After my explorations in Windsor, I had about an hour and a half to explore Detroit on my own before my scheduled driving tour of the city. With its impressive 20th century architectural heritage, Detroit had long fascinated me and I was going to take the next four days to explore this city up close.One of the buildings making up Detroits skyline that has always captured my imagination is the Michigan Central Depot, an imposing 18-story former...more
My abode for my last two days in Detroit was the Inn on Ferry Street, a beautifully renovated complex of six historic buildings in the Midtown area of Detroit. It encompasses four mansions as well as two carriage houses that were each built for prominent Detroit families. After many years of languishing, these buildings have been re-functioned into 42 stunning guest rooms.The East Ferry Avenue Historic District is a historic area in Midtown...more
One of the main reasons I had come to Detroit was the fantastic architecture that this city has to offer. Detroit celebrated its heyday in the early 20th century when the automobile industry took off, and car ownership became available to everyday people. Witnesses to this boom are the many stunning historic skyscrapers in Detroit, particularly from the 1920s, buildings that still define one of the most recognizable skylines in the world.Of course the Great Depression of the 1930s put an end to this exuberant construction activity, but to this day Detroit features a great collection of architectural treasures. One of the most well-known landmarks is the former Book Cadillac Hotel, which at its opening in 1924, was the tallest building in Detroit and the tallest hotel in the world.The Book Cadillac was developed by three brothers who intended to turn Washington Boulevard into the Fifth Avenue of the West. They commissioned prominent Detroit architect Louis Kamper to design their hotel property which was to be built on the location of the earlier Cadillac Hotel, a property dating back to 1885. With big fanfare this grand hotel opened in 1924, featuring 1,136 state-of-the-art guest...more
Finally it was time for another excursion. As a true architecture buff, Detroit had been on my radar for a long time, and I definitely wanted to explore this unique city in detail. So for the last few weeks I had been working with Visitdetroit, the city's visitor and convention office, to map out a detailed itinerary of the city that would expose...more
It was barely mid-day by now and we had already seen so much. Our ride on the Number 11 bus had introduced us to some of the citys main sights from the comfort of the upper level of a double-decker bus. And our subsequent walking tour had taken us past Buckingham Palace, Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament where we listened to Big Ben ringing in...more
After a busy morning exploring Smithfield Market, two historic train stations (St. Pancras and Kings Cross), an enjoyable stroll through the world-famous Portobello Market, an interview with one of the organizers of the Notting Hill Carnival which we followed up with a first-hand exploration of this charming neighbourhood and a brief excursion to Edgeware Road, Londons Little Beirut area, we were off to check out another London landmark: Hyde Park.One of Londons largest parks. Hyde Park is also one of Londons Royal Parks and connected to Kensington Gardens which is considered a separate area. Together these two park areas measure a very substantial 625 acres (or 2.5 square kilometers). Hundreds of young people were sprawling out on the lawns on this warm afternoon, playing Frisbee or enjoying a picnic.Hyde Park was originally a private hunting ground for the Royal Family until James I permitted limited access to common people in the 16th century. In 1637 finally the park was opened to the public. The Serpentine Lake divides the park into two separate areas, and the park also features restaurants and an art gallery. Of course Hyde Parks most famous landmark is Speakers Corner, an...more
Our last day in London had arrived, far too quickly I might add. My travel partner Andrea and I had already spent two action-packed days in this cosmopolitan metropolis which included explorations of Portobello Market and Notting Hill, a ride on the...more
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...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...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...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...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...more