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Has anyone been to Rotterdam? Or anywhere, Liverpool or Rome … but mainly Rotterdam. I’m off there for four nights in January. I’ve already taken a look at the Schaatsbaan (outdoor ice skating) and the Het Nieuwe Instituut, their museum for “Architecture, Design and Digital Culture.”
Korea subway etiquette made simple: avoid priority-seat mistakes, learn what most tourists miss, and ride Seoul transit confidently. Read before you board.
Being famous around as a tourist destination for hundreds of years, the Philippines is no stranger when it comes to welcoming tourists. The
How much visa cost in Philippines 🌏? This question opens the door to exciting adventures ✨. Prepare your documents and get ready to enjoy tropical beaches 🌴, vibrant festivals 🎭, and breathtaking views 🏞️. Start your journey with a smile 😊, knowing a world of unforgettable memories awaits you. Let the fun begin! 🎉
Dicas Importantes para Turistas Estrangeiros no Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Dicas Importantes para Turistas Estrangeiros no Rio de Janeiro O Rio de Janeiro é uma das cidades mais famosas e visitadas do Brasil, atraindo turistas de todo o mundo. Para turistas estrangeiros que planejam visitar a cidade, é fundamental conhecer algumas dicas que irão garantir uma experiência mais tranquila e agradável. A seguir, apresentamos algumas orientações essenciais…
Pro tip: When you go to a tourist spot where they take cringe souvenir photos, wear green and they won’t force you to pose for them
Words of advice to anyone who plans on going to New Orleans at any point in their lives
1) Don't go to the following places: The Westbank (the traffic makes it almost impossible to get back) The Lower 9th Ward (at least, don’t go here alone. people get mugged here) New Orleans East (a lot of shootings happen here. avoid at all costs) 2) Don’t question the Go-Cups at bars and the drive-thru daiquiris. If you think about it, it’s a lot safer than sending someone driving back home after they’ve had alcohol. 3) (For people from other countries) Tip 15%-20% at any form of restaurant and/or bar. The minimum wage in America is $7.25 an hour. Most, if not all, waiters and waitresses in New Orleans make almost all of their money off of tips. This is, sadly, mainly directed at Canadians, since they are horrible tippers by our standards, probably because they have a minimum wage people can live off of. 4) You probably already know that it’s hot in the summer, but it’s a certain kind of heat. It’s a wet heat, meaning that sitting in the shade won’t help you. The best analogy I’ve heard describing our hot, muggy summer temperatures is “Satan’s armpits after a vigorous, 12-hour-long work out of cardio, weight-lifting, and running.” Make sure you buy lots of water bottles while here. 5) DO NOT go to the French Quarter if you have Germophobia. Trust me. 6) Don’t come here in Late Summer-to-Early Fall/Autumn. That’s hurricane season. You don’t want to be stuck here during Hurricane season. 7) Don’t come here in Mid-to-Late Winter-to-Early Spring. That’s when we get tornadoes (yes, we get tornadoes here). 8) Have fun. Talk to people (it’s considered rude if you don’t make conversation here). BTW, “Bless your heart,” is an insult, not a compliment.
This is coming from someone who lives in Metairie, a small city considered part of New Orleans even though we’re in a different parish.
When in Brugges! Things to eat edition.
Not going to lie, the train to Brugges was a little bit hectic, in a super embarrassing way.
I consider myself an avid train riding professional. I am not talking, "oh I can get around the New York City subway on a weekend" train rider. I am talking, "I know exactly where I need to stand on the platform to be closest to the exit I want or to make the connection without having to wait" train rider. So when I travel internationally, I have no problem riding the train, I actually prefer it. But when you throw a foreign language in there, I like to give myself extra time. Fast forward to Belgium, I thought it would be smart to buy my ticket to Brugges when I arrived in Belgium (a day ahead) so that I wouldn't have to wait in line the morning of (all good in theory). Turns out despite me buying the ticket from the teller, a full day in advance, and she spoke English, I still ended up with the wrong ticket to Brugges.
Happily, everyone in the Brussels area speaks English well, and the the conductor took pity on me, (so even though I bought a one way ticket) I was able to continue on to Brugges no problem. But shout out to that conductor - you are my hero! And I cheers my super cute cup of espresso to you!
I spent most of my morning enjoying the walk from the train station around the outskirts of town. But as I mentioned in my previous post, I was aiming to make the climb to the top of the bell tower as one of my first activities in town. I highly recommend grabbing a quick snack outside the bell tower before jumping in line - I opted for frites! (Check out that close up below). There are two stands immediately outside the bell tower. Both are excellent. Just make sure you choose your sauce wisely. As a German girl, I opt for frites with mayo. But there are other awesome sauces including a curry ketchup that are just as good!
If you grab the fries and plan to jump in line immediately, be sure to finish the fries before you enter the ticket office. The teller will spot you from across the room and yell at you in front of everyone that "no food is allowed upstairs." Jokes on her, I got my money's worth.
After working up an appetite climbing stairs, I was super excited about eating a real meal in Brugges! I had the Rick Steve's guide in hand, and he had recommended a ton of local beer halls to check out. A place where you can enjoy delicious Belgian beer and local fare. However, most of these places are only open during "lunch hours," say from 11:30-2pm, so if you wait until late in the day to eat, you will miss the boat!
I think I came on the perfect storm of a Monday, that was also a holiday, and waited a bit too long to grab lunch, so sadly most of the places were closed already for lunch and sadly I couldn't come back for dinner. And one location was so hidden I never found it, like Diagon Alley hidden. But if you have the opportunity to eat there - definitely go for it!
When the local favorites are closed, I decided to find what was out there for "beer with a view." I ended up at Develorium Grand Beer Cafe (at this point, my sixth attempt to find a open establishment). While the cafe leaned towards the corporate vibe, you could not beat the view, and the beers were delicious.
Above you can see I ordered the tasting tray with the (from left to right) liefmans fruitesse, maredsous abbaye, and la chouffe. This was actually the first time I had la chouffe, but it is a beer you can find easily in the U.S., so if you are craving a taste of Belgium at home and it's on the list, I highly recommend it.
I closed my day with a tour at Half Moon Brewery. It was excellent! The tour is offered in English and fills up early! So I recommend booking the tour first thing in the day if you arrive in Brugges without a reservation. The tour takes you all over the brewery, you learn a lot of history and actually have an opportunity to view the city from a nice deck!
Even better, your ticket includes a full beer in their bar afterwards - I opted for the blonde. Completely refreshing after a full day of walking.
And with that last sip of Belgian beer, it was time to say good-bye to Brugges and hello Amsterdam, the next leg in my journey. Check back for more fun tips about eating and drinking in Amsterdam coming soon!
Cheers!
When in Brugges! Things to see edition.
When I initially booked this eurotrip - I thought I would spend two days in Brussels. But in a last minute switch, I decided to take a day trip to Brugges - and it was the best decision ever! Brugges has definitely maintained is medieval architecture and charm, while accepting some of the more modern attractions. The town is filled with shops, breweries, restaurants and other touristy things to do - definitely a city worth visiting!
I took the train from Brussels to Brugges. It was such an easy way to travel. It only took an hour and Brugges city center is only a 10 minute walk from the train station. Plenty of time to enjoy the multigrain crossaint I picked up before I jumped on the train. (Multigrain - still tastes like a stick of butter, but you feel like you "accomplished" something for your health).
When I arrived, I walked toward the city center stopping at sights along the way. The first stop was one of the most interesting. I walked through Beguinage, a semi-monastic community of women. The sight was serene. The community is known for its calm and quiet atmosphere, but was most interesting was at art installation within the community. In the courtyard were wooden tree houses. The houses were purely symbolic of children or playgrounds, meant as a juxtaposition with the quiet community. (No one is actually allowed to play in the houses - but it was very beautiful).
Next, I continued to walk up town through many canal-lined streets. It was so much fun to wander on my own! The town is very picturesque - as you can see from the panorama shot above!
Whenever I visit a historic town, I love to see the old sights. Contrary to the the U.S., "historic sights" in Europe usually involve climbing to the top of a church tower or castle tower that was built during the medieval era. It's a nice way to earn your afternoon beer while usually guaranteeing a great view of the city. As long as you get over the feeling that a strong wind may topple the tower over forever.
For Brugges, that meant stopping by the Belfry of Brugges, a medieval bell tower with a narrow, steep staircase of 366 steps. Narrow is definitely an understatement here. This is a trek that could be difficult for older individuals or anyone who gets nervous in cramped spaces because there were definitely portions of the staircase that were one-way only. (Which definitely made it interesting for passing people). But the views of the city are definitely worth the wait.
One interesting aspect of the square the visitor staff didn't emphasize was across the square. A multi-faceted sculpture with mirrors at different angles. Think "the bean" in Chicago got together with a rubik's cube and had a baby. It is angled just right that when you are looking at the sculpture you can see the full view of the tower, and surrounding buildings, perfectly!
If you are looking for some interesting shopping in addition to sight-seeing, I did stop in a few interesting shops. Nothing particularly notable to write home about beyond the typical "Belgian" touristy shops. I'll admit, I did leave town with a box of delicious chocolates and some cool postcards. But it was very difficult to walk into the shop below and leave with nothing. I guess the only salvation was the thought of traveling to Amsterdam with multiple bottles of beer - that probably wouldn't be the most fun ever.
But if you hit Brugges towards the end of your trip, or have a car, check out The Bottle Shop, tons of individually bottled Belgian beers (say that 5 times fast) available for sale!
All in all, despite Brugges being a bit touristy, I saw a lot of sights without breaking the bank! It is a highly walkable town, and if you want to see more, I would recommend a bike! I never felt unsafe or bored while walking the beautiful streets of Brugges!
If you are wondering more about what there is to eat and drink in Brugges, check out my upcoming post, "When in Brugges! Things to eat edition." I cover all the best places to grab a beer!
Until next time.
Cheers!
