Weekend Trips and Tips

Question of the week: Looking ahead to the long weekend, can you suggest a last-minute-friendly getaway destination?

"Paris! It's close, it's beautiful, and sometimes you can find great deals on Eurostar."- Kris

* Photo by brunotto [Still very busy...]'s buddy icon brunotto [Still very busy...], used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

favourite guide books - Prof Kucich

Question of the week (wrapping around from our late start last week): Do you have a favourite type or line of guidebooks?

"My favourite guide book line, by far, is the Rough Guide series, which provides books on individual cities as well as regions and countries. It began years ago as a student generated production, designed to identify lower cost and off the beaten tourist track establishments. It has morphed into a somewhat more middle-class range of expenditure, as its popularity has soared, but it is still superb at warning readers away from uninteresting tourist traps and highlighting compelling places to eat, sleep, and visit. It is not as strong on cultural backgrounds as Michelin Guides, but it's absolutely first rate at locating authentic, local restaurants, hotels, cafes, and sites to visit."- Prof Kucich

* Photo by , used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Favourite guidebooks - Ric

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite type or line of guidebooks?

"In the past, especially when visiting university towns and cities, I found some recommendations on student websites run by student unions and universities in those places. This can be a useful way of acquiring local knowledge, especially if you can also read the language."- Ric

And now it's your turn, any and all of our students who are reading this. The LUP Library's travel collection is for you to use, so I'd love to know- what sort of guidebooks do you like best? - Miss Alice

Favourite guidebooks - Dr Holt

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite type or line of guidebooks?

"Not only do I admire the authors' skill at saying a lot with a few words, I especially like the illustrations in the Knopf Guides (I have both Florence and Venice to hand, kept long after long-ago visits for that very reason), but think they are too heavy to carry about. No, these are the books to read en route, or in the morning before setting out, or later, after you've seen to figure out what you've seen."- Dr Holt

Favourite guide books? - Kris

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite type or line of guidebooks?

"My favourite series of guide books is the ‘Secret’ series. James and I have a number of titles: Secret Paris, Secret London, and our newest find, Secret Venice.

While they’re not best as a primary guide book – they won’t tell you where to stay or how to get to the train station – they’re wonderful as a supplement to see little things that you wouldn’t have noticed, and make your understanding of a place richer and more complete. Each book is divided into area-based sections, and all of the sites discussed are placed on a map in the beginning of the section. So, if you’ve stopped for a coffee or a bathroom break, you can easily flip to the section covering where you are, find something interesting, and impress your friends once you pass some small, but fascinating, piece of history. (I was able to point out the house of a 17th century Venetian executioner as we passed, which made me feel pretty good.)

There are other titles in the series, and more coming all the time. So, the next time you’re looking for something to keep in your pocket while you walk around a new place, try one of these guides. You won’t be sorry."- Kris

Favourite guide books? - Miss Alice

We're back from break, a little late back to the blog, and as travel is on everybody's mind, the question of the week is: Do you have a favourite type or line of guidebooks?

"When I'm planning a trip - or just dreaming of a destination - paging through one of the DK Eyewitness guides is always a visual treat, but to take with me when I travel? I'm a big fan of the Knopp/Everyman Mapguides, which are small enough to keep with you, and which give you just the key information area by area, with good clear maps, which is never a bad thing when you're as geographically challenged as I am!

I also like to try and find a couple of novels set in my destination, preferably by authors who live there, which often leads me to out of the way corners, or a particular local delicacy I might have missed otherwise. bibliotravel.com can be a great source for finding those."- Miss Alice

Desired European destinations - Catherine

Question of the week: Is there a trip somewhere in Europe that you'd love to take but haven't yet?

"A Scandinavian destination for a "Northern Lights Tour" would be amazing - but tricky to get the timing right."- Catherine

* Photo by nb_harstadt, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European desired destinations - Kris

Question of the week: Is there a trip somewhere in Europe that you'd love to take but haven't yet?

"When my husband and I wonder where we should go on our next trip, one of the best ways we've found to choose somewhere is to head to one of the places where my great-grandparents left to head to the US. This has led us to places as diverse as Hungary and Much Wenlock in Shropshire. One place we haven't gotten to yet is Sweden - we don't know where in Sweden my great-grandmother Christina came from, so it's kind of an open book.

We've looked at Stockholm, Gothenburg, and my husband would like to see the Northern Lights. Me, I would like to see some of the Viking sites like Birka or the artifacts in the Stockholm museum.

So, try looking into your family history - you may find some interesting places you might want to visit."- Kris

* Photo by karstenkneese's buddy icon
karstenkneese, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European desired destinations - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Is there a trip somewhere in Europe that you'd love to take but haven't yet?

"Dozens! Top of my list at the moment, though, is Iceland - I really want to visit Reykjavik, and some of the surrounding countryside - amazing landscapes, natural thermal spas, the Northern Lights, Icelandic horses, whale watching, Vikings, the thriving music scene - really - what's not to like! I'm going to just have to make my peace with being a tourist and not speaking the language, and it's not in my budget for this year, but maybe 2012..."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Ingvar_SV, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Long weekend destinations outside the UK - Catherine

Question of the week: Could you recommend a weekend break destination outside the UK?

"The museums and memorials are reasons to visit Berlin, but the nightlife and food are excuses to extend your stay. The vibrant music scene and funky clubs are impossible to miss, and cheap, wholesome food is everywhere. RyanAir frequently offers discounted fares which makes this city a wallet-friendly weekend get-away destination ...so don't pass on the Currywurst!" -Catherine

* Photo by dabboj, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Long weekend destinations outside the UK - Ric

Question of the week: Could you recommend a weekend break destination outside the UK?

"Riga - if you can find a reasonably priced flight, the capital city of Latvia is experiencing a renaissance, not least because of its picturesque mix of German Art-Nouveau and European Gothic and its nightlife. The cultural centre is around the Freedom Monument, but do make an effort to explore the Old City and, if it is mild enough, canoe trips.

Cheap places to eat include:

Čili Pica, Several locations (One near the Freedom Monument, another on the ground floor of the Stockman mall near central station): Cheap but good pizza.

Ķīpsala Island Student Cafeteria: Home-style meals. offered in a cozy atmosphere.

Vermanitis, 65 Elizabetes St. A fantastic range of Latvian food in "authentic" environment."- Ric

* Photo by Jaime Silva, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Long weekend destinations outside the UK - Prof Kucich

Question of the week: Could you recommend a weekend break destination outside the UK?

"Granada, in southern Spain, is a fabulous city to visit. Situated in the heart of the city is the Alhambra, a massive and spectacular 15th-century Moorish palace/fortress that embodies the clash and interweaving of Spanish and North African culture. Granada also features wonderful markets, cafes, tapas restaurants, and flamenco dancing."- Prof Kucich

* Photo by Grifmo, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Long weekend destinations outside the UK - Kris

Question of the week: Could you recommend a weekend break destination outside the UK?

"So, you're tired of major European capitols, and all the great museums are starting to blur into one long PBS special... Have you thought about going somewhere smaller, but somewhere with things to see and do? Take Poitiers as an example. Ryan Air flys into the small airport, and while the flight might be nothing to write home about, the city certainly is!

For fans of history and architecture, the city boasts a huge number of churches for its size, mostly dating from the Romanesque period, and housing the shrines, relics and tombs of some of the most important people in the Christianisation of France. The city streets are lines with half-timbered houses, and inexpensive cafes. The university (founded 1431) keeps the population young, and there are enough students around for the night life to be interesting.

If that isn't enough for you, the Futuroscope theme park just outside of town has lots of rides and attractions based on 3D and interactive technology!"- Kris

* Photo by E01, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European galleries and museums - Miss Alice

Question of the week: as we prepare for break week travels, do you have a museum or gallery in Europe that you'd recommend?

"As it looks like Kris and I seem to be trading off with our favourite cities this week, how about my favourite in Paris, to follow up from hers?

It's a tough pick, but my favourite has to be the Rodin Museum. Housed in the petite rococo chateau of Hôtel Biron, where Rodin once rented rooms, the Musée Rodin makes fantastic use of the building and its manicured gardens. The collection, not just of works, but of models, sketches, letters and photographs, is breathtaking. They offer a discount for people between 18 and 24, but if you're not sure you want to spend out even on a reduced ticket for a museum dedicated to a single artist? The 1 euro garden-only ticket has to be the best bargain in Paris!"
- Miss Alice

* Photo by fs999, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European galleries and museums - Kris

Question of the week: as we prepare for break week travels, do you have a museum or gallery in Europe that you'd recommend?

"Florence is wonderful, and its museums are wonderful: the Uffizi, the Academia, the Duomo. But if you're tired of standing in long lines, only to be herded past artistic masterpieces with no room or time to actually look at them, you may want to go a little bit off the beaten tourist track.

Try the Bardini Museum. It's small, so you can easily see everything that's there without getting 'art overload' and when we were there we felt like we were the only people who knew of its existence. Steffano Bardini, famous Florentine art dealer, left his personal collection and the pallazzo he kept it in to the city of Florence when he died in 1922. He requested that the collection remain discrete and that his arrangement be maintained. While this was ignored at the time, Florence has spent quite a lot of time and money putting it right. What you see now is what Bardini wanted.

His collection includes Medieval and Renaissance sculpture, a whole room of beautiful Madonna and Child paintings, and lots of arms and armour, as well as much more.

Did I mention that the Museum is situated in a student-dominated part of town? There are quite a lot of fun caffes and restaurants scattered nearby, so you can enjoy a coffee and a sit down after your art as well. What could be better?"
- Kris

* Photo by chelseagirl°, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European galleries and museums - Miss Alice

Question of the week: as we prepare for break week travels, do you have a museum or gallery in Europe that you'd recommend?

"Lets face it, Florence is not under-endowed with fantastic art collections; the Galleria Dell'Accademia and the Galleria degli Uffizi are rightfully world famous, but if you fancy a break from the Renaissance, and would like to catch a glimpse of the ancient world, think about visiting the Museo Archeologico Nazionale.

As well as an awe-inspiring collection of Etruscan artefacts - the ancient Etruscans populated modern Tuscany from the 10th Century BC - the museum is also home to a very fine collection of Ancient Greek painted pottery, including some very famous examples - like the François Vase, featuring the image of Ajax and Achilles I've picked out to go with this post - and seeing them in the flesh after studying them in photographs for so many years was a real highlight for me (although I realise it might be less amazing for someone who isn't an ancient history fan)."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by Sebastià Giralt, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European galleries and museums - Kris

Question of the week: as we prepare for break week travels, do you have a museum or gallery in Europe that you'd recommend?

"As far as museums in Paris, everyone knows about the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, and the Orangerie. They are all really worth seeing, don't get me wrong, but if you don't feel like spending all day standing in lines, you may want to try Cluny, or to give it its proper name la Musee National du Moyen Age. The collection is housed in a building of two parts - one part is the remains of a Roman bath house, one of the few left standing; the other is in what is essentially 13th century student housing. If getting to see two such interesting buildings isn't enough, the collection spans the entire Middle Ages, from some 3rd century pieces of sculpture, to 15th century tapestries. One jewel of the collection is the famous 'La Dame et La Licorn' (the Lady and the Unicorn) series of tapestries.

The museum is surrounded by Medieval Gardens, which you can go into for free, and are a great place to eat lunch, or enjoy nice weather and watch the world go by."
- Kris

* Photo by Djof, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - art lover's edition

Sadly, today is Phillippa's last day with us, and as a parting gift, she's written up a list of her top five contemporary art galleries in mainland Europe, complete with map.

1. Kiasma
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Kiasma manages to be vibrant, relevant, exciting, desperately contemporary and a serious player on the world stage as well as genuinely local, even though Helsinki is only the size of a teapot. The cinnamon buns in the cafe are also fabulous.

What to do afterwards: It’s always sauna time in Finland. Have a sauna.

2. Guggenheim
Location: Bilbao, Spain

Just look at it! Who wouldn’t travel for hours across the Pyrenees to go here? The Guggenheim in Bilbao would be number one on this list if it wasn’t such a bummer to get to. I cried – and not only because I’d just spent the night on France’s least passenger-friendly train. It’s worth it just for the giant fox terrier made of flowers.

What to do beforehand: Learn some Basque. Totally unrelated to Spanish (and everything else), Basque is one of the world’s genuine language isolates. It’s worth being able to order a cup of coffee just to see how surprised people are.

What to do afterwards: Remind yourself of the permanent collection by going to visit Richard Serra’s epic sculpture near Liverpool Street Station.

3. National Gallery Collection of 19th, 20th & 21st Century Art
Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Huge, incredibly varied (the gallery focuses on painting, but covers sculpture, architecture, furniture and clothes design too) and virtually devoid of people: go before it gets taken away.

4. Stedelijk
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Somehow manages to make somewhere equivalent in size and scope to London’s Tate Modern feel a bit like the living room of your rich but friendly uncle. Great fun.

5. Istanbul Modern
Location: Istanbul, Turkey

An absorbing and sometimes disorientating slice of Turkish art, from contemporary painting and sculpture upstairs to traditional shadow puppetry in the basement. Don’t let the seasickness-inducing website put you off.

* Photo by art crimes, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - Miss Alice

Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination?

"It's a tough pick, but Venice. I was expecting to be underwhelmed - what could possibly live up to those centuries of hype - and ended up falling in love. All those travellers and tourists and artists weren't wrong: the architecture is stunning, the water and the light combine to create a truly magical feel, and there's just so much history to explore, ancient and modern, religious and secular, not to mention all the arts!

There's no such thing as 'out of season' for Venice, but I've found it to be worthwhile to trade colder weather for fewer tourists, and you should definitely stay the night, partly because the crowd factor drops off after the tour groups go home, but mostly because the city has so many beautiful historic guest houses and hotels. The hostels and cheap hotels aren't that cheap, and particularly if there are a few of you travelling together to share a suite, sometimes staying in a beautiful palazzo isn't much more expensive, and well worth splashing out on.

Oh, and because Venice is an island, all the airports, budget or not, are a fair distance from the centre. If you can take the train, though, you'll pull into Santa Lucia and be right in the heart of things. You can take the train to Venice from almost any other Italian city, or all the way from London by train."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by James-Hetherington, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - Kris

Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination?

"Another of my favourite places to go in Europe is Budapest. I've only been once, but I'm planning to go back soon! contrary to what the guide books we had told us, nearly everyone we met spoke English, at least well enough to interact with us and (with a little help from pointing and smiling) get us what we wanted out of the conversation (directions, food, train tickets, etc.). And lots of people spoke English very well, and were really interested in speaking with us (my husband James and me) just because they were friendly and interested in why we chose to come to Hungary, and how we liked Budapest. It was great.

All of the Hungarians we met were very friendly and helpful, and were really pleased that people were interested in visiting their country. For me, this is a great start for having a great trip! But Budapest itself is a beautiful city, split into two main parts by the Danube - Buda and Pest. The old city of Obuda is a littl way north, up the river - we didn't get there, but we want to when we go back! It's worth exploring both Buda and Pest - Buda's beautiful hills, Buda Castle and the Mattias Church are wonderful, and it's also worth visiting the museums and Parliament in Pest. The food we had was great - chicken paprikas and beef goulash (the standards) were wonderful, but try the traditional dish of a roast goose leg on a bed of beans - it's really fantastic and will keep you going for hours! Budapest also has a thriving student scene, so you won't be bored in the evenings once you've topped up on culture!

One thing that we tried in Budapest that we really enjoyed was going to the Thermal baths. The original Celtic settlement was founded near the hot springs, and the Romans wrote about the medicinal properties of the water in the area. There are a number of baths, all run by the city, where you can 'take the waters'. We went to the one in the Gellert Hotel, and it was amazing. The Gellert baths are Art Nouveau in style, but there are baths that date from the Ottoman Period (ca. 1550), if you want to go really old school... It was really relaxing when we went, like being in a giant hot tub! But remember to take your swim suit!

So, for something a little bit different, try Budapest - you won't be disappointed!"
- Kris

* Photo by Oooh.Oooh, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.