Festivals - There are hundreds around and the locals play a big part in the activities, sometimes preparing for 6 months to a year. Oktoberfest in Germany is not just a beer festival, but is fun for the whole family with an amusement park, a variety of food and parades. - Splurge - on one meal or souvenier that you will love such as a coat, scarf or jewellery. It will keep the memory of the trip alive and be the highlight that you rave about and always remember through the blur of good times. I always remember the first wool overcoat I bought in Italy - it was double breasted and so warm that I could run around with a light sleeveless top underneath in the early winter.
- Hire a car and explore the country-side - Europe is not just cities. My favourites are Provence in France and Tuscany in Italy. The food is better, the people are friendlier, its cheaper and absolutely beautiful. A satellite navigation system is invaluable for reading foreign street names and getting un-lost in the dark. I have a Garmin which has maps of Europe. To hire it with the car for 10 dats was the same as buying one (Check out the Garmin with Europe maps in Amazon.com which is similar to the one I have). For speed freaks, you will love the German highways.
Off the beaten track - if you have the time, there are some great places like San Sebastian in Spain which is fantastic for its food. It has the country's most famous restaurant, El Bulli, which has been voted the best restaurant in the world, as well as three of the seven michelin star restaurants in Spain. The bars dotted around the town are full of wonderful reaosonably priced gourmet tapas. It is a small beach town and is a great place to relax. - Try something different - learn a language, take a cooking class, go beer or wine tasting or drive a tank in Budapest. I visited a small winery called Chateau La Canorgue in Luberon, France where Russell Crowe filmed A Good Year. I have a lovely wine box which fits three bottles of wine that reminds me of this trip.
- Visit the markets and grocery stores - try some local food. Not only is a cheap but it gives you a sense of the local way of life and food. It's useful to pack a small set of plastic cutlery in your suitcase as it can come in handy.
- Don't take a package or bus tour - unless you really have to, otherwise you will spend most of your time on the bus and peek at each city at the end of each day. They'll also tell you when you can take toilet breaks, make you wake up early and you'll be eating meat and veg every night.
Walking tours or exploring a safe part of the city without a map - you'd be amazed at what you will stumble upon. I have found orchestras playing in squares, local weddings, old men playing boule and some quaint little spots.- Take the time to chat to a local - discover more about a place plus they can have the best recommendations about where to go, especially for eating out.
- The Eyewitness Top 10 books - make travelling a breeze with an in-a-nutshell guide to the key places to visit with postcard perfect photoes, so they make a great souvenier too. For big beautiful cities like Paris, you want to narrow down where to go and they're a handy size. I've collected half a dozen of these. They're available from Amazon for around $10
.
More about Europe
- If you are visiting London, you might find How to be Frugal and See the Real London and Affordable Food in London useful. Afternoon tea at the Berkeley is a treat, they have cakes shaped like designer bags and shoes!
- Will you be in Paris? You might want to read about Pierre Herme to try his to-die-for macarons or you might want to take a day trip to the Champagne Region.
- frommers.com is particularly useful for reading about each country and will also provide more information on San Sebastian.
- Eyewitness Top 10 travel books are available online at amazon, from book stores and airports.
- Oktoberfest is held in September in Munich each year.
- Chateau la Conorgue is best reached by car and is close to Bonnieux.
May you have many memorable moments in Europe, full of laughter and fun. Let me know about your trip to Europe and how unforgettable it was.
No comments:
Post a Comment