Our last day in London had arrived. After our serene and peaceful early-morning kayak tour on Regents Canal we freshened up quickly, grabbed a bite to eat and got ready for our final adventure in London: a guided tour of Southall, one of Londons many fascinating ethnic neighbourhoods.Punctually at 11 am our personal tour guide, Anne Mark, picked us up and whisked us onto one of the modern double-decker buses that form the backbone of Londons...more
Our second day in London greeted us with brilliant sunshine, and even though it was still early May, temperatures in the mid twenties (Celsius, of course) were in store for us. Andrea and I started our day with a nice breakfast at the Zetter Hotel, a boutique hotel in Londons fashionable Clerkenwell area. The main floor restaurant offers an extensive breakfast buffet, but occasionally, when I really enjoy a menu item I have no hesitation to order...more
Its amazing what you can pack into a day: our sightseeing tour on the Number 11 bus had introduced us to some of Londons most important sights. During our walking tour we explored Buckingham Palace, the Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, arriving just in time for Big Ben ringing in the noon hour. Then we took a sightseeing tour on the Thames River and got to know the city from a completely different perspective. With only three days in London we were trying to cover as many sights as possible, and so far on our second day we had definitely managed to squeeze in a lot of important landmarks.After rushing to catch the Docklands Light Railway to our meeting point at Whitechapel, we connected with our walking tour a bit late, but we were ready to get to know Londons unknown East End. The tour was led by Harry Jackson, a passionate Londoner who grew up in Liverpool in the 1960s. Harry moved back to London in 1973 and gained extensive knowledge of the city during the 1980s when he worked for London Transport. This was also the time when he became a certified Blue Badge tourist guide. Blue Badge guides go through a two year training program at the Institute of Tourist Guiding and...more
Kaput is a common term these days that Europe's summer backpackers use which in layman's terms mean finished. Do not dread the day your daughter runs off to Europe with just a backpack. Backpacker travel insurance is available. This concept is not uncommon in the US. Seeing girls walking with their backpacks in European cities is nothing...more
After five great days in my temporary home in the Western Bay of Palma it was now time to relocate and have a closer look at the eastern side of island. I needed to check out today and move into my next apartment in Port dAlcudia. I packed my suitcase and left the Terranova Aparthotel complex which had been a great location to explore the western...more
With my love for the Spanish language and my fascination for Mediterranean landscapes, the island of Mallorca has been one of my dream destinations for a long time. A couple of months ago or so I had finally decided that 2009 was going to be year for my visit to Mallorca. Spring is the perfect time to visit southern Europe the weather is usually great, and the hordes of Northern European tourists have not arrived yet.So I had booked a very affordable flight from Graz to Palma de Mallorca with Flyniki, an Austrian-based low cost airline that flies to a variety of popular tourist destinations across Europe. It is owned by none other than famous former Formula One race car driver Niki Lauda. Around mid-morning my brother dropped me off at the quaint Thalerhof Flughafen south of Graz, Austrias second largest city. There I met my friend Gary who was going to come along on this trip.After a brief coffee on the outdoor terrace we were ready to board our flight and barely an hour and a half later we landed in the capital of Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca. Shortly after picking up our luggage and our small rental car we were off to our first destination: Finca Son Point in the village of...more
I love unearthing small, quirky cocktail bars in London. When you open the door, you get transported to another world, a magical world away from the hustle and bustle of London. After a lot of searching I think I have found my three...more
On my last full day in Mallorca my plan was to explore the eastern part of the island. I had spent the vast majority of my time in the north of Mallorca, where the dramatic Serra de Tramuntana mountain range had held an almost magical spell on me....more
After a tasty home-made breakfast on the balcony of my studio apartment in Port dAlcudia I was ready to head out for a full day of explorations. Somehow, the northern mountainous part of Mallorca has an almost magical spell on me. I had already spent...more
We had thoroughly enjoyed our drive through the Tramuntana mountain region yesterday and our discoveries in the town of Sller. After a restful night of sleep I got up at 8 am and walked to the main house of our rural hotel, Finca Cas Sant, to use...more
Our second day in Mallorca greeted us with bright sunshine. After a restful night at Finca Son Pont, we got ready to have breakfast in this historic rural hotel. Tables were set up in the shady inner courtyard and we were going to have breakfast in...more
Our second full day in Mallorca started with an early morning stroll along the Pine Walk promenade in Port de Pollena, a beautiful seafront town on the northeast side of the island. The expansive Bay of Pollena was shimmering in front of us in...more