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 favourite quirky bars! 1) Bourne and Hollingsworth (West End)Walk down the stairs, off Charlotte Street and be transported back to a 1930s / grandmas dining room. This may not sound very appealing but it...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. Today my destinations were on the eastern part of the island.Around 10 am I left Port dAlcudia and started driving south. The first big attraction along my route was the Parc Natural de sAlbufera, a...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 the major part of my entire first week on this island in the northern Tramuntana Mountains, and I just had to go back there today.So around 9 am I headed out in my little rental car and started driving westwards on Highway C713. I exited at Binissalem, a small country town with less than 7000 inhabitants in the shadow of the Tramunanta mountains. Binissalem used to be a major wine-growing region until the late 1800s when the phylloxera plague destroyed most of the vineyards, some of which were replaced by almond trees. Wine has been growing here as early as 121 BC when it was introduced by the Romans.Today, Binissalem is a quiet town with a pleasant main square that was mostly frequented by locals this morning, doing their early morning shopping. I strolled down one of the main streets and came across a large open grassy field that was hosting the towns weekly market this day. Dozens of traveling merchants had put up booths to sell...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 their Internet connection. Then it was time for an outdoor breakfast on the terrace of our hotel,...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 the fresh air. We picked up some cereal, yoghurt, some fresh bread and locally ripened fruits and...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 different hues of blue and green. Walking along the pine-fringed walkway beside attractive hotels and villas was a great way of enjoying the morning. After about an hour and a half we sat down at our hotel, the Hostal Goleta, and savoured our freshly baked baguettes for breakfast.Around 10 am we left Port de Pollena and started driving westwards and up into the Tramuntana mountain region. For me, the Tramuntana with its jagged limestone peaks, verdant valleys with pine trees, olive groves and almond trees, is the definite highlight of Mallorcas landscapes. On the north side of the island the limestone peaks drop precipitously into the blue depths of the Mediterranean.We made our first stop at one of Mallorcas primary tourist destinations: Santuari de Lluc, a monastery which has been the spiritual centre of the island for more than 800 years. Even today, the Monastery of Lluc is an important destination for pilgrims. The famous boys choir of...more
Our location in Palma Nova on the western bay of Palma was very convenient with one exception: several of the hotel guests came home between 3 and 6 am in various states of inebriation and were hollering loudly to each other. Their incomprehensible...more
As the late afternoon sun had come out, I was continuing my action-packed day in Prague. After a guided tour through Pragues Jewish Quarter, a savory and informative lunch in Pragues oldest kosher restaurant, followed by a tour of Municipal House,...more
One of Pragues key attractions is the Jewish Quarter, the former Jewish ghetto of the city. So on this bright, yet blustery day I strolled from my hotel on Wenceslas Square over to Old Town Square to meet my personal tour guide for the day who would...more
Always on the lookout for historical structures, I had planned a visit to another renowned Prague establishment: the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel, established in 1932 at the height of Art Deco as Pragues premier hotel of that era. Martina Pavlikova from...more
On a somewhat cool and breezy day, bright sunshine woke me up and I stepped out on to the balcony of my room at the Hotel Jalta. This four-star hotel is located on Wenceslas Square, the main square of Pragues New Town district. To my left, at the top...more
My local experts Jitka Simkova, owner of Prague Walks.com, together with her colleague Karel had given me a great introduction to Old Town Prague. The day was getting late now and the air was definitely getting cooler.We had turned around in the...more