by Roy -

Having beaten Dublin and Bilbao to the title of World Design Capital 2014, South Africa’s “Mother City” also bagged a place on the 2011 list of the Seven New Wonders of Nature with its iconic Table Mountain. A day is not nearly enough to enjoy everything that beautiful, creative Cape Town has to offer, but the following itinerary will help you make the most of those 24 hours.

The Muslim quarter of the Bo-Kaap is home to photogenic pastel-painted Colonial period houses.

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 227 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

Beautiful Boston

Boston is America’s revolutionary town – for centuries it was the cultural and academic epicentre of the United States. This grand old dame of a city has daring museums, world-leading universities and some of the most progressive politics in the country.

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 264 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

Discovering new dishes with the one you love can be one of the most intimate parts of a honeymoon, especially for gourmands. Whether you want to travel on a budget or can splurge a little, these post-wedding destinations require you to pack a serious appetite.

Europe high budget: Reims, France

Les Crayeres, Reims

Your honeymoon calls for a toast… or several! And no destination is more appropriate for such an occasion than Reims (pronounced somewhere between “Rance” and “Rence”), in the Champagne region of France. For a true luxury chateaux experience, check into Les Crayeres, an elegant hotel that was built in 1904 and is set on 17 acres of park-like grounds. The tangerine colour of the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin label has become the bubbly equivalent of Tiffany blue, a signifier of something costly and covetable. Their cellar tours and tastings are by appointment only — and its doors close between December and March, the coldest months of the year. Fancy a smaller operation? The Cris-Event company offers vineyard bike tours that are private or semi-private. Spend at least four days in Reims, perhaps as a side trip from Paris, which is two hours away.

Europe low budget: Valls, Spain

The Festivals of Valls: Humans Castles andCalçots

Just more than an hour’s drive southwest of Barcelona, Valls is a Catalan countryside town steeped in Spanish culinary tradition. In fact it is the birthplace of the calcotada (pronounced kahl-so-TAH-dah), a traditional Spanish feast, often served alfresco, that celebrates the spring harvest of oversized leek-like onions called calcots. Do not to knock it ‘til you taste it — especially when charred and dipped in salvitxada sauce alongside a spread of meats, beans and fresh bread, and washed down with Catalan wine from a porron, a glass pitcher with a spout. Be warned, you drink the wine from a distance, so wear dark clothing. The whole experience is debauched, messy and unforgettable. Stay at the Felix Hotel for its restaurant’s calcotada, plus the tennis court and swimming pool. If you prefer a city honeymoon, make Valls a daytrip during a weeklong stay in nearby Barcelona.

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 295 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

For detailed forecasts, iPhone users should give the WeatherBug app a try.

When it comes to weather apps, hype springs eternal.

Many promise to deliver weather reports relevant to a smartphone user’s precise location, but the advertised “refresh” doesn’t always mean a new forecast. Others claim to have easy-to-read interfaces, enabling users to make travel plans at a glance – but don’t. In reality, the most popular apps perform a few functions well — not all of them.

And the quality of weather apps seems to range greatly by region. For example, Canada’s local leader in weather data, The Weather Network, provides forecasted snow accumulations on its free iPhone and Android apps, something that neither the Weather Channel nor AccuWeather do for their United States apps. North American-centric apps also tend to lack access to the nitty-gritty data gathered by the official meteorology organisations in foreign countries. Australia’s Android Pocket Weather AU uses Bureau of Meteorology data, including (so-far-unique) access to the official agency’s detailed rain radar (about $2, Android, iPhone). Similarly, Britain’s new Metropolitan Weather Service app (free, Android, iPhone) delivers much more precise rain forecasts than its US-centric rivals. Bottom line: if precision matters, download the app from the official weather service at your destination, where available.

But if your holiday plans are still unclear, here are the apps most likely to appeal to a global traveller who decides itineraries on the fly. All of these apps offer optional alerts for major weather events, such as approaching rainstorms.

Android
Droids come with “widgets”, mini-apps on the home screen that constantly refresh themselves without needing to be activated. Travellers should swap out the pre-installed weather widget with the AccuWeather one, which comes free with its app. AccuWeather’s widget and app deliver temperature and condition forecasts for locations worldwide, updated hourly. AccuWeather taps into your device’s GPS locator tool and enables you to see a forecast for your precise spot on a map, without having to know your location’s name or spelling. That is a practical feature for travellers off the grid in a rural area or moving rapidly through the countryside on a train. The app also makes it easy to track forecasts for a few destinations at once and has far fewer flashing ads than other free apps, at least as of today.

iPhone
The latest generation iPhones come pre-installed with Siri, a voice-activated personal assistant that can be asked about the weather (such as “What is the forecast for the week ahead?”). But the result is generally vague, such as “sunny and 76 today, cloudy and 75 tomorrow”.

For detailed forecasts, iPhone users should give the WeatherBug app (free, iPhone) a try. It has far fewer flashing banner ads than rival apps and an easier to read interface on the iPhone, providing hourly predictions for the coming day and a 10-day forecast with minimal detail for rapid scrolling. A menu-and-swipe interface makes it easy to drill down for details.

One drawback is, unlike the Weather Channel and AccuWeather apps for iPhone, WeatherBug lacks the ability to find a forecast for any geo-location internationally, directing you instead to the forecast for the nearest urban centre or airport. But the app does allow you to track more than one destination at a time.

iPad
Apple picked the Weather Channel app as its first iPad-available weather app for good reason. No other app takes as full advantage of the tablet’s large, interactive, high-resolution screen. Radar maps are animated to let you suss out a storm’s direction. Touch any point on a spinning globe to see the weather at that spot. Plus, no company is as good at video reports of weather forecasts as the Weather Channel, and its videos appear beautifully on the iPad’s large screen. The app’s TruPoint technology, similar to AccuWeather, uses the iPad’s built-in GPS locator for assessments of weather conditions within a mile of any arbitrary location, without you needing to enter your location’s name. The app also makes it easy to track forecasts for a multiple destinations at the same time.

Sean O’Neill

16 Feb 2012

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20120213-the-best-weather-apps-for-travellers

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 288 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

Tio’s Cerveceria in Sydney’s Surry Hills is one of the city’s newest small bars

The scent of fresh coriander, parsley and mint wafted through the air, conjuring up memories of tacos and salsa on Mexican beaches.

Our mouths watered as the bartender vigorously muddled an aromatic concoction behind the counter, working to the familiar tune of “All Shook Up” sung in Spanish. At  Tio’s Cerveceria (14 Foster Street, Surry Hills) drinks are king, and the only food on offer is the free (and addictive) chilli popcorn.

Tio’s, a Mexican-Guatemalan tequila joint, is one of the city’s newest small bars, adding to the growing popularity of Central and South American cuisine in Australia. Expect eclectic decor, quirky tunes and delightful drinks served up by some of Sydney’s best bartenders at very affordable prices.

The Three Herb Elixir (a muddled mix of herbs) is the shining star in the El Roberto Especial refresco (refreshment), which also includes fresh apple juice, lime, cucumber and a kick of tequila — all for the bargain price (in Sydney terms) of 10 Australian dollars. Joining the El Roberto on the 10-dollar refresco list are classics like the Paloma (tequila, grapefruit soda and lime), a Tequila Sunrise with house-made grenadine, and a Bloody Maria chock full of tomato juice, carrot and a homemade pickled quail egg. There is also a $17 cockteles (cocktail) list made up of margaritas.

Ninety different types of tequila are on offer, many displayed on the back wall along with a hodgepodge of Central American relics and knick knacks, stringed lights, candles and masks. Patrons can choose to sip their tequila cocktail or shoot back shots with chasers of pineapple and jalapeno peppers. Beer and wine are also available, with the popular choice being cheap cans of Rio Bravo lined with salt and lime.

Tio’s Cerveceria is the brainchild of Jeremy Blackmore and Alex Dowd, both from the Shady Pines Saloon. Drop by for a drink south of the border from 4 pm to midnight every day except for Sunday when its doors open from noon.

Brooke Schoenman

10 Feb 2012

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20120209-sydneys-mexican-vibe

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 197 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

Canberra, Australia’s capital city, is so obscure that many overseas visitors have never heard of it.

The city, an unloved offspring born from a dispute between Sydney and Melbourne, is a meticulously designed, made-to-order metropolis that suffers from some of the same flaws that other purpose-built capitals possess: an over-supply of bureaucrats and students, and a slight under-supply of urban chic.

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 246 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

This article is written by Sathish K, a Software Professional and travel writer, based in Bangalore.

Formerly West Germany capital and one of the cities along the Rhine river, Bonn is small and beautiful city. Its a long journey from Heidelberg. Apparently last saturday 4th Juy happened to be a music festival in Bonn. Its one of biggest open air music fests in Germany. In the train there are all these people from all over making lot of noise, dancing, singling. Well, its so much fun but not possible to join them due to communication problems.

After spending some time inside the main areas of the city I take a space for the night in Max Hostel @ Maxstrasse. Its easy to find this place. 25euros for the night.

Later we walk towards Rhine river and spend sometime sitting on the grass and relaxing muscles. Before feeling its time enough to get moving to the festival.
I was not able to understand what the band was singing or announcing but the music was good. And the mood was ecstatic. There were so many people all over. Was there till hunger overcame the thirst for more music.

There is nice Italian restaurant “Vapiano“. The system in this restaurant is amazing. Once you enter they give you a card which looks similar to ATM card. You go to the food counter swipe the card and order whatever you want. Now they give you a small circular object. Pick it up find a place for yourself. Once what you have ordered is ready, the light in circular object starts blinking. Pick up your food. When you think it is time to leave, give the card to cash counter. They tell the amount to be paid, pay it and leave.

Next day I again spend some time by Rhine river side and some time up the City Memorial Center before catching the train back to Heidelberg.

One can also do hiking on the mountains, maybe that can wait for next time.

Sathish K

9 July 2009

http://sathishk.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/bonn-germany/

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 273 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

This article is written by Shantanu Ghosh.

KL can be an exciting place for foodies with its incredible variety of street food and cuisines – brought together by the different ethnic groups that make up this interesting country. I had a chance to sample a selection of foods, some for the very first time. There are three distinct sets of cuisines associated with the major ethnic groups: Malay, Indian and Chinese, but there are also some lesser known ones such as Nyonya (of the Straits Chinese ethnic group) and Sarawak (a community that lives on the island of Borneo).

Madam Kwan’s is a restaurant on the 4th level of KLCC that offers local Malay cuisine. The popularity of this place during lunch was easy to see: there was a long line of people outside waiting for seats. Malay food has a lot of similarity to that of its neighbours, Thailand and Indonesia, but with some unique twists.

Belacan and Assam are probably the most common ingredients you will find in their dishes. Belacan is made from fermented baby shrimp which is then dried and formed into small cakes. A tiny amount is added to most Malay dishes to add that special ‘kick’. Assam is essentially tamarind paste commonly added to fish and vegetable dishes to make them more tangy – probably a practice that came from South India many years back.

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 204 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

Union Transfer, a new, bi-level space, is fast becoming one of the hottest venues for live music on the US east coast.

While jazz has early roots in New Orleans and Motown Records started in Detroit, Pennsylvania’s largest city – more famously known as the birthplace of American independence – is home to a surprisingly eclectic mix of pioneering musical artists and new sounds.

John Coltrane

Philly Soul songwriters Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, jazz great John Coltrane, rock and soul sensation Patti Labelle, hip-hop pioneers The Roots, punk rocker Joan Jett, rapper Schoolly D, neo soul artist Jill Scott and consummate entertainer Will Smith (once half of the unforgettable pop rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince) are just a few of the artists who put Philadelphia on America’s musical map.

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 160 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]

by Roy -

This article is written by Danielle Sharma.

Well we are now in Ekaterinburg. 2 hours ahead of Moscow. Quite a big city and our first real stop off on the trans-siberian route.

Ekaterinburg

Had a good time in Moscow – it has snowed a bit over the last few days which is how you imagine Moscow should be! Red Square was just beautiful – especially at night. We did a lot of walking so feel like we saw a lot of the city. The diet has deteriorated though – we have resorted to fast food several times now but there really aren’t that many options!

The journey here was amazing (I can already tell I will be over-using that word on this blog!). It was a real snow storm as we waited at Moscow train station. As we left the city there was more and more snow on the ground and pretty soon there was nothing around us at all. In fact there was nothing more than really small towns of shack-like wooden buildings until we got here. And we were on the train for about 26hours!! The landscape is beautiful though. So flat and bleak. The amount of snow outside varied as we went along but there was quite a lot at some points – those tiny wooden houses must get completely buried. It’s hard to imagine what life must be like so cut off from the rest of the world. It’s strange because it’s really warm on the train so you’re in your t-shirt looking out at the snow.
Being on the train is funny – its weird being so close in such a small carriage with complete strangers. especially when you can’t communicate with them at all! We were with a man and a woman this time. It’s just a tiny cabin with 4 beds – two bunks on each side. Not much room to manoeuvre though! Seemed like everyone else had meals included but we didn’t so we lived mainly on the provisions we had with us – there is a hot water supply (samovar) so you can make hot drinks and cup-a-soups and instant noodles. we have loads of dark choc digestives too! Steph came out with a classic quote when we were sitting munching on them looking out over the land “You’d really feel you’d contributed something to the world if you had invented these… Such a fantastic biscuit.” They say train travel encourages profound thoughts!

The train is great fun – Sanj me and you would have loved it when we were little, running around exploring! Its more like being on a ferry because you get really settled in – change into pyjamas and flip flops and you can walk around all through the train. The journey goes really quickly. sleeping is really nice with the motion of the train. we had some food in the restaurant car which wasn’t too bad. Everyone else on the train so far has been Russian. People seem to find us quite amusing wherever we go! I think it’s because we look quite young – like we’re runaways or something. Whenever the train stops all these local people – mostly quite elderly people come running up to the train trying to sell things. it’s quite a chaotic scene and they are trying to sell really bizarre things (maybe things that are produced on that town) like huge vases and chandeliers.

Anyway. We are back on the train tonight. This place has been a weird experience. We arrived about 8pm local time with no accommodation booked but we’d read about a few places so headed to the one which sounded like the best option for us. Picture us trekking loaded up like donkeys with our bags. Anyway finally found it but it has now become a swanky hotel. Next place we tried was full and it was dark by this point. next place had rooms but was quite expensive again so we carried on looking for a while but in the end had to give up and go back to it. It was splashing out a bit for us but we couldn’t wander the streets forever! So we just enjoyed it and had baths a good sleep and a really nice breakfast! it was like pretty woman! don’t think there are any hostels here because no one comes here! there is nothing to do! we’ve been here all day and just wandered around! the sights took about half an hour to see. we’re starting to think maybe there;s a reason most people don’t stop off much on this route! Its quite funny being in such random places though. i’m sure we’ll never forget them. next stop (just 1 night again) in krasnoyarsk will be the same i think. nice to break up the journey though.

anyway this is turning into quite an essay so i’ll stop, hope you are all well – keep in touch! xxxxx

Danielle Sharma

8 Apr 2011

https://www.beentheredonethat.in/wp-admin/post-new.php

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 265 user reviews.

[ | | | | ]