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...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 me to all sorts of unique facets of the Motor City.After a hectic day at the office on October 16, 2009 I finally got going at about 2:30 pm and arrived in Windsor, on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, shortly before 7 pm. I drove straight to the waterfront to catch the last few rays of sunshine that still lit up the skyline. Orange and purple hues formed the backdrop of the Ambassador Bridge that connects Canada and the United States. A stunning night-time skyline of Detroit was taking shape. Surrounded by various historic and contemporary skyscrapers, the impressive multi-tower headquarters of General Motors were glittering on the other side of the river. The squeeling of the wheels of the Detroit People Mover, an elevated light rapid transit system, could be heard wafting across the water.I checked in at the Argyle Manor Bed and...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...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 River Thames and a guided tour through Londons fascinating East End. This morning would hold a very special treat for us: an early morning sunrise kayak tour on Regent Canal!Regardless of what city I travel to, I always try to build in some sorts of a sports activity, whether it is bicycling, hiking, rollerblading, or - in this case kayaking! I had tried whitewater kayaking once before in the Canadian wilderness, and the results were less than stellar. As a matter of fact, I was quite scared to death by the untamed power of the treacherous rapids on the Ottawa River. Of course this would be a different proposition: there were no rapids here, just the calm and serene waters of Regent's Canal.In order to make it to our sunrise adventure we got rattled out of bed before 5 am and made our way to Regents Park, one of the Royal Parks of London, to meet Danny Gillard from Thames River Adventures. Together with his partner Niamh, Danny is 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
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...more