Sunday, December 01, 2013
Turkey
Izmir
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/travel/36-hours-in-izmir-turkey.html?_r=0Ephesus
Cappadocia
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/travel/09next.html
Lodging
http://www.serinnhouse.com/Pamukkale
Datca Peninsula
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/travel/15Imprint.html?_r=0
Kabak Valley
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/travel/27next.html
Gaziantep
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/into-pistachio-country-in-southeastern-turkey/
Istanbul
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/100-weekend-in-istanbul/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/travel/07hours.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/travel/07hours.html
Attractions
Blue Mosque (prayer times)Grand Bazaar
5* places: Blue and Sulemaniye mosques, Ayasofya, Basilica cistern
4* places: Chora church, Topkapi, views from the Asian side, Galata tower, Rumeli hisari
Architecture: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/travel/tracking-turkeys-first-starchitect.html
Rumeli Castle
Rumeli Castle’s spires aren’t as heavily touted as those jutting from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, but this 560-year-old Ottoman fortress — across town from Galata, where tourists flock to buy spices at the Grand Bazaar — is no less spectacular. Nestled in Sariyer, a neighborhood on the European side of the city, the majestic, well-preserved fort, which is now a museum (entrance, 5 Turkish lira, or about $2.70 at 1.83 lira to the dollar), was built at the narrowest point of the Bosporus by Sultan Mehmed II, who originally positioned hundreds of soldiers at its gates and used it to control river traffic.
Today, its location away from the city’s tourist centers usually keeps crowds at a minimum. Which is one of the reasons — in addition to the winding, woodsy paths inside and the unparalleled views of Istanbul — to go there. Rumeli’s canonical, tiered Halil Pasha Tower and its satellite watchtowers stand guard over a bench-lined maze of trees, steep staircases and crumbling steel doors. Catch a glimpse of the gloomy dungeon, then hike to the highest points and enjoy the spectacular view. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge sparkles to the left, while the green hills of Asia frame the sailboats, ferries and tanker ships chugging the Bosporus. Giant Turkish flags flutter proudly across the water, a beautiful sight at sunset. End the day with a 15-minute stroll down the water to Bebek, Istanbul’s chicest neighborhood, for a Turkish coffee or a raki, the cloudy liquor whose local popularity, much like Rumeli’s, has survived the ages.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum
SantralIstanbul
Museums
Istanbul ModernIstanbul Archaeological Museum
SantralIstanbul
Art
But one of the best ways to get a crash course in what Istanbul’s leading artists are up to right now is to spend some time wandering around the Misir Apartments (311/4 Istiklal Cadessi), right on the busy pedestrian thoroughfare that cuts through the trendy Beygolu neighborhood. Inside this elegant, early-20th-century building are some of the city’s most cutting-edge art venues, like Galerist (www.galerist.com.tr) and Gallerie Nev (www.galerinevistanbul.com)
The self-guided Tophane Art Walk is updated regularly on Ms. Turanli and Ms. Tutunoglu's Web site (tophaneartwalk.com), with listings of exhibitions at the various galleries.
Depo
Daire
Galleries
NonDepo
Daire
Buyukada
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/travel/buyukada-near-istanbul-is-an-island-idyll.html?_r=0
Dining
http://istanbuleats.com/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/travel/tasting-humble-and-high-cuisine-in-istanbul.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/travel/18Istanbul.html
Gulluoglu Baklava
Ali Usta ice cream shop
Istiklal Street
Three-course, three-restaurant crawl, all on the same square block. We had a spicy sheep’s neck soup called beyran at Ehli Kebap; a lahmacun (that minced-meat pizza) served with fresh parsley leaves at Beyzade; and moist lamb kebabs, one with eggplant and one with pistachios, at Urfali Haci Usta.
Drinking
Head to the rooftop terrace and have a drink at 360 Istanbul, a stylish bar and restaurant that offers stunning views of the city’s skyline (360istanbul.com).
Wine bars: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/travel/14instanbul-headsup.html
Gitarcafe (gitarcafe.com) on Istanbul's Asian shore is a small music hall and cafe-bar that has become a fixture among music lovers in the city. Housed in a 19th-century building, the intimate performance space (pictured) -- lighted by candles and a chandelier that dangles from the lofty ceiling -- is a cozy setting in which to hear a range of mostly acoustic music
Nevizade Street
Kameriye
Fransiz Sokagi (known as French Street)
Nevizade Street
Kameriye
Fransiz Sokagi (known as French Street)
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Memphis
Attractions
Sun Studios106 Union
Free Parking
Open daily from 10 AM ’til 6 PM.
$12
Tours are given at the bottom half of every hour from 10:30 AM through 5:30 PM.
Stax Museum
926 E. Mclemore Ave Memphis, TN 38106
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 1 pm–5 pm
$12
National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry Street, Memphis, TN
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
$9
Memphis Botanic Garden
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
$8
Wiseacre Brewery
2783 Broad Ave Memphis TN 38112
Sat 1 – 8
OUR TAPROOM IS CASH FREE – CREDIT CARD ONLY!!!
Odessa Gallery
Memphis Flea Market
7777 Walnut Grove
Saturday 8:00a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Nightlife
OtherlandsMon - Sat 7AM - 8PM; Sun 7:AM - 6PM
Live Music Fri/Sat; 8PM - Midnight
The Cove
Wild Bill's
Young Avenue Deli
Hi-Tone Cafe
Buccaneer Lounge
Mollie Fountaine Lounge
Hollywood Disco
Earnestine & Hazel's
Lamplighter Lounge
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Medelliín
Sights
- Escobar tour: one with his brother, one with Juan Uribe
- Biblioteca España. In Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo Savio stop. Cra 33B # 107A-100
- best to visit at sunset
- Parque Arví. Hiking trails, butterfly enclosure
- The cost to get to the park is free as well, from Santo Domingo station you hop on to the other metrocable to Arví and pay $4,000 COP.
- Can be accessed via bikes which are free provided you bring your passport with you. At the top, get a free bike rental with a helmet from Encicla! It's a tough bike ride - huge hills and altitude - but worth it. Be sure to go to the reservoir - on a road connected to the path. The guard will watch your bike for you.
- On Sundays, there is a farmer's market
- Take the Arvi - Santa Elena bus - to see the countryside and have a nice lunch in Santa Elena - a cute little town. Bus ride was 2000 pesos each way.
- Comuna 13 graffiti tour. Revolución sin Muertos
- León de Greiff library. La Ladera
- Botanical Garden. Calle 73 No. 51D- 14
- free of charge
- Orquideorama
- Cultural center in Moravia
- Parque Explora, scitech park
- Small aquarium that has about 15-20 tanks with different salt water fish, snakes, and other reptiles. Again, nothing crazy to write home about. For adults, you could run through this place in about 2 hours.
- Cerro El Volador. Cra 65 No 67-51.
- Carrera 52 N0 73-75Jog around the track
- Views here are way better than Cerro Nutibara and it never even gets half as crowded, making it easy to find your own spot and take in 360 degree views of Medellín
- Check out the trails going down to Cra 70 or other sides of the city, there are 4-5 access points.
- Parque de la Luz. Plaza Cisneros.
- Museo de Antioquia. Sede Principal, Carrera 52
- Our favorite exhibit (other than Botero) was the one on precolombian art and pottery. There are two museum shops. The one accessed from inside the museum has a large variety of quality items for sale. The one accessed from outside the museum carries only Botero items. The prices here are much cheaper for the Botero items than the Botero museum shop in Bogota. However, the Botero museum in Bogota has a larger exhibition of Botero art.
- I also recommend walking over to the Catedral Metropoitana after visiting the museum, taking some pictures of the church, and then "people watching" in the Parque de Bolivar. For lunch, there is a good and inexpensive roasted chicken fast food restaurant across the street on the far corner of the park.
- We enjoyed the art deco building and beautiful courtyard as much as the artwork. Unlike some museums that are overwhelming in size, we were able to see everything within a few hours.
- Plaza Botero
- Be careful
- Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellin. Carrera 44 N0 19A-100
- Botero plus other small exhibits
- Parque de los Pies Descalzos. Cr 58 & Calle 42A
- small park with bamboo
- El Castillo Museo y Jardines. Calle 9 Sur 32-269
- nice place to spend an hour or two
- Laguna de Guatape
- Piedra del Penol
Neighborhoods
- El Poblado. Villagey part of town thick with bars and excellent restaurants
- Parque Lleras. People watching
- Santo Domingo. Favela with good views
Lodging
- Art Hotel
- Hotel Dann Carlton
- Hostel Poblado Park. Parque Lleras. $44/night
- Black Sheep Hostel. Poblado. $32/night
- Waypoint Hostel. Aguacatala. $26/night
- Geo Hostel. Parque Lleras. Dorm
- Grand Hostel. Poblad. Dorm
Restaurants
- Carmen. El Poblado
- Ferro. El Poblado. Italian
- Bonuar. Inside Museum of Modern Art
- Aijiacos y Mondogos
- La Strada. Shopping mall full of restaurants and clubs
Entertainment
- Palmahia. Club
- Crista. Club
Activities
- Paragliding
- Son Batá. Cultural initiative for Choco
Monday, August 12, 2013
Colombia 2013
San Agustín
- Info
- Traveling there from Bogota: 1. 2
- Buses. Coomotor. Bolivariano. Pitalito-Bogota schedule
Tatacoa
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Charleston
- Attractions
- Old Slave Mart Museum (6 Chalmers Street, 843-958-6467; nps.gov/history/nr/travel/charleston). Exhibitions bring slavery to horrifying life in a way few museums do, addressing such topics as the stigma attached to the slave-trading profession and how slaves were dressed, shaved, fed and otherwise prepared for market day.
- Angel Oak, a tree so large it could whomp 10 Hogwarts willows (3688 Angel Oak Road). The tree, which is thought to be at least 300 to 400 years old, is threatened by plans for a nearby shopping center. It is protected by a fence; the gate closes at 5 p.m
- Middleton Place plantation, a National Historic Landmark, one of several plantations within easy reach of downtown, you can get a close-up view of the marsh — or, in winter, of a primeval cypress swamp — on a guided kayak tour ($40). Alligators, bald eagles and river otter are among the possible sights, as is the architectural award-winning Inn at Middleton Place, where the tours meet (4290 Ashley River Road, 843-628-2879; charlestonkayakcompany.com). After, you can take in domesticated nature on the plantation grounds, billed as the oldest landscaped garden in the country, with twin butterfly lakes, or visit the blacksmith and cooper workshops (4300 Ashley River Road, 800-782-3608; middletonplace.org)
- North end of King St
- St. Philip Street, gateway to the ivy- and oak-draped College of Charleston and the lower peninsula’s gorgeous historic neighborhoods. You may want to stop into the Redux Contemporary Art Studios, a nonprofit gallery; admission is free. It will also cost you nothing, after that, to continue a meandering walk down St. Philip, through the gorgeous square at Saint George Street and down to the graveyard of St. Philip’s Church, resting place of John C. Calhoun, the pre-Civil War senator and vice president, and Dubose Heyward, author of the novel “Porgy” and the libretto of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.”
- smaller streets like Archdale and Legare (pronounced Le-GREE), you’ll wander among 200-year-old neighborhoods that feel alternately French and English before reaching White Point Gardens along Charleston’s historic waterfront battery.
- http://thecharlestoncitymarket.com/
- Folly Beach. Folly’s most beautiful beach can be found by driving all the way up to Folly Island’s north end along East Ashley Avenue and parking at the dead end. Walk or take your bike through the gate and head a quarter-mile north past the foundation of an old Coast Guard station, and you’ll find yourself on a secluded and protected beach in the shadow of the spooky old lighthouse that stands guard over Morris Island.
- One of Charleston’s best breakfasts can be found at Folly’s Lost Dog Cafe. Sit on the porch of this old beach house and enjoy pancakes and fruit ($5.75) or biscuits with sausage gravy ($4.95).
- Eats
- Alluette Cafe. Soul Food. 80 A Reid St, Charleston, SC 29403
- Fit. American. 232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC
- Husk. 74-76 Queen St. Charleston, SC
- Cypress. 167 E Bay St, Charleston, SC
- Hominy Grill. 207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC
- Bowens Island Restaurant. 1870 Bowens Island Road. Roasted oysters (bottomless order is $21.50) and oversize hush puppies (a side is $4.25). Get here early to avoid the crush.
- WildFlour Pastry (73 Spring Street, 843-327-2621; wildflourpastrycharleston.com) created an instant tradition with “sticky bun Sundays.” A steady stream of cravers comes through the door in search of a warm, chewy, generously pecanned confection ($2.70). Those with less of a sweet tooth will be happy with crumbly fruity or savory scones ($2 and up) or a hardboiled Sea Island egg (60 cents).
- The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg. Most stores limit free food samples, but not the Peanut Shop, where bowls beckoned with chocolate-covered cashews, peanut brittle and plenty more, simply begging to be feasted upon. I’m pretty sure you can also exchange money for the same products packaged in cans and boxes, but I can’t confirm that
- Just next to the Terrace on Maybank, the Mustard Seed is part of a small chain of South Carolina restaurants and is remarkably affordable considering the quality and consistency of its largely local menu. If you’re on a super tight budget, you could eat well from a couple of baskets of its delicious rosemary bread and a caprese salad ($7). There’s a delicious sweet potato ravioli for $10, and most specials, often featuring local fish, seldom exceed $20.
- Entertainment
- Pour House, which features live entertainment and a new outdoor stage and bar. Acts range from Leon Russell to North Carolina bluegrass to reggae to a Phish tribute band called Strange Design; weekend admission generally runs around $12
- popular rooftop Pavilion Bar at the Market Pavilion Hotel (225 East Bay Street, 843-723-0500; www.marketpavilion.com)
- North Charleston
- Park Circle has in particular been recognized as an especially attractive spot; last year, This Old House Magazine named it one of the country’s “Best Old-House Neighborhoods.” Meanwhile, new restaurants and other businesses have converged on East Montague Avenue, a few blocks away from the revitalized circle
- Cork, a small bistro frequented by the young and stylish and headed by the chef Jimmy Owens (pictured), has seasonal salads, beers and meals made with fresh ingredients from local farmers — and, of course, Southern-style grits. 1067 E Montague
- THE SPARROW - This spot, opened in 2012, is easily the most colorful new concert venue in North Charleston. Old-school arcade games share space with large photographs on the wall of everyone from Mohandas K. Gandhi to George Harrison. The place regularly plays host to local musicians and rock bands of all sorts. 1078 E Montague
- EVO CRAFT BAKERY - In August, the popular EVO Pizzeria got a complementary bakery, where locally brewed coffee and tea are featured alongside freshly baked pastries and breads, all at reasonable prices. 1075 East Montague Avenue; (843) 225-1796
- DIG IN THE PARK - This sports bar, opened in 2011, features a huge patio with an outdoor grill. And unlike many spots on East Montague Avenue, it stays open on Sundays. 1049 E Montague
- McClellanville, S.C. Just short of Charleston, I turned on a whim down a side road leading to the town of McClellanville, population about 500. Pretty houses led to a tiny downtown, where a sign pointed us to an art show put on by the local public high school. The director of the local history museum, which was closed for the day, directed us toward a few of the town’s other attractions: the shrimping boats at the dock, the old wood-shingled Episcopal Church, and T.W. Graham and Co., the wildly popular (but not all that cheap) local restaurant specializing — no surprise — in shrimp. Meal for two, with fried green tomatoes and dessert: $48
Savannah
- Eats
- Café Florie, 1715 Barnard Street, Savannah. Soul Food. http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/travel/restaurant-report-cafe-florie-in-savannah.html
- Our first stop, Angel’s, was sold out for the day. The folks there recommended the recently reopened Wall’s, but gave us the wrong address (it’s at 515 East York Lane, not 212, guys). (Open Thu-Sat.) I stepped into a nearby art gallery, and the owner, William Armstrong, sent us out of the historic district, through a low-income, decidedly nonhistoric section of the city where we finally found Randy’s Bar-B-Q, a stand-alone brick cube where the teenager working the takeout window had a one-phrase vocabulary: “What chu got?” A proper response is “Half-slab of ribs” ($10). They come meaty and smoky and slathered in a sauce that any uptight no-fun barbecue elitist would say was too sweet.
- For breakfast, the Firefly Cafe (321 Habersham Street, 912-234-1971) is on a quiet corner on Troup Square. Sit under the oaks and enjoy a plate of blueberry corn pancakes ($6.95) or shrimp and grits ($10.95)
- Vinnie Van Go-Go's (317 West Bryan Street, 912-233-6394) is a popular indoor-outdoor pizza joint ($11 for a large cheese)
- Don't miss the homemade goodies like pralines or gophers — pecan clusters covered with caramel and chocolate, $1.50 to $2 each — at Savannah Candy Kitchen, (318 West St. Julian Street, 912-201-9501) or Cafe Gelatohhh!'s 24 flavors of Italian-style ice cream (202 West St. Julian Street, 912-234.2344; $3.42 for a small cone)
- On Tybee, AJ's Dockside Restaurant (1315 Chatham Avenue, 912-786-9533) is tucked into a quiet waterfront corner on the island's south side. Try the shrimp and grits ($7.95) or artichoke dip ($6.95) appetizers, followed with a bowl of crab stew ($7.95) or scored flounder ($25.95). Arrive early for dinner
- Dress up a bit (no flip-flops) for the froufrou milieu of Elizabeth on 37th (105 East 37th Street, 912-236-5547; www.elizabethon37th.net), a Lowcountry restaurant housed in an early 20th-century mansion where the décor may be prissy but the food is anything but. The revered Elizabeth Terry is no longer the chef, but critics still run out of superlatives trying to describe the seafood-rich menu and what is arguably Savannah's quintessential dining experience. You won't go wrong with the shrimp and grits with red-eye gravy, traditionally made from leftover coffee ($13.95), Bluffton oysters served three ways, including raw with tomato-cilantro ice ($14.95), or snapper with a chewy crust of shredded potato and asiago cheese ($30.95)
- Crab is most rewarding when it is pure and unadulterated, served in a pile on newspaper with a can of beer and a blunt instrument for whacking at the shell. That, plus some boiled potatoes and corn, is what you will find at Desposito's (1 Macceo Drive, 912-897-9963), an unadorned shack in Thunderbolt, a onetime fishing village on the outskirts of town. Dinner for two, plus $2 Budweisers, is about $40
- Masada Café (2301 West Bay Street, 912-236-9499), a buffet annex to the United House of Prayer for All People. The church has several locations in Savannah; this one is a mission of sorts, catering to the poor, but the inexpensive, revolving buffet of soul food classics like fried chicken and macaroni and cheese has gained a following among food critics and locals
- Drinks
- Boar’s Head Grill & Tavern. Music
- Bar crawl
- Begin at the American Legion Post 135, south of Forsyth Park (1108 Bull Street, 912-233-9277; www.americanlegionpost135.com), a surprisingly shimmery, mirrored space where the clientele is a mix of age and vocation, and where the British bartender might hold forth on Savannah's Anglophile side
- Proceed to the Crystal Beer Parlor (301 West Jones Street, 912-443-9200, www.crystalbeerparlor.net). On the outside, it's as anonymous as a speakeasy, which it was, but inside, its high-backed booths and Tiffany lamps are more ice cream than booze. A full menu is available
- Wind up at Planters Tavern (23 Abercorn Street, 912-232-4286), a noisy, low-ceilinged bar in the basement of the high-dollar Olde Pink House, a dignified restaurant in a 1771 house. With a fireplace on either end of the room, live music and boisterous locals, it's the place to be. A warning: they don't do juleps
- Activities
- Spanish-moss-draped, monument-filled squares and the historic houses that surround them just beg for some guidance. Solution: be your own tour guide by printing out the city’s exhaustive but useful 111-page official tour guide manual — or, as I did, sending it to your Kindle — from savannahga.gov. Only hitches: it’s a lot to carry around (unless you go the Kindle route) and your tour guide can still start sounding monotonous after an hour, even though it’s you.
- Savannah's layout — an inviting grid of wide streets interspersed with 24 public squares filled with oaks and statues — makes the city a wonderful place to get around by bicycle. You can rent a bike ($20 a day) at Bicycle Link (408 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 912-233-9401; www.bicyclelinksav.com)
- Forsyth Park, at Bull and Gaston Streets, is Savannah's most sublime in-town escape. The 30 acres shaded by oaks- and magnolias hold a huge 19th-century fountain of trumpeting mermen and spouting swans, two well-equipped playgrounds — one for little kids and one for older children — and vast lawns
- The River Street pedestrian district, with a constant stream of water taxis, riverboats, container ships and entertaining shops and restaurants, should be on any itinerary
- Ghost tours are a Savannah mainstay. Shannon Scott says he has documented hundreds of Savannians' personal encounters with local ghosts and voodoo. He and Chris Soucy operate Sixth Sense Tours (888-374-4678, www.savannahghosttour.com; 7 and 9:30 p.m.; $18, $10 for ages 10 to 15, $5 under 10)
- Their shorter more family-friendly walk is America's Most Haunted City the Tour ($12., $8 for ages 8 to 11, $5 under 8). This 75-to-90-minute tour includes the 1797 Hampton-Lillibridge House, which was moved to its current location by Jim Williams, the protagonist of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” He believed that one of the house's ghosts was an 18th-century resident of Savannah, Rene Asche Rondolier, who was said to have been lynched after being accused of murdering two girls at what is now Colonial Park Cemetery.
- Old Savannah Tours (912-234-8128, www.oldsavannahtours.com) offers a 90-minute Ghostly Nights tour starting at 7 p.m. ($20, $10 under age ages 6 to 11, under 6 free) aboard an open-air trolley. The company also has daytime trolley tours through town ($23, $10 for ages 5 to 12, under 5 free). You're given a map and can climb on or off throughout the historic district
- tour of the splendid Mercer Williams House on Monterey Square ($12.50 tickets at the Carriage House Shop, 430 Whitaker Street, 912-236-6352; www.mercerhouse.com). It was built in the 1860s for the great-grandfather of the songwriter Johnny Mercer and restored by Jim Williams, the antiques dealer memorialized in a now-classic book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” The stern guide won't dwell on the three murder trials of Mr. Williams, who was acquitted, and guests aren't allowed on the second floor, where Mr. Williams's sister, Dorothy Kingery, still lives. But the guide will offer plenty of detail about the formal courtyard, the nap-ready veranda, the Continental rococo and the Edwardian Murano glass.
- Starland, now filled with galleries and studios. Start at desot O row Gallery (2427 De Soto Avenue, 912-220-0939; www.desotorow.com), a gallery run by current and recent art students, where a recent exhibition featured painted big-box radios and a mirrored mannequin by the local artist Ryan V. Brennan. Next, make your way up to Maldoror's (2418 De Soto Avenue, 912-443-5355; www.maldorors.com), a frame shop with the aura of a Victorian curio cabinet and a print collection to match. Rounding the corner, you'll come to Back in the Day (2403 Bull Street, 912-495-9292; www.backinthedaybakery.com), an old-fashioned bakery that inspires fervent loyalty among locals. Pick up one of the sandwiches, like the Madras curry chicken on ciabatta ($6.95), and maybe a cupcake ($2 to $3.50) for lunch
- Few cemeteries are more stately and picnic-perfect than Bonaventure Cemetery (330 Bonaventure Road), with its 250-year-old live oaks draped with Spanish moss as if perpetually decorated for Halloween. The cemetery, where Conrad Aiken, Johnny Mercer and other notable residents are buried, looks out over the intracoastal waterway, and is a gathering spot for anglers as well as mourners
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Nashville
- East Nashville
- Start off at the Family Wash (2038 Greenwood Avenue; 615-226-6070;www.familywash.com) where you can dig into tasty shepherd’s pie (traditional or veggie, $11). The alt-country, alt-rock, alt-folk acts start at 9 p.m.; the alt-crowd kicks back with locally brewed Yazoo beers
- Next, head a few minutes down the road to the 5 Spot (1006 Forrest Avenue; 615-650-9333; www.the5spotlive.com), where 20-somethings groove to live rock, country or rockabilly. Rolling Stone recently named Nashville’s music scene the best in the country, and this live music venue is one reason. Local acts are the focus (with genres like indie rock and Americana favored over country pop), along with dive-bar drink prices and inexpensive cover charges
- No. 308 (407 Gallatin Avenue, (615) 650-7344, bar308.com). This bar, which opened in December 2010, is already a favorite among East Nashville’s scenester set. Mixologists dole out shots and cocktails melded with house-made sodas and fresh juices, like the William Burroughs (a cola-infused vodka shot, $5), and the excellent Yardbird (bourbon, orange, lime, nutmeg and a whole egg, $9)
- The Wild Cow (1896 Eastland Avenue, (615) 262-2717, thewildcow.com). This popular vegetarian restaurant, which opened in late 2009, proves that Nashville cuisine is more than just barbecue. Ask the friendly servers for the sweet potato and black bean tacos ($8.50), which pairs nicely with a bottle of Yazoo Sue ($4.50), a locally brewed beer.
- 12 South
- Known simply as 12 South, 12th Avenue South is in a trendy, tree-lined neighborhood packed with boutiques, cafes and bars
- Las Paletas (2907 12th Avenue South; 615-386-2101), a small storefront that makes popsicles from fresh fruit and vegetables like honeydew, avocado or hibiscus ($2.50)
- Katy K Designs (2407 12th Avenue South; 615-297-4242; www.katyk.com), a vintage clothing shop that specializes in Western wear from Johnny Cash black to Dollyesque showstoppers
- Wildhorse Saloon, 120 2nd Ave. North, Nashville, TN 37201. Country dancing
- Attractions
- Studio B (1611 Roy Acuff Place), a drab cinderblock building in the historic Music Row district, where RCA legends like Elvis, Roy Orbison and Dolly Parton sang their hearts out
- Belle Meade Plantation (5025 Harding Pike; 615-356-0501; www.bellemeadeplantation.com, entry $15), a 30-acre estate six miles from downtown. The centerpiece is a grand Greek-revival mansion completed in 1853, with a labyrinth of colorful rooms. In its heyday, the plantation was one of the most prosperous and successful thoroughbred farms around. Portraits of muscular stallions grace the walls. In the library, visitors can view the silver-capped hooves of Iroquois, in 1881 the first American horse to win the English Derby. A posh carriage house, slave quarters and an 18th-century log cabin dot the lush grounds. Nashville’s popularity may spring from country hits, but its cultural history offers a whole lot more.
- Love circle (yes real name) near vandy, good lookout over the city. Did that first thing as we got in around sunset and it was fun to just lay on the grass and soak it all in
- Country Music Hall of Fame
- Tennessee Museum: Quilt Room, Military Branch
- Eats
- Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Drive; 615-226-9442). “medium” spicy fried chicken ($5). This long-revered spot serves four variations of its exceptional dish: mild, medium, hot and extra hot
- Marché Artisan Foods (1000 Main Street; 615-262-1111;www.marcheartisanfoods.com), in East Nashville, a bistro and market that fills a former boat showroom. The space has a homey vibe thanks to enticing display cases filled with baked goods, and a few family-size wooden tables. Standouts include the quiche with sausage and provolone ($9) and the croissant French toast ($8)
- Best brunch is Loveless Cafe, which is like 30 min from dt, but well worth it. Ppl rave abt the pancake pantry, but over last 10 years its significantly gone downhill and is just average these days.
- Could also check out a number of meat and threes to get your southern fix.
- Fido in hillsborough village. Good coffee and fine breakfast with a chance to run into Taylor swift
- Bbq: I like cantrell's best, but good other options around I'm sure
- Italian: City House, 1222 4th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208 (Germantown)
- Drinks
- Patterson House (1711 Division Street; 615-636-7724; www.thepattersonnashville.com), a new mahogany-lined bar that serves creative libations dreamed up by the mixologist Toby Maloney. Try the bacon-infused old-fashioned or the refreshing Juliet and Romeo, made with gin, rosewater, angostura bitters, mint and a sliver of cucumber ($11). Dark wood and dim chandeliers make for a seductive backdrop.
Louisville
- 36 Hours
- Listings: leoweekly.org
- Highlands
- Holy Grale: It's a tiny little beer place that used to be a church, and they have tons of good beer, as well as a really good food menu. The thing I like about the place is that it's very low-key, so if you happen to be alone, it's not unusual and people are generally a little more mature and friendly.
- Hammerheads if you like more eclectic crowds and food. It's basically kind of a divey basement establishment, kind of a hipster "foodie" crowd
- Bardstown Rd
- NuLu, in the Butchertown area, East Market Street. "sophisticated" area of town that has a slightly more urban feel to it. It's actually got several galleries along the way.
- Garage Bar is very cool
- Rye is a new whiskey joint out there with food as well
- bar called Meat, on Washington Street (by cab, it should take 3-5 minutes from Market St). It's a REALLY awesome bar that sits above a great restaurant called The Blind Pig.
- Proof, too. It's on the corner of Main and 7th Street. It's actually associated with 21C hotel, is a museum hotel with modern/postmodern art and a kick ass bar. Here's the website. Then take a cab to Market Street, which is fairly close.
- Hillbilly Tea for Moonshine Breakfast: a grilled pork chop with bourbon and sage, herb scrambled eggs and a potato bake ($12)
- Entertainment
- Zanzabar (2100 South Preston Street; 502-635-9227; zanzabarlouisville.com) offers cheap whiskey at the horseshoe-shaped bar while you catch one of the city’s (or country’s) comers on the intimate stage.
- Old Seelbach Bar (500 Fourth Street; 502-585-3200; seelbachhilton.com). It’s rumored that when Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald was stationed in Louisville, he would while away the hours at this stately lounge directly off the Seelbach Hotel’s grand lobby
- Attractions
- Muhammad Ali Center (144 North Sixth Street; 502-584-9254; alicenter.org) celebrates Mr. Ali’s singular talent as a fighter and his post-retirement humanitarian efforts, but the curators pulled no punches with the history
- Churchill Downs (700 Central Avenue; 502-636-4400; churchilldowns.com)
- Cherokee Park. Opened in 1892, Cherokee was one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s last and wildest creations — think Prospect Park in the foothills of Appalachia
- Eats
- Doc Crows (127 West Main Street; 502-587-1626; doccrows.com) occupies the former Bonnie Bros. distillery, at the healthy end of Whiskey Row. Take a seat in the back room of this 1880s-era gem and enjoy oysters on the half shell with bourbon mignonette ($2 to $2.50 each) and Carolina-style pulled pork ($8). Brett Davis, an owner, one of 112 master sommeliers in the country, prowls about most nights. Ask Brett to select which of Doc Crows’ 64 bourbons will go best with your meal.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Beijing
Map of stuff
Attractions
Hutongs
Houhai (rent a bike near Gulou) - Best at night, when all the bars and coffee shops surrounding it light up and there are lots of places that play live music. You can grab a drink on an outdoor terrace and enjoy the music and view. It’s especially nice during summertime.Areas around Drum Tower and Jingshan Park
Jingshan Park- climb to the top of Jingshan Park hill (north of the Forbidden City). If the weather’s nice, you’ll get a beautiful view of the Forbidden City and the rest of Beijing city.
Binhai Park
Ritan Park
Old/New Summer Palace
Great Wall - Jiankou part, it’s 2 hours bus ride from city, and is the unrestored part of the Wall
Walks
Start at Lama Temple and head west down Guozijian Street.Guozijian Academy and adjacent Confucius temple
Across Andingmen Nei Dajie Street (home to Xian Lao Man No. 252 - dumplings, tea leaf and pork, beef and carrot)
Beilouguxiang Hutong
Mai Bar (No. 40)
Turn left onto Baochao Hutong - goth boutique Monster
South to Gulou Dongdajie - quirky boutiques
Drum and Bell Towers
Art
798 Art District (798district.com)Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (www.ucca.org.cn)
Galerie Paris-Bejing (parisbeijingphotogallery.com)
Caochangdi
Shopping
Panjianyuan (flea market)
Niu Street - Muslim area near Qianmen. Supermarket has best snacks (by checkout stand)
Wangfujing- it’s a big shopping district, but they have a famous ‘snack street’ where you can try exotic Chinese food
Food
Regional offices
Qianmen Street - snacks
Yue Lu Mountain Dining Place
+86 10 6551 0806
工体西路吉庆里1号楼, 东营房胡同, Chaoyang, Beijing, China
http://m.google.com/u/m/zJAemg
Youjingge
010 6551 5155
工人体育场内12号看台对面, Workers' Stadium South Road, Chaoyang, Beijing
http://m.google.com/u/m/xgRb0i
Middle 8 Bldg
010 6413 0629
Sanlitun East 2nd Street, Chaoyang, Beijing
http://m.google.com/u/m/wZANTn
Dali Courtyard
010 8404 1430
67号 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Dongcheng, Beijing, 100009
http://m.google.com/u/m/wJJVwJ
Nightlife
Sanlitun (dirty & crowded)
Bars
- Kokomo
- Migas
Clubs
- Latte (no cover charge)
- Element
- Mix
- Vics.
Wudaokou
Mai Bar (expats, cocktails) (59 Fangjia Hutong)
Great Leap Brewing (greatleapbrewing.com) - courtyard microbrewery
El Nido (hutong, hipster, best beer selection)
D-Lounge
Spark
V-Plus
Bar at top of Park Hyatt
Bar at top of World Trade Building 3
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Budapest
- Apart from Parliament, Buda Castle and Gellért hill try to go to Margaret island as well. All of them are located next to the Danube, you can visit them within one morning. If you're staying for a night, then go on Margaret bridge in the evening and make pictures, because then the whole view is awsome.
- Places where you can spend your evening and meet international/hungarian students are:
- Szimpla kert (located in Kazinczy street) - one of the most famous ruinpub, I'd go there with you if I'd have time
- Morrisons2 - coctails are half-priced till 9 pm. and there're at least 5 dancefloors with many people. It's more like the place to have wild parties. It's close to Jászai Mari square if you take tram nr. 4/6 (you'll see it anyway)
- Fogasház, Csendes, Kőleves, Instant, S'il vous plait etc. these are also average places
- Gödör at Deák Ferenc square for hippies, intellectuals and weeds
- At these places 80% of the people can speak English. Try to convince them to buy you pálinka.
- You can use public transport in the morning and afternoon for free, because controllers come in the evening, but always have a ticket with you. Undergrounds are never free.
Friday
- Hungarian National Museum
- Rudas Baths
- Gellert Hill
- Margaret Island
- Andrassy Avenue
- House of Terror
- Dohany Street Synagogue
Saturday
- Heroes Square
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Budapest Zoo
- Szechenyi Baths
Sunday
- St. Stephen's Basilica
- Hungarian State Opera House
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Danube
- Fisherman's Bastion
- Matthias Church
- Labyrinth of Buda Castle
- Szechenyi Chain Bridge
- Hungarian National Gallery
- Buda Castle
Monday
- Vaci Street
- Statue of St Gellert
- Citadella
- Liberty Statue
- Gellert Baths
- Gellert Rock Chapel
- Great Market Hall
- City Park
Architecture
- Lindenbaum apartment block (VI Izabella utca 94)
- Applied Arts Museum
- Royal Postal Savings Bank (V Hold Utca 4)
- Ferenc Liszt Music Academy
- Danubius Gellert Hotel
- Pariszi Udvar (Arcade near V Ferenciek tere)
- Institute of Geology (XIV Stefania ut 14)
- National Institute for the Blind (XIV Ajtosi Durer sor 39)
- Philanthia
- Thonet House
- Torok Bank House (V Szervita ter 3)
- Rozsavolgyi House (V Szervita ter 5)
- Bedo House
- Armin Hegedus Primary School (VII Dob utca 85)
- City Park Calvinist Church (VII Varosligeti fasor 7)
- New Municipal Cemetery: Schmidltomb
- Egger Villa (VII Varosligeti fasor 24)
- Vidor Villa (VII Varosligeti fasor 33)
Monday, May 09, 2011
Prague
Sights
- Prague Castle
- Old Town Square
- New Town
- Vysehrad (the same name has also metro station but there is not this architectural monument)-u have to go to Palackeho namesti (Square) and take tram
- Nice view: gardenspub Letná (tram from Vltavska and go to Letna)
- DOX contemporary art centerHolosevice
- Cubist architecture Across river from Vyserhad
Events
- Heart of Europe
- Czech Beer Festival. VYSTAVISTE LETNANY, it is closed to a terminus station of Tube, red line - C, called LETNANY
- Prague Spring
- listing
Beer
- Beer Factory
- Beer train restaurant. 2 votes. V Kolkovně 8, Praha 1, 110 00
- U Krale Brabantskeho (Brabant King's). Cool place to have a beer at in the evening. Nice and funny staff. Different than in other "regular" pubs.
- U Zlateho Tygra (Golden Tiger). This is a special one. Very common pub for ordinary people, very old and famous. Preserved its ordinary feeling over the years and never turned into more pro-tourist place. Egalitary one - everyone is equal there: poor and rich, foreigners or local... In the past Bohumil Hrabal used to visit the place, later the first president of Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel.
- Zly Casy. vinohrady. bar with variety of brews
Food
- Svickova sauce with dumplings
- Knedlo vepro zelo - it is cabage, dumplings and pork (2 votes)
- Beer snacks: nakladany hermelin (cheese in oil) or utopenec (sausage in viniger)
- V Cipu
- Umedvidku
- Staro Pramen
- Cafe Louvre
- Restaurace U Mlynáře (Restaurant "Miller's"). Nice restaurant, good dishes. If you like poultry, you might want to try duck. Not only at this place, but in general in Prague. They serve it in many ways and it always tastes well.
- U Fleku go there for a lunch and beer
- Aromi. High end Italian in Vinohrady
- La Finestra. High end Italian in Old Town
- Lokal. dlouha 33. Nice pub in Old Town
Nightlife
- Dlouhá
- Nebe near Karlovo Square it is night club (2 votes)
- The Pub (close to Old Town Square)
- Lucerna
- Futurum
- Popocafepetl
- Nebe
- Karlovy Lazne
Daytrips
- Karlovy Vary
CouchSurfing
Monday, August 24, 2009
Japan plan
Links
- http://gutereise09.blogspot.com/2008/07/index-on-my-blog.html
- http://julies-japan.blogspot.com/
- Two-week trip to Japan
- FAQ
- Cheap eats
Keisei limited express from Narita
Tokyo
- Tsukij fish market. it's a trip at 5 in the morning for the best sushi ever!
- If not open - go to kanda - there are good sushi restaurants.
- eat hokkaido ramen - not the ususal one - it's the best.
- Rappongi - mix of bar, prostitutes at the small streets but if you ll go up the Roppongi Hill - modern and sleek - amazing mixture - very Tokyo-like.
- Izakaya (japanese style drinking place) near Shinjuku 3Cho me station exit - best o-sake drinking experience.
- If you are into Murakami - there is a restaurant on Shibuya where his characters like to eat, sorry forgot the name.
- Ueno temple and garden!
- check out sky bars - on the top floor on the hotels - like Park Haytt hotel, Prince and several others.
- If you are into clubs - go to Yellow - used to be my fav - Tomoyuki Tanaka aka Fantastic Plastic Machine played there
Hiroshima
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Airfare
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/07/business/07money.html?ex=1333944000&en=454f5dc0d731f249&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/travel/15pracdeals.html?ex=1334203200&en=e2de88c5d2b7506e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink