Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Monday, August 22, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Back
Just back from Arcachon. That was a good trip, even if it did rain 4 out of 5 days. I drank red wine and ate chocolate ice cream every day. Now I'm back in Paris. Not much seems to have changed. Ground's still wet. Metro still smells like piss.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Stockholm Spot V
BRUNO GOTGATSBACKEN
This sandwhich experience made me decide that I'm definitely getting a sandwhich maker when I get to my next home.Stumbled into a really hip shopping center in Sodermalm one afternoon. It had a really difficult name to pronounce, and was made up of 5 shops wrapped around a Café. I was crippled with hunger, so I grabbed a tasty grilled sandwhich. Mozarella, pesto, and tomato. You can pretty much put pesto on anything and I'm in.
I sipped raspberry lemonade and spied on drop dead gorgeous Swedish boys, then strolled around the amazing shops. I'm not a huge fashion guru, but I swoon for Swedish style. It's so clean and crisp, but somehow manages to be edgy as well. So much balance. Big fan.
Anyway, if you've got a few million dollars, this is a great place to drop some cash.
You'll look mega cool when you're done.
Götgatan 36 / Tube: Slussen / Stockholm
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Friday, March 11, 2011
Stockholm Spot IV
NADA BAR
We arrived at Nada as it opened, around 17:30, and stayed 'til closing. It was a Sunday night, so it was quiet, but between the friendly bartending cousins, and the crazed and wonderful regular, Mats, we had an amazing time. There was a real communal feeling to the bar. Anyone could DJ, and everyone inside knew everyone else's name by the end of the night. That was cool.
Åsögatan 140 / Tube: Medborgarplatsen / Stockholm
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We arrived at Nada as it opened, around 17:30, and stayed 'til closing. It was a Sunday night, so it was quiet, but between the friendly bartending cousins, and the crazed and wonderful regular, Mats, we had an amazing time. There was a real communal feeling to the bar. Anyone could DJ, and everyone inside knew everyone else's name by the end of the night. That was cool.
Åsögatan 140 / Tube: Medborgarplatsen / Stockholm
Stockholm Spot III
PET SOUNDS
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Cool Music, cool crowd, cool bar. I'll be honest, I passed out behind the ATM machine pretty early on, so I don't remember how awesome it was. But Loz and Emma were way into it. I remember thinking that the music was sort of Pulp Fiction-y, which was cool. The booze wasn't too expensive, but the selection was pretty much down to beer that night, as they were somehow out of all their mixers for long drinks and cocktails. But we like beer, right? So that's fine.
When you finish up here, head over to Nada Bar. Photos comin' up.
When you finish up here, head over to Nada Bar. Photos comin' up.
Skånegatan 53 / Tube: Medborgarplatsen / Stockholm
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Stockholm Spot II
BEYOND RETRO
This isn't going to make me sound like a very good person, but this is how I travel: I like to make a list of bars I'd like to visit, and spend my late afternoons bar hopping. This is a great time to do it, they're not too crowded yet, you get to chat with the staff a bit, and usually you're just in time for happy hour! Interesting bars, I find, are often near interesting...other stuff. Galleries, cinemas, shops, you name it. I was on my way to check out Nada Bar, when I passed Beyond Vintage. I swooped in to discover the mega mart of vintage shopping. My initial reaction was awe. My second second impression was a bit annoyed, pretentious even. I felt like it was a bit over the top; too much, too organized. It took away from the "thrifting experience" of rummaging. Bull shit. 10 minutes later, I looked down and saw 6 items flung over my arm. Good ones.So then and there I had to change my philosophy. I paid attention to the fact that these items were truly vintage, complete with yellowing tags. I paid attention to the fact that the sales girls were friendly and funny and didn't bitch when I asked if I could take a few snaps. (In case you've never whipped out a camera in a vintage shop without asking. DON'T.)
I also paid attention to the fact that the selection was truly good. Unique pieces that weren't so outlandish that you couldn't wear them in the modern world.
So, in the end, I left happy, with a sweater which has since won me multiple compliments.
I'll warn you though, it's not exactly a bargain center. Dresses ranged from 30 to 90 euro, and the average sweater was around 20. But many items were inexplicably marked 1/2 off, so hunt for those gems. It's the kind of place you go to for a kick, expecting to get something one-of-a-kind you'll forever adore, but not necessarily expecting to pay bottom (nor top) dollar for.
Åsögatan 144 / Tube: Medborgarplatsen / Stockholm
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Stockholm Spot I
GUNTER'S
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This was a little road-side sausage stand. Off a varied menu, Gunter suggested a long spicy sausage wrapped in coleslaw, mustard and a warm baguette, and we followed.
3/3 of us gave it an enthusiastic (gloved) thumbs up. You should like the faint sensation of bees stinging your tongue, because it is quite spicy (what do I know, I'm white), but it is one delicious way to keep warm on a -10 degree day.
3/3 of us gave it an enthusiastic (gloved) thumbs up. You should like the faint sensation of bees stinging your tongue, because it is quite spicy (what do I know, I'm white), but it is one delicious way to keep warm on a -10 degree day.
Karlbergsvägen 66 / Tube: St. Eriksplan / Stockholm
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Hooked
Interesting articles, clean design, never rambles. New favorite.
Picked up a copy at the station as I was leaving London.
This month's comes with a snazzy pull out poster.
It's on the pricey side, but if you subscribe you save 50%. Profitez!
Picked up a copy at the station as I was leaving London.
This month's comes with a snazzy pull out poster.
It's on the pricey side, but if you subscribe you save 50%. Profitez!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A Spoonful of London
After missing my train and then pulling an all-nighter in Paris, I finally made it to London early Saturday morning for a quick, and cheerful visit. Ethnic food, loads of brick, black cabs, and a string of inventive cocktails made for a very enjoyable stay.
Word of advice: the next time you spot a drink on your menu which involves basil, GO FOR IT.
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Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Porto
I think train travel is one of the nicest ways to get a feel for a country. All that looking out the window, passing the sites they don't mention in the guidebooks. So Sunday morning I booked myself a window seat, and stared at 4 hours of pretty Portugese pastures, all the way to Portugal's second largest city; Porto. Like I said, it was Sunday, so the streets were quiet, and everything was pretty much shut down. I wandered around, hunting food. But it was 4pm, my stomach was getting vocal, and the restaurants showed no signs of opening. I caved and went to McDonalds. It was a crazy art nouveau McDonalds. Does that help?
There weren't many people in the streets, but from time to time I'd see a crowd of students conducting odd rituals, often involving cheers, running, and strings of soda cans. It was some kind of hazing routine. I noticed that they were all dressed in interesting Hogwartsy uniforms. Girls wore a black skirt, blouse, and long, drapey cardigan. Men wore the pants version. I was getting hit on by a lot of old (old!) men. Later on I walked past mirror and realized that I was wearing a shorter, sexier version of the schoolgirl uniform. Score.
Later on, I met up with a couchsurfer who showed me the nightlife. One bar turned into 4, and each was better than the last. I was impressed that so many cool spots could hide behind relatively plain storefronts. Needless to say, the guidance came in handy. I easily would have passed every single one of those excellent bars. Cheers to internet networking!
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