Category: Travels

Pay The Price

Food & Drink, Travels

Some Belgie chick went to London and was astonished to be charged through the nose for her breakfast.

A tourist has come under fire for complaining about paying £3.55 for two croissants and a bottle of water at a London supermarket.

Here’s why I have no sympathy.

1) Any time you visit a major city (pretty much anywhere, Tokyo, Zurich ahem), you’re probably going to pay more than you expect for stuff, and in London more so than most, especially when the currency exchange is factored in.  (In Murkin greenbacks, this amount would be $4.50 or so — typical for a quick breakfast in L.A. or NYfC, probably, but without the quality guarantee.)  Which leads to my next point:

2) It’s Marks & Spencer, FFS.  Chances are that said croissants are as good or better than she could get anywhere else in Europe, with the possible exception of Paris.  That’s why they’re more expensive than most places:  they go for quality over everything else, and you pay the premium accordingly..

3) Water?  With croissants?  Loath as I am to tell a Euro how to eat their food, the proper liquid to be consumed with croissants is coffee.  Okay, considering the locale, a cup of tea could be substituted, but water?  Ugh.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do;  and when in London, suck it up and pay, Margriet.

Wait, Where?

Travels

This was actually an ad feature, but still:

Stuttgart, Germany?

Actually, yes.  Of all the German cities I’ve visited — and that’s a lot — I was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by Stuttgart,  Here’s why.

It’s quite pretty, being set in the midst of a series of ridges and hills — like Johannesburg — and it makes no bones about the fact that it is all about business — again, like Johannesburg.

But it’s also a nice place to visit:  the food is varied and not expensive (at least, not when I was there. Tip:  if you can find a place that caters to the after-school crowds, the deals are sensational:  think 1-euro gyros and -pizza slices).

I remember asking the guy behind the counter in the above pic why they didn’t serve lamb gyros — highly unusual for a Turkish joint — and his response was:  “German lamb is terrible.”  (Schrecklich!)

Also, walking in the city itself is great fun, as there are several pedestrian-only streets and of course, there are the bars.

Close by, there are all sorts of interesting places, e.g. the Mercedes and Porsche factories and museums, for those who are that way inclined.

And unlike many Euro cities, renting a car is an excellent idea in Stuttgart for the simple reason that the Swabian countryside — Black Forest, y’all — is spectacular.  (If you have the money — I didn’t — rent a Porsche Boxster.)

I wouldn’t go there in winter or even early spring, though:  it’s pretty bleak.  This was late April/early May, when I was there:

But the best part of going to Stuttgart is that even in summer it’s not a tourist-y city like Paris or even Munich.

I’d go back there tomorrow if I could.

Afterthought:  like many German cities, Stuttgart was bombed all to hell during the slight disturbances of the early 1940s.  But just a short trip up the autobahn from Stuttgart is Tübingen — which wasn’t — and it’s worth a couple of days all by itself.

The street food alone was voted “Best in Germany” by the kids — and they went to all the places I went to.

Gorge Warning

Travels

I read this report with more than a little interest:

Cheddar Gorge locals are facing a 21-mile detour this week as filming crews descend on the iconic Somerset beauty spot to shoot scenes for Danny Boyle’s new horror movie 28 Years Later. 

Somerset Council has announced that the B3135, the main road which runs through the attraction, will remain closed until this weekend, and maybe longer, to accommodate the film crew.

The way that I see it, closing this road is a blessing, not a curse.

You see, I’ve been through the Cheddar Gorge (it’s the road leading into the town of Cheddar) and it’s unusual for the area in that one minute you’re driving through the normal exquisite West Country farms and pastures, and the next you are plunged into a deep ravine, which goes on for miles and miles until you reach the picturesque town itself.

Unfortunately, this being Britishland, tens of thousands of people think it would be a nice place to visit, so the road is crowded not only with cars driving on it, but miles and miles of cars (and buses!) parked along its verge.

These pics were taken in late summer, and the traffic congestion spoiled the entire trip for me.

As for Cheddar itself:   standard gorgeous little West Country village, marred by the fact that it has no parking for the jillions of cars that invade the place all through the summer.

For tourists, don’t bother trying to get some of the famous Cheddar cheese there — it’s sold all over Britain anyway, and there’s nothing special about buying it there.  (The little ice cream shop on the main street, however, sells possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.)

As far as I’m concerned, the locals should look on the closure of the Gorge road as a chance for some blessed (and rare) peace and quiet.

Tourist tip:  during the summer, avoid like the plague.  It may be worth a visit during late fall or winter (don’t know for certain), but I wouldn’t risk it.

Go to Norton St. Philip (it’s on the way to Cheddar) instead, and spend a few hours in the George Inn pub (fantastic food and… 6X!!!).

You’ll thank me for it.

Not Ready For Prime Time, Perhaps?

Eco-Crap, Travels

From the Heart Of Stone Department comes this report:

A couple who embarked on an eco-friendly voyage across the Atlantic were found dead in a lifeboat after seemingly being forced to abandon their yacht.

Brett Clibbery, 70, and British woman Sarah Justine Packwood, 54, were reported missing after setting off from Nova Scotia in Canada in their 42ft sailing boat Theros on June 11 – and were found last week in a washed-up liferaft.

The couple’s remains were found on Sable Island, nicknamed the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic‘, 180 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, the liferaft having washed ashore. They had intended to sail to the Azores 900 miles west of Portugal.

Thanks, but if I am going to cross the ocean by sea, I’ll use one of these, despite the effect on Global Warming Climate Cooling Change©:

…as long as it’s not captained by someone named “Edward Smith”, because the last time that happened, we ended up with a shitty James Cameron movie (is there another kind?).

Clueless

Marketing / Advertising, Morons & Idiots, Travels

Also in my Inbox, this time from American Airlines:

Bearing in mind that I live in north Texas and have pretty much all the heat I can handle (and more), which garden spots can AA be pimping?

#1:

It’s also known for its crime and tourist ripoffs.  Also, isn’t hurricane season just around the corner?  Pass.  Next:

#2:


Ah yes… NYfC in the summer heat.  Always a pleasure, in a place whose crime and ripoffs make T&C look like a bunch of complete amateurs — and that was before all the recent silliness.  As they say there, fuggeddabahdit.  Next:

#3:

In Texas terms, going to Florida in summer is described as “out of the frying pan and onto the gas ring.”  Thanks, but if I want heat and humidity, I can just step out onto my patio.  And finally:

#4:

Yeah, thanks.  If I want Mex street food, we’ve got a couple taco trucks that can be found the apartment parking lot every Friday and Saturday.  And… Aztec ruins, in Mexico City?  I thought the conquistadores  kinda leveled them.  But I could be wrong, as I may be wrong about Mex City’s crime rate.

Great promotion, American.  You utter dicks.