Bars

And the Winner Is…(Part 1)

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Brooke

Our time abroad may be finished, but the Luggage Tags blog is not! On our flight yesterday, Brooke and I realized that we still have boatloads to say about our once in a life time trip. We plan to post on our budget for the trip, reflections on returning home, how we would have packed differently and more. We’re proud that we managed to update the blog almost daily while we were abroad, but as we realign our life, posts may appear a bit less frequently. If this still sounds like your bag of chips, we hope that you’ll stick around and continue the voyage with us for a bit longer! – PK

Throughout our trip around the world, we have experienced stays in more hotels than we count, ate at more restaurants that we can remember, and need an abacus to add up all the train rides, bar visits and stops at museums. We thought it might be fun to look back through on all of our experiences and present our findings on the best of the best. So, below are Luggage Tag RTW Awards! It was tough to narrow down the Creme de La Creme, but we did our best below:

Best Bar/Pub– Lord Nelson Bar, (Copenhagen) – A bar for locals located smack dab in the middle of an incredibly touristy area of Copenhagen. Unassuming, unsuspecting and easy to miss. Glad we found it because we had an absolute blast while visiting. The incredibly friendly and knowledgeable bartenders allowed us to sample just about every beer they had. The bar boasted an impressive collection of unique craft beers from around the area and friendly locals. It was just our speed. Honorable mention goes to Cafe Bar Bard in the Old City of Dubrovnik: While it is quieter and has a limited menu, it is right on the Adriatic with the best view any watering hole could hope for.

Best Museum–Te Papa – The National Museum of New Zealand (Wellington) We visited tons of sensational museums on our travels so that makes this a hard one. But Te Papa was the biggest and the best. The museum is incredible interactive and expansive. The exhibits about New Zealand are diverse and modernized. You can visit without a guide and it’s still awesome. As you might expect, English was spotty or secondary in many museums we saw. The best part about Te Papa? Admission is completely free. Honorable mention here goes to the small but impressive Nikola Telsa Museum in Serbia and their passionate staff and also to the the quirky, effectively informative History Museum of Estonia in Tallinn.

Best Hotel Stay- Hanoi Moment (Hanoi) Wow, what a hotel! The staff seemed to spend every minute knocking themselves out to assist you. Wine and fruit was waiting for us in the room when we checked in, the room itself was comfortable, large and chock full amenities including a laptop. It was all a real respite from the humidity and hustle of Hanoi. Plus they serve an amazing breakfast. And for all this luxury, the price was astoundingly low. The list of nominees for best hotel list was a bit shorter because mixed up hotel stays with nights through Air B ‘n B, hostels and more along the way. Honorable mention goes to Le Meriden in Budapest (but since the room was through hotel points, we can’t rank against cost) and The Lennox Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Best Airport- Changi Singapore Airport (Singapore) With an amazing kinetic art sculpture, this airport makes an immediate impression on visitors. Beyond that, it is new, clean and has a lot to offer. On a long layover, passengers can visit a swimming pool to get some exercise or relax between flights. We also loved that the security lines were at the gate when you board the plane rather than in the front of the airport with all other passengers. There is also tons of shopping because, after all, it is Singapore. It is a big airport that seems to do it all well. Honorable mention goes to the Amsterdam Airport. We were just there on a lay over for a few hours, but with a casino, museum and massage center, it seemed pretty great just walking through.

Best Meal –Dinner at Lubimoto (Sofia). – Man, what a meal! Run by a trio of brothers, a dinner at Lubimoto allowed us to sit outside and pace ourselves over a nice long meal. One of the brothers had spent considerable time in America and doubled as our host (so much more than a waiter) for the evening. We finally relented and began the meal like Bulgarians do -with Rakia! From there, we enjoyed another local staple that’s become a fast favorite and a daily must of ours: A shopska salad. After that, our host brought us two made-to-order entrees that were out of this world. One pork dish and one chicken dish that I would only shame if I attempted to describe the deliciousness. A couple of pints of Staropramen and a dessert made of cake and pecan ice cream (compliments of our host) rounded out the evening. And the final bill left us wondering if the printer was broken or someone sliced off a few zeros. Great stuff, but not an isolated incident in Sofia.Honorable mentions go to Ocho Cepas steak house in Mendoza, Ippudo Ramen in Kyoto and endless number of Hot Dog carts in Copenhagen!

Insanely great Ramen from Ippudo in Kyoto

Best “Bang for your Buck”– Vietnam. With a conversion rate of 22,500 Dong to the US Dollar, everything is incredibly affordable. There is a ton to see and plenty to spend money on from knock off bags to newly tailored suits and unique pieces of art. In addition, there are endless wonderful, authentic restaurants, that serving heaping portions with prices that make your make thing there is a misprint in the menu. Plus, visitors can easily stay at a Four-star hotel for $60 or less. Excluding accommodations, we’re pretty sure that travelers could do Hanoi on a mere $20 a day. A complete bargain for such a lively, friendly and different place.

Halong Bay in Vietnam

We’ve got six more that we want to share as we continue Part 2 tomorrow! Including Best Public Transportation, Best Non-Flight Transportation, Best Local Beer, Most Beautiful setting and, our favorite, Best Surprise. Drop us a line if there is anything you’d be interested in hearing what we thought was top notch. Trust me, when it comes to recommendations, feedback and opinions, we’ve got plenty of ammo!

-Brooke and Phil

Categories: Bars, Beer, Best Of, Eating, Flights, Museums, Post Trip Reflections, Surprises, The End of our Trip, Transportation, Uncategorized, Unusual Experiences | Tags: And the Winner Is, Best "Bang for your Buck", Best Airport, Best Bar/Pub, Best Flight, Best Food, Best Hotel, Best Local Beer, Best Museum, Best Of, Best Public Transportation, Best Weather, Hanoi Moment, Ippudo Ramen, LinkedIn, Lord Nelson's Bar, Lubimoto, National Museum of New Zealand, Ocho Cepas, Round the World Trip, Ta Papa, Vietnam | 4 Comments

Delicious Wine with New Friends

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Brooke

After a day of laying around, reading, sleeping and being doubled over in pain, I awoke on Saturday feeling like an almost normal human being. We were finally ready to have the day we had been envisioning upon planning our visit to Mendoza–a day entirely dedicated to visiting wineries and drinking different, delicious wines.

We laid out a plan to visit at least 4 different wineries and engage in both tours and tastings. To our delight, our new friends from Tikay Killa, Lyn and Dan joined us for the entire day. To begin, we had to find a way to the winery (or bodega as they are called here). Obviously drinking and driving is a big concern here and police are on the lookout everywhere. We don’t have a car anyway, so that wasn’t really an option. For this reason, tourists are encouraged to either take taxis or ride bicycles from winery to winery. Going for the more cost effective and fun method of transport, we chose bikes. Luckily, our lodge has a few on hand making rental a breeze. We set out for our first stop of the day–Mevi, a small winery with an amazing view. None too keen on drinking red wine in the heat, instead we imbibed in the whites and roses as we lounged on their sunny terrace which overlooks the vineyards and has stunning views of the Andes Mountains in the distance. We sipped Chardonnay, Torrontes, Malbec Rosado and various other wines. After an eight kilometer bike ride in the Argentinian heat, these cool, refreshing varieties helped recharge our batteries so we could continue on our way.

Only three kilometers further, Familia Di Tommaso was the next vineyard on our list. Rather than just drinking, we first took a tour of this small, family run bodega which is the oldest in Maipu. They showed us the old cement tanks which were formally used to ferment and age the wine. More modern systems have been put in place, so these are now used as wine cellars for the bottles they produce. Like many of the wineries in this region, their gem can be found in their Malbec Reserva. Aged in oak for 12 months, this wine has a robust flavor which impressed us all. We immediately ordered a bottle to accompany lunch aside the vineyard. Something which makes the wines here even more special is that they do not export or sell to grocery stores. This family’s produce can only be bought here at the bodega. Unfortunately, they don’t make ordering a case of wine very easy since they don’t take credit cards and don’t ship directly from the winery. Dan was especially disappointed, but with the help of Elena at our lodge he was able to work it out. At lunch, we were joined by a couple from Holland who we met on the tour. I don’t know if it is the wine or just travelers to this region in general, but we have met such wonderful, like-minded people on this visit. Everyone is traveling anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months and no one looks at us like we’re crazy when we tell them about our trip around the world. Building friendships with people from around the world has been a major added benefit of this trip that I didn’t anticipate beforehand.

After visiting these very small wineries, we were in for a huge difference with Trapiche, easily the largest vineyard in Maipu and also a part of the largest winery in Argentina. Here we met up with Sophie, our other new friend who was also staying at Tikay Killa. We toured this monstrous winery, learning about its long history. The building we were in has been dedicated as historically significant, therefore retains its original characteristics. Though it has been refurbished and modernized, the original structure still stands including the huge tanks which are still used to ferment the wine. This winery originally belonged to a different family who built in this location due to its proximity to the railroad. In fact, they even have a “pool” where they could ferment 5 million liters of wine at one time! Considering some small wineries we visited only produce about 19,000 liters a year, this number had our jaws on the ground. The idea was that all the wine from this one pool could be the entire stock loaded onto one train. This pool is no longer used because, as you might imagine, it is difficult to control the quality and consistency of the wine when creating it on that scale. The tour ended with a taste of 3 different wines and although they were delicious, we all agreed the smaller Di Tommassi family winery we visited earlier was superior.

Working our way back toward our lodge, we made our final visit to Finca Vina Maria, a tiny winery situated conveniently at the end of our street. We barely arrived before their 5:30 pm closing time, but the woman was more than happy to share with us the history of the winery and a description of the wines they produce. Rather than have a tasting, we decided to share a bottle of the Malbec while sitting outside under the shade of the huge sycamore tree. Chatting about all things wine turned into chatting about all things life. We learned more about each others jobs, families and travels. Phil and I were surprised to find out a “jumper” means a “sweater” when spoken by a Brit, but be careful–a sweater is not the same thing as a cardigan! Dan conceded that Americans are probably more correct with some of our pronunciations of words, while Sophie staunchly believes since the Brits invented the language, they must be the ones who are right. She does have a point!

After all this cycling, drinking and friendship, we knew we would be hungry later. And, since we have all discovered how incredibly difficult it can be to find dinner after 5pm in Maipu (or at least nearby to our lodge), we decided to head to the grocery store and fend for ourselves. It turned into a feast of tapas, perfect to go with the wine we had bought throughout the day. Delicious cheese, ham, salami and bread filled our plates and the wine flowed freely. Knowing we were all getting up to go horseback riding the next morning helped quell any desire to drink too much, and instead we spent the evening continuing to get to know one another, sharing stories and becoming friends. Reflecting back on it all, I can’t think of a better way to spend a day!

–Brooke

Three of the many wines produced by Trapiche.

Dan, Lyn and Brooke riding bikes between winery visits.

Just place your glass on the wine you want and it appears as if by magic!

Vineyards as far as the eye can see. It’s pretty much like this everywhere in Maipu.

Categories: Argentina, Bars, Destinations, Diversions, Friends, Mendoza, Uncategorized, Wine | Tags: Argentina, bike rental, bike riding, chardonnay, Friends, Maipu, Malbec, Mendoza, Tikay Killa, Torrontes, Wine | 7 Comments

Wine, Tango and Futbol Chat

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Brooke

As Phil stated in the previous post, we had quite a full day yesterday. It seems some days we take it easy and do nothing of any consequence, then there are days where we are constantly on the go. It actually works out pretty well and makes for some really great days. After voting for president and navigating our way through the Buenos Aires bus station, we finally took part in what I most looking forward to while in Argentina–wine!

Thanks to Phil’s diligent research, he found Anuva Wines, a small business dedicated to helping people discover small South American wineries with a personal touch. We found they offer tasting sessions twice daily in English, so we eagerly signed up. The reviews raved about this experience with several people stating it was the best thing they did while in Buenos Aires. They also bragged of the generous pours and refills, often rare at such tastings. The reviews were spot on. We arrived to the Anuva Wine Loft to be greeted by Cara, our hostess. Along with four other visitors, she explained to us the process of tasting wine and the importance of using all the senses. We looked. We smelled. But most importantly, we tasted. Using all Argentinian wines, of course, she started us with a delicious sparkling white called “Hom”. We moved onto a Torrontes (my favorite white wine grape), and then onto the reds. When I think of Argentinian wines, I always think red. She introduced me to a new grape called Bonarda which has traditionally been used with blended wines, but has recently become more popular on its own. She explained to us the importance of sun, temperature, rain and altitude in the wine industry. With the Andes Mountains, Argentina has a the perfect conditions for certain grapes to grow, most especially Malbec. This was easily my favorite wine of the tasting, probably because it is what I often choose to drink at home. We were offered one more red blend, and they all came along with a different food pairing. With each glass Cara offered insights and information…and refills if we so desired. Yes and yes! After we finished, the order forms came out. Of course, we could buy all the wines we tasted (and then some). We could choose to take them with us or have them shipped home. Everyone immediately started filling out the form to have one or more cases sent home. After we had decided which 12 bottles to get, we put the order form away and figured it’s probably best not to make this kind of decision after drinking so much! We settled for taking two bottles with us and we will order more online if we wish (when we are totally sober).

After the wine tasting, we had a short respite before going to our first tango lesson. One of the reasons we chose our hotel, The Tango Suites, is because they offer complimentary tango lessons, at all skill levels, to their guests. Tango is everywhere in Buenos Aires and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to learn a little bit ourselves. There were two teachers and six students. We kicked off our shoes in order to move more fluidly across the floor. We started merely by walking to the beat of the music, feeling the rhythm. This wasn’t always easy–tango music changes often and there is not a strong back beat. It was difficult to keep in time. After we learned to walk, we paired up and walked with a partner. No touching, just sensing one another’s movements. We slowly graduated to touching arms, then embracing, then traditional dance posture. We took turns leading each other and often changed partners. There was quite a bit of stumbling, and not a little of stepping on toes, but it was great fun. I would love to take another lesson, or maybe even a dance class where we learn lots of different dances. I don’t think Phil had quite the same experience. He seemed to enjoy the walking and the earlier steps of the lesson. Once we got to the embrace and traditional dance posture, he got frustrated and I could tell he was ready to be done with it. If I take future dance lessons, I’m pretty sure I’ll have to find a different partner.

Brooke with Dan, a freelance futbol writer in Argentina.

After we finished the tango, we hurried out of the hotel to meet up with Dan, a freelance writer who covers Argentinian futbol. While Phil was attempting to procure tickets to a futbol match, he found Sam and Dan, two futbol writers. When we couldn’t make the game happen, we opted instead to meet for a drink and talk about life in Buenos Aires. Due to the crazy amounts of rain, Sam couldn’t make it, but we were able to meet up with Dan at a pub called Gibralter. We chatted for a couple of hours about life in Argentina, futbol culture and the differences between the UK and South America. Having lived here for 3 years, it was interesting to hear Dan’s perspective. We always enjoy talking to locals and getting their take. We spoke of the overwhelming homeless problem and he explained that compared to other big cities in South America, Buenos Aires is considered wealthy. It is all relative, I suppose. He also shared a few stories about attempted muggings on the street. He was much braver than I would have been, standing up to these would be attackers and refusing to give them anything. In both cases, they walked away. This certainly made me look over my shoulder a bit more on our way back to the hotel.

We have had full and interesting days here in Buenos Aires, but I have to say, I am ready to go. I don’t really like it here. It is a really big city, very spread out and not very well served by the subway. It seems to take 45 minutes to get anywhere. Not only that, part of it just aren’t very nice. It is dirty, with broken sidewalks, graffiti and trash everywhere. And homelessness is rampant, even in the nicest areas. I am very ready to get out of Buenos Aires and head to wine country, which is good because that is exactly what we are doing. Fourteen-hour, overnight bus ride, here we come!

–Brooke

Just one example of the broken and busted sidewalks. i wish the was the exception, but it is the rule.

Brooke learns the tango…or at least learns to walk rhythmically.

Categories: Argentina, At Night, Bars, City Visits, Customs, Differences, Hotels, Reflections, Safety, Tango, Uncategorized, Unusual Experiences | Tags: Andes Mountains, Anuva Wines, Argentina, Buenos Aires, futbol, homeless, Malbec, Mendoza, tango, The Tango Suites, Torrontes, Wine | 2 Comments

Let Glasgow Flourish!

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Phil

Today marks our 101st post since we began the Luggage Tags blog back in June. We thought that was a nice little achievement worth noting. We’re proud that we’ve managed to blog almost every single day. Huzzah us!

Hello again from Scotland! The weather outside is cold, wet and windy but that’s pretty much par for the course for Glasgow in October. It’s not hard to see why all the Scots we’ve met make so many jokes about their crappy weather. We’re currently hold up in a tremendous cafe called Artisan Roast near the university. A place like this can keep us cozy and warm while we plan our next steps over hot cups of long black and Ethiopian Chemex drip. Yeah, somewhere between Singapore and Copenhagen we became coffee aficionados. The coffee bean has become our unofficial sponsor and mandatory fuel for this trip. So far, we’re both really relishing our time in Scotland. I particularly dig the city’s motto: Let Glasgow Flourish. We packed it in yesterday with a stop to a famed city museum, grabbing tickets to a lunch time one-act play, and soaking up a football match over some traditional Scottish pub grub. A nice, full, if not tiring day in Scotland.

After knocking out some well-past-due laundry, our first stop of the day was a short trek down Argyle Street to visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Much to our delight, Glasgow boasts a substantial number of historical buildings and museums that offer free admission, including the much cherished Kelvingrove. Given our budget, Brooke and I are definitely making good use of that. The Kelvingrove, opened as a city museum way back in 1901, is a beautiful, big, old structure that is fantastic just as a building in and of itself. You get the impression that some of the same money that built the City Chambers we visited yesterday was used to construct this place as well. We’ve seen our fair share of museums on this trip so far, but we’re going to go ahead and put the Kelvingrove in the top tier.

The museum quickly impressed us with a diverse balance of fine art galleries, historical exhibits, zoological displays and more. Themed galleries spread over the different wings made the expansive museum accessible and easy to digest. We learned all about the local artists known as “The Glasgow Boys”, soaked up displays on the biggest and smallest features of animals around the world, and I got a particular kick out of the pristine collection of fierce looking 14th through 17th century armor. There were some notable oddities like the legendary, albeit somewhat disturbing, locally beloved 100 year-old stuffed Elephant named “Sir Roger” and the striking collection of floating fiberglass heads in the “Expressions” exhibit. The crown jewel of the museum is probably the moving, 1951 Dali crucifixion painting “Christ of St. John of the Cross”. Very cool, very different. We wish we had another hour or two to explore (and maybe enjoy an organ recital), but we had to hustle off to A Play, A Pie and A Pint!

After another short walk in the rain, we took in a show at an old converted church turned bar/club/theater/event space aptly named “A Play, A Pie and A Pint.” This is such a fantastic concept that it is begging to be introduced in the United States: A ticket costing ten pounds get you a traditional meat or cheese pie, a pint of your favorite drink (beer, wine, juice, etc) and a performance of a one-act play that changes every week. Genius! With daily shows, this is a fantastic way to spend any lunchtime. We managed to catch “Faith Fall” which showcases three actors in front of microphones performing a play about love, cancer and the devil on an empty set. The show itself was unique, thought provoking and quite good. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a stripped down, dialogue intense one-act play. There was a nice big crowd on hand nibbling away at pies and quiet sips of beer. As Brooke mentioned yesterday, Glasgow clearly has a remarkably strong dedication to the arts and culture. I have a feeling that when Glasgow was struggling with a seriously down economy a few years back, the town poured energy and money into establishing a strong arts scene. And it shows.

As with just about every city, we managed to take a ride on the city Subway (they are back to being called Subways instead of Metros). While each city has a slightly different set up, Glasgow’s limited system has surprisingly tiny trains that look like squished sausages. I felt like I was crammed into a torpedo and the bumpy ride almost gave us a case of whiplash! Definitely unique! Later that evening, we visited a pub to watch the National Scottish team take on Belgium in a World Cup qualifier. I’m a bit slow on the doings of international sports, but I’m still amazed that there are qualifying games for a World Cup tournament that’s almost two years away. Apparently this one was a “win or it’s over” scenario for the Scots even though qualifying games continue into 2013. Given the weak performance of the team thus far, the crowd at the pub already seemed partly resigned to a loss before the game even started. The 2-0 win by Belgium was less of a surprise than seeing “Haggis, Neeps and Tatties” as a meal option on the menu. By the way, among the endless taps of beer found at every bar here, Guinness has started offering handles with “Extra Cold Guinness” in which the beer comes out two degrees colder. Is it any better? Who knows, but chalk one up for beer marketing teams. We’ve had a busy, full day in Glasgow, but there is still more to see and do! Tomorrow, we’re going to take a short train ride to Blantyre to explore some of my family history.

-Phil

Brooke with pies, plays and pints

Part of the Excellent Armor Collection at Kelivngrove

It’s just a wee subway for the lads and lassies of Scotland!

Brooke Enjoying the Scottish Weather this morning

Categories: Bars, Beer, City Visits, Museums, Reflections, Scotland, Self Guided Tours, Uncategorized | Tags: "Christ of St. John of the Cross". extra cold Guinness, a play a pie and a pint, Argyle Street, Artisan Roast, Belgium National Football Team, Chemex, Dahli, Ethopian Coffee, Glasgow, Glasgow Boys, Glasgow Subway, Guinness, Haggis, Haggis Neeps and Tatties, Kelvingrove, Let Glasgow Flourish, Scotland, Sir Roger, Traveling Rain | 7 Comments

Glasgow, Scotland

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Brooke

When we told people we would be heading to Glasgow, almost all of them asked, “Will you got to Edinburgh?” Time after time people told us there isn’t much to do in Glasgow and we shouldn’t spend too much time here. After spending the day exploring this city, we are so chock-full of things we want to do that we are considering extending our stay one more day. Filled with great food and culture, Glasgow appears to be a wonderful city with tons for us to see and do.

We began our day the way anyone should while in Scotland–with a traditional breakfast. Pulled in by the sign that said “Scottish Breakfast £2.99”, we sat down in Wetherspoons. I went for the breakfast wrap, but Phil is in full Scottish mode and ordered the Traditional Breakfast. When his plate came, it was a feast of all things protein: fried egg, fried sausage, bacon, and beans on toast. Figuring this to be the perfect way to start our day in Scotland, we cleared our plates and then headed into the city.

As you have seen if you’ve read other blog posts, we really enjoy the Hop-on/Hop-off City Sightseeing bus tours. Doing this upon arrival to a new city really helps to understand the layout and what it has to offer. In the past, we have always had the pre-recorded tours. This allows for greater flexibility as the tours can be given in several different languages. This company also has that option, but the bus we got on had a live tour guide. It didn’t take us long to realize how much better a live tour is than a pre-recorded one. Having grown up in Glasgow, this gentleman could speak to the way things were when he was a boy compared to today. He kept us updated on current events regarding construction projects and city news. Most importantly, he was much more entertaining than a recording. His dry sense of humor had us questioning a few times whether he was joking or not. On the tour, we explored the city’s centre, west end and river front. We were unaware of Glasgow’s rich ship building history and learned that the town still engages in this trade today.

After the tour, we stopped for a warm bowl of soup to warm us up because let me tell you–it is cold here. Maybe 45 degrees today, everyone seemed cheered that at least the sun was shining. Our tour guide joked that we were all baking in the hot sun at the top of the bus and added that maybe the sun would come out again in another 3 years. In fact, all day we heard joke after joke about the gray, rainy, cold weather which is commonplace here. We realize we might be very lucky to be graced by sunshine today and we should enjoy it while we can. (The weather for the rest of the week looks like a lot of rain.) Once sufficiently warmed by some sweet corn chowder, we ventured back into the cold only briefly to head to the City Chambers, the headquarters of Glasgow’s City Council. This beautiful old building is situated in the center of the city, just off George Square. When we heard they offered free tours of the interior, we figured it would be a great way to learn a little bit more about the city’s history. The building was completed in 1888 and is a display of decadence and wealth. It has two staircases, the white and the black, so named for the material which was used in building them. In days of old, only the wealthy nobility and royals were allowed to use the white marble staircase. The other was reserved for servants and working class visitors. On our tour we visited the banquet hall, the council chamber and the art gallery, where each Lord Provost throughout history has a portrait hanging. All in all, our tour was really interesting and a good start in helping us to understand the Scottish brogue (I swear, sometimes it sounds like a totally foreign language).

After switching our luggage from our previous night’s hotel to our new Air BnB stay, we went looking for our first pint of the day. We discovered The Grove, an old man bar if ever there was one. With horse racing on the TV screen and talk of the Scotland v. Belgium football game tomorrow, it was a great place for a drink. Phil opted for a Guinness while I tried a Belhaven, all for a mere £5. At this price, I imagine we’ll be back here again tomorrow! From here, we went to a place called Neighborhood Bar to take advantage of their 2-for-1 deal on dinner. Then, we headed to the famed King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut for some live music. We haven’t really caught too many live shows on the trip yet, and King Tut’s is known for having all kinds of different bands each night of the week. (Their claim to fame is being the bar where Oasis was discovered.) The lineup tonight consisted of bands we have never heard of, but that is half the fun of going to a show like this anyway. The first act, Jonny Jack, was a young rock band. Well rehearsed, they played together tightly, but their music wasn’t terribly original. The lead singer’s voice reminded us of Rob Thomas from his Matchbox 20 days. Next was a solo artist named Luke Sital-Singh, who played slow, sad songs on his guitar that would have been perfect if we were terribly depressed. His voice was great, but the songs started to all sound the same after a while. The headlining act, Fossil Collective, seems to have been around a while since they definitely had some regular fans there to catch the show. Following the footsteps of many other modern bands, they have a multi-vocal, full harmonic sound along with their many guitars. They sound a bit similar to Grizzly Bear with a voice like My Morning Jacket.

But the gem of the night was Cherry Grove. We knew we were in for a treat when they began setting up their stage. Instruments include your basic keyboard and guitar, but then they also had a violin, harp and accordion. These incredibly talented musicians played a great set. Sometimes with vocals, sometimes only instruments, they modernized traditional music and instruments in a creative and innovative way. They seemed to genuinely have fun on stage, and you got the sense that they probably all met at a music conservatory because they have mastered their instruments. They were releasing their first EP tonight, and it was clear to see that much of the audience came to see them. The show would have been worth it even if Cherry Grove was the only band we saw.

King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut has a midnight curfew to respect their neighbors, so once the bands were done we walked home, huddled together to keep warm. We are so pleased with our first day in Glasgow and we can’t wait for all that we have in store for tomorrow. We will do a nice variety of museums, exploration, and sport. As long as we don’t freeze first!

–Brooke

Beautiful view of the Clyde River.

Phil in the City Chambers.

Brooke always wants to be in charge.

One Lord Provost chose to have his portrait done by an artist with a very unique style. It is very intriguing.

Categories: Bars, Beer, City Visits, Destinations, Diversions, Eating, Europe, Exploring, Landmarks, Music, Scotland, Tours | Tags: Air BnB, Cherry Grove, city chambers, cold, Fossil Collective, George Square, Glasgow, Hop-on Hop Off, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Matchbox 20, Neighbourhood Bar, Scotland, The Grove, Weatherspoons | 1 Comment

In Munich, we Bought a BMW…

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Brooke

…tour. A BMW tour. You thought we bought a car? Not even close, but more about that later! For now, here we are in Munich, Germany and in some ways it is exactly what we expected–stores filled with lederhosen, BMWs cruising the streets, beer and sausages everywhere you turn. We even met some really cool guys from a German TV show. Weird, but cool. Really, what more could a girl ask for? Sure, we are in Munich one week after the end of its famous Oktoberfest, but it doesn’t matter. This is still a great city with lots for first time visitors like us to see and do.

We got here before dawn yesterday, tired but ready to explore this new city. After storing our luggage (thank goodness for these services at every train station we’ve been to), we decided to walk toward the Deutches Museum. We’ve met several people who highly recommended this science and technology museum, so it seemed like a great way to spend our time while we waited to check into our room. This giant museum spans five floors and covers everything from microelectronics to aeronautics and the history of sailing in Germany. We especially loved seeing the cross section of an airplane which shows us just how little space is taken up by passengers and how much room there is for cargo. We also found the ethical questions regarding genetic testing really interesting–this was partly due to the creepy yet intriguing faces speaking to us from the wall. After pressing a button, they told of their dilemmas regarding genetic testing and then we voted if we agreed or disagreed with the choice. It was interesting to see how our opinion compared to others who had taken the survey before. While there were many exhibits that were interactive and innovative, the longer we were there, the sleepier I got. I found my eyelids getting very heavy as I read the information below each exhibit. While Phil wandered around in fascination, I kept looking for benches where I could rest my very weary body. At this point I realized I didn’t get quite as much sleep on the train as I imagined, and I needed to rest. At my request, we left the museum earlier than planned and checked into our room.

We didn’t order this monstrosity! It belonged to the man next to us and he actually ate the entire thing (plus a salad beforehand).

After a lovely, and very much needed nap, we ventured out for a late dinner. Excited that we are in Germany and it is finally acceptable to have a hamburger again, we chose Burger House based on the extremely positive reviews on TripAdvisor. This was our first foray onto the Munich public transportation system and after our ticket debacle in Budapest, we weren’t taking any chances. Like good citizens, we bought out tickets and validated them. We would not be burned again. It is a good thing we did all this because as soon as we got on the train a group of ticket control agents boarded and started checking tickets. Exhilaration rushed through us. We were pretty sure we did all that we needed to do, but it was our first time and we couldn’t be positive. When they checked our tickets, I wanted to shout, “Yeah, just try to say something to me!” They nodded and moved on. Never again will we be caught without the right ticket!

Our good mood continued when we finally found Burger House. As soon as we walked in we were surrounded by the sights and sounds of an awesome restaurant. Not too big, maybe 12 tables in all, people drank beer and ate their food looking truly happy to be there. We were barely able to snag a seat at the bar, just eeking in before their 10pm closing time which seems early to us. I’m so glad we made it because this was easily the best burger we’ve had since we left New York. It is amazing what can happen when simple, fresh ingredients are prepared well. The man next to us ordered the Triple Classic Burger and actually finished it. Quite a feat. The burger, coupled with our first taste of delicious German beer, made for the perfect first dinner in Munich.

Customers wait on the stairs to go down to their brand new BMW. What a thrill!

This morning we woke up refreshed and ready to tackle the city head on. We tried to get tickets for a tour of the BMW plant, but they require 3 weeks notice. We didn’t even know we would be in Munich as of 3 weeks ago, so we figured we would just check out the museum and the BMW Welt. Phil has great nostalgia for BMW and today’s visit has only made it worse. Now I’m worried he’s going to go back to the U.S. and buy and old 3-Series. The BMW Welt is basically a giant showroom with current BMW and Rolls Royce (also part of BMW Motor Group) models. Admittedly, it was fun walking around and dreaming about which car we would buy. Even though they weren’t on display (and aren’t what most people think of when they think BMW), I think I’d go with a Mini-Cooper. They are so cute. I know I would look awesome cruising around in a red one. Before heading to the museum, we checked to see if there were any last minute openings on the tour and lucky for us, there were! We took a guided tour of the museum, the plant and the welt. This tour is incredibly comprehensive and is something we would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Munich. The museum is modern and shows the long history of BMW, from its days of making aircraft engines to making high performance cars and motorbikes. It would have been a great visit all on its own, but in addition we visited the plant. Here in Munich, they only make the 3-series and we got to see many steps of the process. From welding the body parts together, placing the body on the drive shaft and the process of painting the body, we saw so much more than we did when we visited the Mazda plant in Japan. In some ways, this was almost too much information and we were begging for a break or at least a stop at the restroom. When we didn’t get that, we figured we’d hang in through the last part, which was the welt. We weren’t expecting much, since we had already looked around earlier. What we didn’t see before was the floor upstairs where customers come to pick up their brand new BMW. Each day people come here and are greeted with the car they have been waiting for. They come down a giant staircase and their car is spinning platform waiting for them. After having their photo snapped by a professional, they jump inside and learn the ins and outs of their new vehicle. It was really neat to watch. One car was even waiting with a big red bow. It took me a while to believe that this present wasn’t destined for me. What a great surprise that would have been.

Upon leaving the BMW tour, the cold October rain began to settle in. We decided to take a break from being tourists and head back to the apartment where we are staying. We did manage to head back out for an awesome dinner at a local brewery, but we will tell you all about that tomorrow. Until then, go out and have a delicious German beer and some knockwurst and think of us here in Munich.

–Brooke

A store selling primarily stylish lederhosen. Is this in fashion? We aren’t sure.

Excuse me, could we please have a bigger bottle of mayonnaise? This won’t be enough.

On the subway, the rider has to open the door using the handle or else it won’t open at all. Very old fashioned!

A clay model at the BMW museum. Designers still use this technique to create new cars.

Phil’s new best friend? A water spout statue at Marienplatz

Categories: Bars, Beer, City Visits, Destinations, Diversions, Driving, Europe, Trains, Uncategorized | Tags: Beer, BMW, Burger House, Deutches Museum, Germany, Munich, Oktoberfest, TripAdvisor | 8 Comments

Delightful Dubrovnik

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Phil

Hello from Dubrovnik, Croatia! Our traveling crew has temporarily expanded to four once again. Brooke and I were joined by our good friend Jack from NYC and his buddy Jon. Both have been traveling in Turkey for the last 10 days and we had planned in advance a rendezvous in Croatia. And now we find ourselves soaking up Dubrovnik. This seaside town is packed so full of amazing beauties that I’m really at a loss of where to begin today. From walking over the ancient city walls to enjoying beers at a bar directly on the Adriatic to watching the sunset from the top of Mt. Srd, this gem of a place is simply sensational. In the short time we’ve been here so far, we’ve chalked up a number of incredible experiences. I know that this may sound like I’m being glib or just plain lazy, but words and photos can’t really do this place justice. To say that we have been swept off our feet by this city is an understatement.

After visiting a variety of European capitals from Bucharest to Budapest over the last few weeks, Dubrovnik was a departure for the size and scene of the town alone. But we didn’t fully know what we were getting into before arriving. I’ve never quite seen a place like Dubrovnik before in the sense that you have a small range of tall mountains which just roll almost right down into the sea. Along the way, the sloping hills are dotted with houses and roads. And at the bottom of these hills, beaches and harbors spit out directly into a bay dotted with islands. This area has geography that is unique and striking.

But the real highlight is the historic, walled old city that sits directly between the foot of the mountains and the coast of the sea. We’re not talking some random, partial ruins of walls from an era past. No, this is a compact city of hundreds of building surrounded by a massive intact wall. The impact of it all is amazing. The old city makes for the perfect setting for a slow amble through the pedestrian only, marble streets allowing us to gawk and stare at each new storefront, set of stairs or building entrance. It would also make the perfect setting for the ultimate game of hide and seek, capture the flag or even paintball (if you don’t mind ruining the beautiful, clean walls). More accurately, the low roofs, sloping tiles and endless stairs are the perfect playground for cats. Which neatly explains the number of stray cats at every turn. We’re pretty sure that one cat made its way to Zagreb years ago and started saying to other feline friends, “Dude, you have got to check out this place down the coast.” Hey, better stray cats than stray dogs.

Old City, and the rest of the area, is apparently an incredibly popular vacation destination although it seems to be off the radar for many Americans like Brooke and me. The town does tend to get swallowed by cruise ship passengers during the mid-morning and afternoons. A waiter told us that a couple of years ago, Dubrovnik had a day in which nine cruise ships were docked at once. Apparently, the increasing number of visitors has caused some issues, but there seems to be plenty of bars, restaurants,shops, museums and room enough for all. However, given the sometime geriatric nature of cruise passengers, the endless steps scattered throughout the city could pose a challenge for anyone who can’t hang with hiking up 100-200 steps in a given afternoon.

Among the “can’t miss” activities is forking over a few Croatian kuna to walk the entire circumference of the outside city wall that towers above the rest of the city center. It took the four of us a couple of hours to walk all the way around as we made sure to check out every nook and cranny along the way. The one-way walk around the wall, turrets and towers easily makes our list of one of the most beautiful sights on the trip so far. Talk about meeting and exceeding all expectations. Each new turn or set of stairs gave us another view and another angle to snap some photos (our cameras have gotten a lot of work over the last couple of days). Parts of the walls were built as far back as the 15th century but more recently the walls took a pounding during the Croatian War for Independence in the early 90’s. What’s even more remarkable is that while the old city endured three months of bombing virtually all of the damage has been replaced or repaired. In fact, our visit coincided with Croatia’s Independence Day (the same day as America’s Columbus Day), but aside from the sound of a distant marching band and some closed shops, you really would not have known today was a national holiday.

I’m not one for hyperbole or exaggeration, and maybe it’s the insanely perfect weather or full days, but I’m pretty sure that Dubrovnik is a strong contender for being the most scenic, beautiful and awe-inspiring place I’ve ever visited. Brooke would agree. Today was an excellent reminder of why we took this trip in the first place. Sometimes it’s all about trying your best to do what you want to be doing with your life. Who knows? You might find yourself at the perfect back drinking on the Adriatic.