I loved the time I spent in Krakow and, in my previous post on this city, I mentioned that I think it has something to offer most travelers. Here are eight reasons your next European vacation should take you to Poland’s cultural capital. 1. The Price is Right Poland is not an expensive country. Currently, 1 Polish Zloty is equal to 0.32 United States Dollars, so if you’re from the US, the UK, or the Eurozone, your money can go far. You can easily eat dinner for under $10, and a six bed dorm room directly off the main square (conveniently named Main Market Square) will only set you back…
-
-
Copenhagen: Last Look
Copenhagen is a cool city, but I made a few mistakes there, and so, for this last look at my visit, I want to impart a little advice. (When am I not imparting at least a little advice?) 5 Things to Keep in Mind When Visiting Copenhagen 1. It rains… a lot. Copenhagen suffers from bad weather in much the same way that London does, just without the reputation, and with buckets of snow in the winter. I visited during the first week in October, and I spent seven days in Copenhagen. It rained on five of those days. Actually it rained six of those days, but on the 6th…
-
A Perfect Sunday in Copenhagen
A recipe for a truly lovely Sunday in Copenhagen: Assuming it is sunny, begin your day at Rundetaarn — the Round Tower. This is a tourist attraction in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter that offers spectacular views out over the city; plus it’s an interesting building in and of its own right. Rundetaarn was built between 1637 and 1642 and is 114 feet tall (34.8 meters). In order to climb to the top, you won’t take the stairs; instead, you will follow the tower’s unique spiral walkway. The tower was built to serve three functions for the scholars of the era: it housed a student’s church, a university library, and an astronomical…
-
Weekly Travel Inspiration: Alternative Travel
Your Weekly Travel Inspiration is a day late because I’m still settling in at Hana Farms — the organic farm in Hawaii where E and I will be living and working for the next month or two. We found this opportunity through E’s older sister, but she, and most of the other people working here, found it through the WWOOF website. That’s why this week, I want to highlight WWOOF, as well as some other websites that offer alternative opportunities for travel and living. WWOOF — World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms WWOOFing is an organization of work-trade opportunities on various organic farms the world over. Farms that are interested…
-
The Best Smithsonian You’ve Never Been To
Starkid, 2007, by Owusu-Ankomah; on display at the National Museum of African Art (Before I tell you about what I’m up to in Iceland, I’d like to wrap up writing about my adventures in DC this summer. You can expect a post about my first impressions of Iceland on Saturday.) The National Air and Space Museum is awesome; that’s why it attracts 9 million visitors annually. The National Museum of Natural History is home to dinosaur skeletons and the Hope Diamond. And the National Museum of American History is home to the original star spangled banner, which honestly is an impressive sight. I also wouldn’t pass up the chance to…
-
Top Ten Barcelona
A few weeks ago, Adventurous Kate panned Barcelona. She felt utterly ambivalent about one of my favorite cities in the world. If you follow me on twitter, (hello to all 12 of you!) you know I initially felt very defensive, but reminded myself that my first days in Barcelona were less than idyllic. Regardless, I grew to love Barcelona dearly, and, for that reason, I felt the need to compile a top ten list. I studied abroad there for five months, and while I am by no means an expert on the city, I feel qualified to give you a few recommendations in no particular order. One: Eat tapas Spanish…