After the rain and drizzle of our first day in San Francisco, day two of our adventure began more promisingly: bright sunshine greeted us as we made our way by public bus to Washington Square, the heart of San Francisco's Italian-flavoured North Beach neighbourhood. We set off to meet Tom Medin, who runs Local Tastes of the City Tours, who was going to take us around this neighbourhood and introduce us to all sorts of interesting culinary...more
Our last day in San Francisco welcome us with bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine. In the morning we had already hopped on one of the citys moving landmarks and experienced a ride in the open-air cable cars that make this city such a favourite destination. Then we spent about three hours exploring the infamous Island of Alcatraz, famous for the maximum security pentitentiary that was located here from 1933 to 1963. What an eerie yet...more
San Francisco a dream destination for so many people across the worldWell, in February of 2008 I finally had to opportunity to revisit San Francisco, one of my favourite cities in all of North America. In just a bit more than four days I had a chance to sample so many of the things that this fascinating city has to offer. Here are just a few highlights: as an avid biker I went on two bicycle tours and cycled across the famous Golden Gate Bridge definitely an experience of a life time! I also explored Golden Gate Park and the citys west end, but ran out of time when it got dark all the more reason to visit it again next time. Of course I needed to see Alcatraz Island with its infamous prison cellblocks and was captured by the fascinating history and eerie beauty of Alcatraz.Discoveries of San Franciscos famous waterfront including Pier 39 and Fishermans Wharf were also part of my adventure. Walks through some of San Franciscos neighbourhoods included a guided Victorian homes walking tour through Pacific Heights and an interesting, delicious and filling culinary tour through North Beach, San Franciscos Italian neighbourhood. I checked out local landmarks such as the Coit Tower and...more
After our interesting introduction to local history as part of the Victorian Homes Walking Tour we had to switch hotels for one night and grabbed our overnight bags to move to The Handlery Union Square Hotel in downtown Geary Street, just next to Union Square. It was now late afternoon, it was drizzling and the streets downtown were packed with...more
A long and harsh winter can take the wind out of you and just make you feel like you want to get away. And what a long winter it has been: Toronto has experienced one of the harshest winters in a long time, with near-record snow accumulation. I knew I had to get away to warmer, sunnier place, even if it was just for a few days. I started to think...more
It is always wise to have a travel guide when you go on vacation. They can provide an overview of the most important thing you need to know about your holiday destination. One of the best investments you can do before a trip is a guidebook. Whether you want to lie at home in the hammock and dream away, are newly arrived in the bus station and wonder where you are or will be away on a weekend to a busy metropolis, this is usually observations in any guidebook. Transportation Everything from tips for traveling Rickshaw, Tuk-Tuk procedure camel riding and hiking to practical information about which bus goes where and how much the train costs are included in most guidebooks.Accommodation One of the most valuable with a guidebook is the security it gives you when you arrive late at night, it's dark (and probably rain) and all you want, a good soft, dry bed! Then it is always nice to be able to turn up your guide book and have a list of recommended accommodation where you can point to its first best taxi driver. Most guidebooks also offer accommodation in several price categories, from the cheapest to the most expensive, which makes it easy to choose a home that suits your...more
A big storm was forecast for our second day in San Francisco, but so far we had been lucky. Our culinary tour through the North Beach area had gone off without a hitch. Even the sun peeked out here and there. Local food and culture expert Tom Medin...more
If you're looking to save money on air travel, this is the time to strike. Because of the economy, because it's in such a slump, many people are choosing not to travel this holiday weekend. They are choosing instead to stay home and they're finding...more
For decades, Native American miners have worked the mines of the Colorado Plateau. These miners were drilling for a powdery yellow ore that we've all heard of - uranium. This uranium, mined by thousands of Native Americans over the years, became a...more
A comfortable and pleasant trip to Barcelona hugely depends on your decision to hire a car rental company. You must understand that your decision to hire a particular car rental company is an irreversible decision and if you make a...more
Albufeira villa holidays in Portugal give you everything that you can possibly want when you are looking to travel to this region of Portugal. If you like this country for the sunshine and the attractions, you should consider taking in villa...more
Post-wedding every couple wants to travel to some exotic destination which has lifelong memory. After the typical ceremonies and rituals of marriage, crowd of relatives, olds, young, couples wish to go away from maddening crowd and a trip to some...more