perfect replica of the family’s crest, complete with a skeleton crow pecking at a skeleton head.

Oh, and the woodworker even left his name, just to make sure his great work was attributed to him.  And what better media in which to write?

Having whet our appetite, we headed for lunch in the nearby village, where we dined on local beer and deep fried goodies at the Bohemian beerhall.

The next day, we bussed back to Erlangen, ready to pick up the van, get the snow tyres on it and boost all the way to Budapest.  

She was rearing to go, that’s for sure!

With all that automobile admin sorted, we got on the road and pulled up at the apartment of Orsi, who had done an exchange at Auckland University - we’d met in the library, bonded over our passion for Whittaker’s berry biscuit choc and next thing we knew, she’d been our flatmate for six months! We were planning a big few days partying with her in Budapest, and she did not disappoint. 

Budapest, which clusters on low hills and on islands in the blue Danube, was probably the most beautiful city we went to in all of Europe.  It was just so stunning...!

Budapest (which it became on unification of Buda, Obuda and Pest in tghe 1870s) has been a city since the Celtics, and has been home to the Romans, the Holy Roman Empire, the Ottomans, the Hungarians, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Soviets and now the Hungarians again!  This patchwork history means it is stuffed full of Renaissance, Gothic, Byzantine, Baroque, Classical, Neoclassical, Romantic, Art Nouveau and Soviet architecture, all packed cheek by jowl.  It’s an incredible town in which to be a tourist, with the most beautiful central city in Europe, outstanding nightlife, thermal springs and a beautiful (and functional) old metro system.  It’s even better when you have a local guide!

Having crossed the famous classical-style Chain Bridge into the Castle District of Buda, we set off exploring.

To really get a feel for it, one requires a stop for some medieval activities in the Castle courtyard and some delightful snacks.

Next to pop into the ridiculous Gothic Matthias Church, dominating the waterfront.

That’s just the start though! Why not add the spectacular FIsherman’s Bastion with seven towers (representing the seven Hungarian tribes that settled the area and a panoramic view of the Danube, the Pest side of Budapest, the Chain Bridge and Margaret Island.  

Next was a warming bowl of Hungarian goulash - a dish I ate once ate so much of as a child that I made myself throw up.  I love goulash.  Managed not to hurl from the excitement this time.

And finished up for the evening with a spot of tea and cake at the incredible Bookstore Cafe, on the second floor of a bookstore that used to be an ornate department store.  Distractingly glitzy frescoes!

And what for it but to get outrageously drunk at Orsi’s apartment and then hit the town in Budapest’s infamous ruin bars! Found in the old Jewish district of Budapest, which was largely left to decay after WWII, Romkocsma (as the Hungarians call them) are abandoned factories and industrial spaces that have been set up with stages, dance floors, bars and lounges.  They are decorated in crazy “I’ve plundered all your grandma’s weird furniture, covered it in graffiti, added some machinery and stapled it to the wall” kind of way and are sooooo funnnnnn.  We started in Szimpla Kert, the original ruin bar that started the whole trend, which is an enormous multistory sensory overload.

We turned it up a notch and headed to Hello Baby, a schmancy nightclub in a 19th C palace with a glass roof and huge bubbles glowing overhead.

After a seedy wake up the next day, we faced a chilly morning and headed to Hősök tere (Heroes Sq in English) to ogle at the cenotaph and the colonnades with their 14 figures of Hungarian history. They’re Hungarian kings, great military men and dudes who rallied the peasants - in post-independence replacement of the Habsburg emperors who originally featured.

Then the fabulous pink and gold St Stephen’s Basilica (which houses the “incorruptible” right hand of St Stephen, the first king of Hungary), featuring an eerie choir practice. 

Of course, we couldn’t miss out on another Hungarian favourite for dinner - hortobágyi palacsinta, which is savoury crepes filled with veal.  Yum! 

Well rested, we packed in a massive day the next day.  We started with a tour of the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament building, one of the oldest parliament buildings in Europe and currently the biggest building in Hungary.  

Yeah, she’s no Beehive. Completed in 1904 - with half a million precious stones set into the building - and housing the Holy Crown of Hungary and the hexadecagonal (sixteen sided) central hall, only small portions of the mammoth building are used by the unicameral Hungarian parliament today.  

Outside is the terribly moving Holocaust memorial, in memory of 3,500 people (800 of whom were Jews) who were killed by the “Arrow Cross” militiamen in 1944: having been told to remove their shoes and stand on the banks of the Danube, they were shot, fell into the river and carried downstream.

We headed to the Great Market Hall for lunch.  A beautiful 19th C building, it has butchers, fishmongers, veges and pickles in the basement, pastries, spices and breads on the ground floor and souvenirs and eateries on the top floor.

Bring on the langos!

With our tummies sufficiently bloated with sour cream, cheese, bacon and deep fried bread, we were ready for the famous neo-Baroque Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, the largest thermal bath in Europe and certainly one of the most excellent pools we have ever been to! 

The next day we went on a little roadie to the area known as the Danube Bend (for reasons that are obvious when you look at a map. We started in the cute little town of Szentedre, a cute, artsy riverside town where we ate more langos by the river.

Next, we headed to Esztergom to see the colossal basilica of the same name - it’s 114 metres long!  Look, there’s me!

From there we headed onward to quiet, leafy Visegrád (which translates to Highcastle) where we we were treated to an incredible sunset view of the Danube.  In that perfectly European way that is so strange to New Zealanders, the land on the other side of the river is Slovakia, a different country!

Beautifully, we shared the view with an Hungarian puli, the adorable (if slightly weepy-eyed) Hungarian dredlocked herding dog.

After a tasty Danube-bend dinner and beer, we headed back to Budapest to do some more partying with Orsi, this time with some live music aboard a boat in the river.

And some pizza on the way home!

And, ending on that high note, the next day we jumped the river to the country we’d been looking at through the sunset the evening before - Slovakia!

[multicurrency]

Long After Lockdown, Rome Hostel Owners Take A Big Hit From Pandemic https://t.co/KCFTvMksoA NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Steve Brenner and Linda Martinez, owners of the Beehive Hostel in Rome, about how the EU's ban on American trave... July 06, 2020 at 09:04AM

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Wearable souvenirs: 10 best places for vintage shopping around the world

The Earth is suffering, and we all know that. Choosing to travel in a sustainable way and supporting eco-friendly hostels is already making a big difference. That being said, the fashion industry alone accounts for 5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions, and experts say that percentage is set to grow. Not to mention the ethical implications of underpaid workers and child labour. Being bombarded with all this information can be overwhelming, I know it was for me. I love fashion and creating new outfits, so I started looking into ways to do it in more sustainably. Given that most eco-friendly brands right now are quite expensive, and working with a backpackers budget, I turned to vintage and thrift shopping, something that I thought was limited to pretty ladies wearing red lipstick and a beehive. I started warily, but I still remember the feeling of finding that perfect vintage t-shirt for a bunch of euros, and before you know it, I was hooked.If you want to learn the best places for vintage shopping around the world, youve come to the right place.

The cool thing about buying second-hand is that youre not putting anything new into our ecosystem. All those clothes were already loved and worn, and their only options were to end up in landfillor in your closet! Theres also a hunting aspect to vintage shopping that I took a liking to. Finding the perfect fit is so much harder than selecting the right size on a website, and once you stumble upon a piece of clothing you like and that looks good on you, it feels like the stars have aligned. Truly a magical feeling! Thrifting became a hobby of mine, and as a traveller, I started implementing it in my trips, too. Every time I was in a new place, I would reserve at least half a day to raiding those foreign second-hand stores, on crazy itineraries that took me around the coolest neighbourhoods. I was often coming back home with unique vintage finds as souvenirs, and I started getting the same feeling I got when I travelled as a child pre-internet stores, when I was excited for all the different places I could shop at. I loved showing up at school with some funky pants and answering I got them in Paris when asked where they were from. I know, a bit pretentious, but youd be lying if you said you didnt love it too!

:Getty Images

Through vintage shopping while travelling, my closet started turning into a postcard box made of clothes accumulated from around the globe. Memories of that trip would be woven into the fibres of the garments and every piece started meaning so much more than clothing used to. How precious is it to see a world map of the places youve been every time you open your wardrobe? There are cities out there full of the coolest and quirkiest pieces, just waiting for you to ransack through their racks. As a backpacker, Id urge you to take some time to explore the local vintage scene wherever you are. And if you dont know where to start, take a look at our top ten best places for vintage shopping around the world. Go on get thrifty!

1. Milan, Italy

:@alexandru_stravrica

Milan is the fashion capital of the world, with designer stores lining the sidewalks that the most stylish people youll ever see stomp their stiletto heels on. Think faux fur coats and huge sunglasses, plus that one quirky element to show the world youre that high fashion. Youd think second-hand stores wouldnt belong in a city so posh, but youd be wrong. The Solari neighbourhood, south of the city, boasts quirky windows and neon signs showing off a more sustainable and fun side of this high fashion hub. My personal favourite is Humana Vintage, a true vintage store selling fifties dresses to cosy grandma sweaters, with prices that go as low as 5 and deals going on all the time. A few blocks from there youll find yourself in the street of vintage stores, with a bunch of thrift stores all a couple metres from each other. SNAP Milano is a cool concept store selling vintage pieces gathered from all around the world. If Japanese fashion appeals to you, definitely give it a try. Bivio has both a male and female store and specialises in designer pieces. So go rummaging you could snag a pair of snazzy velvet green Versace Jeans pants for as low as 20! Theyre also willing to buy your old clothes: a great way to refresh your backpack without running out of space!

Humana Vintage, Via Cappellari, 3, 20123 Milan MI

SNAP Milano, Via Gian Giacomo Mora, 11, 20123 Milan MI

Bivio Milano, Via Lambro, 12, 20129 Milan MI

Bivio Milano Donna, Via Gian Giacomo Mora, 4, 20100 Milan MI

2. London, UK

:@evantdang

If youve heard anything about London, Im sure youve heard about Brick Lane and its iconic vintage stores. London is one of the best places for vintage shopping and names like Rokit are legendary. The price tag can reflect the fame though, and although I recommend visiting the main stores if youve never been, I thought Id include a couple of backpackers budget tips too.

Beyond Retro is one of my favourite places to shop in London and online, with cool reworked pieces and a perfect sustainable record that includes reusing shipping boxes and shipping by sea instead of air. Some of their stuff can be pricey, but you can also find affordable pieces that still have that cool edge to them.

The best way to spend money while buying second hand in London is by hitting charity shops. On top of helping the Earth, youll also give a hand to the different charities they support. Being donation-based, youll be better off heading to the western part of the city, where posh people live and donate their clothes. Oxfam in Notting Hill will hook you up with a cheetah mini skirt for as cheap as 3, and youll be helping an association thats working to end poverty all around the world at the same time.

Wombats City Hostel London is located in Whitechapel and is only a short walk from the thrifty neighbourhood of Shoreditch and Brick Lane. Check out all the hostels in London to plan your vintage tour of the city!

Rokit, 101 Brick Ln, London E1 6SE, UK

Beyond Retro Soho, 58-59 Great Marlborough St, Soho, London W1F 7JY, UK

Oxfam, 144 Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill, London W11 3QG, UK

3. Dublin, Ireland

:Getty Images

In many cities, all the best vintage stores are crammed together. In Dublin its no different, as all the best places for vintage shopping are right behind the popular Temple Town, famous for its bright red bar and a couple of other pubs. If you manage to avoid the calling of a fresh pint of Guinness, go up Fawness Street and get ready to immerse yourself in the marvel of Irish vintage shopping.

You cant miss Lucys Lounge because of its bright pink faade its hella chic inside and out!.. Climb down the stairs and find yourself in the wonder of sweaters and vintage jeans. Whats interesting about this one is the impressive collection of vintage lingerie and lacy corsets, handy if youre looking to get lucky in the leprechauns land.

Something I love about shopping in Dublin is their vintage reworked stores, which take pre-loved pieces and turn them into an Urban Outfitters worthy number. Fresh has a super clean feel thanks to its all-white interiors and perfectly organised selection. If youre on the hunt for a pair of white vintage Levis, this is the place to go. Nine Crows, which is right next door, is one of my favourite second-hand stores in the whole world, boasting a cool-girl vibe, vintage berets and cropped flannels to fulfil all your country girl dreams.

Just like Dublins shopping scene, the hostels in Dublin are pretty slick. Generator Dublin has an on-site bar, a games room and plenty of fun events like karaoke and drinking games. Its somewhere to channel your inner hipster!

Lucys Lounge, 11 Fownes Street Upper, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

Fresh Limited, 1 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

Nine Crows, 22 Temple Lane South, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

4. Stockholm, Sweden

:Getty Images

Stockholm was one of the first places I thrifted in and it should be considered one of the best cities for vintage shopping. The thrifting culture is big in Scandinavia, just like how everythings cool and sustainable (theyre just the best, ugh). Youll just have to venture to the hipster neighbourhood of Sdermalm to find vintage stores aplenty. My beloved British Beyond Retro has a Swedish store too, but if youre visiting you should absolutely check out Humana Second Hand. Although they have a similar name, this company is not affiliated with the Italian franchise, but youll find their stores all over Scandinavia and Germany. Their selection is perfectly curated and ranges from leather jackets to cool sweatshirts. What I love about it is that it feels like a regular store and misses that old clothes vibe that can scare off newbies. Its just like Urban Outfitters, but with a much more fun (and cheap!) selection.

City Backpackers Hostel has a vintage vibe throughout perfect for you old souls! Dont forget to check out our other hostels in Sweden.

Beyond Retro, Brnnkyrkagatan 82, 118 23 Stockholm, Sweden

HUMANA Second Hand, Timmermansgatan 23, 118 55 Stockholm, Sweden

5. Vancouver, Canada

:Getty Images

Being Canada is the capital of everything thats hip and sustainable, it makes sense that Vancouver would be the number one spot to check out for vintage shops when heading North. Right in Yaletown, the coolest part of the city in my opinion, youll find a couple of spots nestled in between a caf and a cool brunch place that are worth a visit. House of Vintage is an aesthetic fanatics dream, with racks and racks of perfectly organised clothes going from flannels (its Canada, duh) to skirts and accessories. They also have a household section if youre looking for a used toaster or something like that.

If youre after the classic North American thrift store experience, head to the Value Villages all across the city. These dont really offer a curated selection of pieces, but more an overwhelming amount of clothes that you have to look through until you find that hidden gem. Who wouldve guessed youd go hunting in Canada?Bargain hunting that is!

Samesun Vancouver is centrally located, so its surrounded by the citys best bars and clubs. If you dont feel like going out, chill by the on-site bar! Explore all of Vancouvers hostels.

House of Vintage, 1008 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A7, Canada

Value Village,6415 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5P 3X5, Canada

6. Portland, USA

:@zackspear

Could the hipster capital of the world not be included on this list? Portland, Oregon, is known all over the world for its craft breweries and quirky coffee shops, but its vintage shopping scene is a gamechanger. You cant miss Buffalo Exchange, right in front of the famous Powells City of Books, probably the most popular thrift store in PDX. The store is big, so its likely to feel a bit overwhelming, but if you take your time, youll be able to find a range of interesting pieces, some even with the tag still on! The big downside is its central location, that makes it quite busy on a day-to-day basis.

To live the authentic Portland lifestyle, dedicate a whole day to vintage shopping. Head to House of Vintage, a collective of different dealers selling clothes, accessories and bags in a huge warehouse in the Sunnyside area, so iconic its where some of the Portlandia outfits are from. Top it off with some food from local food trucks and a pretentious handcrafted coffee and youll be living like a local.

With Portlands hostels, its kitchy vibes all around. HI Portland Hawthorne is a charming eco-friendly hostel that offers free light breakfast, bicycle hire and fun activities. Get to know this wonderfully wacky city and book your stay now!

Buffalo Exchange, 1036 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209, USA

House of Vintage, 3315 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214, USA

7. New York, USA

:Getty Images

Vintage stores tend to reflect a citys vibe, so the more a place is cool, edgy and fashionable, the more youll find gems hidden between the thrift stores racks. Thats why the Big Apple is one of the best places for vintage shopping, offering a variety of stores as big as its number of different personalities. Depending on where you thrift, youll find different ranges and prices: Ina, Tokio 7 and Micheals on the Upper East Side are full of designer gems and fashion interns trying to look the part on a budget. If you move towards Brooklyn, youre deep in hipster territory, with Quality Meding helping you to rock the mechanic-chic look with dungarees and distressed workwear. Thriftwares is full of silk dresses and woven bags to effortlessly channel that chic Parisian vibe.

New York is known as the city that never sleeps, but youll at least need a rest after all that vintage shopping! You dont have to spend big bucks to live like an Upper East Sider. Freehand New York just seeps style and is calling your name!

INA, 110 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003, USA

Tokio 7, 83 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003, USA

Micheals, 1125 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA

Quality Mending, 705 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA

Thriftwares, 70 N 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA

8. Tokyo, Japan

:@magict1911

Tokyo is a crazy city, and so is its vintage shopping scene! The best places for vintage shopping are in Shimokitazawa, a neighbourhood close to Shibuya metro station. If anything, its definitely where most of them are! Im talking hundreds of different shops. Seriously, its overwhelming. If you add to that all the temporary pop-up shops, theres no way youll be able to hit them all but thats ok because it gives you a reason to come back!

Obviously with so many, theres a thrift shop here for every style and every budget. Personally, I prefer the ones that stay under 20, but Im willing to make an exception for places like Grapefruit Moon because its just too cute and deserves a visit if youre ever in Tokyo. To stick to a backpackers budget, head to New York Joes Exchange, where you can bring your old clothes and get new ones in return! Or, I mean, someone elses old clothes. If you dont want to spend your whole time in Tokyo looking for thrift finds (understandably!), check out Shimokita Garage, a vintage market where youll find different sellers all in one place. Score!

While wandering through the neighbourhood of Shibuya, make The Millennials Shibuya your base. This ultra-sleek hostel has reclining pod beds and a futuristic bar.

Grapefruit Moon, 154-0000 Tokyo, Setagaya City, Kitazawa, 2 Chome211 F, Japan

New York Joe Exchange, 1 Chome-20-4 Jinnan, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0041, Japan

Shimokita Garage, 2 Chome-25-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0031, Japan

9. Paris, France

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The dreamy capital of France is especially known for true vintage shopping and less thrift finds. So, think beautifully curated boutiques and slightly more expensive prices. At around 30 for a pair of pants though, I dont think its too bad in a city thats home to designer labels like Saint Laurent and Chanel.

Most of the more affordable vintage stores in Paris are located in the Marais district, like Coiffeur Vintage, a cute wooden door that opens to floral prints and organised chaos, or Vintage by Ramin, pretty hard to miss because of its hot pink awning. Youll also spot quite a few Kilo Shops around Paris that, as the name suggests sell clothes by weight, usually 40 per kilo. Some of their locations are themed for example, Kilo Shop Kawaii specialises in Japanese fashion.

The cool thing about vintage shopping in Paris is that the Parisian style is timeless, so second-hand items will look just as good as brand new ones. Fill your baskets with pastel coloured cardigans, midi dresses and perfectly fitting jeans, and get ready to embody the effortless chicness of a French girl!

So why not head to the worlds capital of fashion and stay in one of Pariss hostels? Stay in the artsy district of Belleville at Les Piaules, where youll be welcomed with funky interiors, lush dorms and an on-site bar!

Coiffeur Vintage, 32 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France

Vintage by Ramin, 64 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France

Kilo Shop Kawaii, 65 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France

10. Los Angeles, USA

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LA is beaches, Hollywood stars and wannabe influencers, but its a score for vintage shopping too! Maybe its because everything is so spaced out and many thrift stores can thrive, or maybe its because in a city so big it only makes sense that someone would end up getting rid of something nice at one point or another.

Los Angeles second-hand shopping is all about quantity, with the massive Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles Thrift Store being a prime example its the biggest thrift store in LA! You can get lost in this store for hours, finding gems like vintage Ralph Lauren blazers for $8 hidden behind a pile of Forever 21 faded tops.

You dont have to buy into the hype of a popular attraction though: a simple visit to the many Goodwills around the city will do! Given the huge selection they carry, youre bound to find something cute and interesting in any of them. Its science!

Dont forget to walk down Hollywood boulevard after all the shopping is done. LAs hostels give a relaxed and summery vibe making it the ideal chill out space. Walk of Fame Hollywood Hostel is ON Hollywood Blvd. So, I guess Ill see you in the movies

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles Thrift Store, 210 N Ave 21, Los Angeles, CA 90031, USA

:@astaclivo

Each of these cities has so much more to offer, not to mention all the vintage stores hidden in the other parts of the world! I hope that next time you find yourself in a new place, youll decide to check out the best places for vintage shopping too, and maybe come home with a little wearable souvenir. And if you happen to find something really cool, please let us know in the comments below!

Keep reading:

Things to do in Shoreditch: The ultimate guide for eating, drinking and shopping

Where to stay in New York: a neighbourhood guide

The 11 best hostels in Los Angeles

About the author:

Hello! Im Linda, born in Rome under the Aquarius constellation. Hobbies include drawing on coffee cups, playing with glitterand pretending to be a witch.Favourite place on earth: Budapest, HungaryFavourite hostel: Clink261 London, UK. Catch me on the gram@lindasaidmeow!

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