Lviv the most interesting and beautiful choice. Of the others I guess Krakow is the winner but:
—Riga has the most charming old city (Hanseatic built by Germans so a bit Amsterdam-y) charming but modern little boutique hotels; and may have nice brisk weather but it’s small,
—Vilnius was built in a more Russian/Polish style with long blocks, yards, and is less intimate, but is full of character just didn’t win my heart as much as Riga. It was majority Jewish but you don’t feel or see much about that
—Krakow is beautiful, quite big old center and is historically the cultural capital of Poland. Probably the best choice. If you can (I can’t) you can visit the place where so many suffered,
and oddly nearby big city Katowice (which was always German till 1945) has an amazing huge art and history museum complex built into a former coal mine built into all the old buildings. You can rent a car and drive to Slovakia and go up a series of cable cars 🚠 which we loved and also checked off Slovakia 🙈
—Transylvania is THE most interesting area in Eastern Europe but you need a week to enjoy a road trip between at least Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara though I would add Cluj and Timisoara. But you can see its most charming city Brasov up 2.5 hrs from Bucharest by car or train. Almost feels Swiss with its mountain settings and ethnic German roots and architecture. I see there’s also a direct Eindhoven-Cluj
—Bulgaria same, needs longer road trip, Sofia is not worth it
—Warsaw has an amazing extensive new museum of Polish Jewish life & history, but the old town was rebuilt as authentically as possible after WW2 but is not real, the actual city center is next to it in a communist modern grid so quite Downtown Rotterdam-esque, it’s not romantic but I’m glad I’ve been a few times, it’s a big capital of a big country with lots to offer and I’m sure has some good restaurants Polish and modern European
—I would pass on Zagreb, boring vibe
—Ljubljana very tiny but charming, day trip to Lake Bled, alpine
—Kotor, Montenegro 😍but no direct flights
—Croatia Dalmatia (coast) you need more time, weekend in Dubrovnik gorgeous city but heaving with tourists and food is very mediocre in Croatia pasta pizza fish and way overpriced
— I assume you’ve been to Vienna and Budapest and Prague
Category: travel
Lebanon
Beirut
Why visit? Food, friendly people, weather, the sea, the history, the mix of Arab, Mediterranean, Christian, Muslim, French… Beirut is cosmopolitan…
As of December 2022, take cash USD only. Exchange on the street (Dec 2022 rate was 30,000 LBP per USD). Your Airbnb will be charged in USD online, your hotel will be charged the same way OR charged in the hotel in USD. A very very few restaurants (and the hotel) accept foreign credit cards and charge in USD. Do not use cards if they charge in LBP, as you will get the “official” bank exchange rate which is completely disconnected from reality (1500 LBP/USD at that time).
Where to stay? Gemmayzeh borders Downtown Beirut on the east. Many AirBnbs, try to get one with a sea view and balcony. Here, the main drag is Gouraud Street, and this street turns into Armenia Street as it enters the Mar Mikhael area to the east – Mar Michael is my favorite walkable area for restaurants, bars, clubs nearby (later at night). East of that, gay bar Madame Om, gay club Posh (Fr-Sa-Su only).
Site of explosion in the port, just north of Gemmayzeh along the water https://goo.gl/maps/miYbHnwrtJMbWxE36
On the west side of Downtown is Zaytuna (Olive) Bay, with a new-looking complex of upscale restaurants, good place to have dinner.
Downtown itself is now basically an outdoor shopping mall. There was a souq here but it was destroyed during the Civil War. On the north edge are good restaurants like Kalila
to the west of Downtown is the old 1950s–1990s business district, Hamra. This was the “Muslim Downtown” during the Civil War.
Achrafieh is a good area a mile to the south, but less walkable. There is an ABC mall here with restaurants and shops. This and Gemmayzeh served as the “Christian Downtown” during the Civil War.
Outside Beirut
1) Baalbek amazing Roman and mysterious very old (I believe 12500+ years) base, ancient ruins, 2h from BEY and drive is worth it to see mountains and Bekaa Valley – combine with Umayyad ruins at Anjar and wine at Ksara;
2) Byblos/Jbeil old town and seaside resort (45m from BEY),
3) Tyre/Sour seaside city, UNESCO Phoenician ruins, (1h45), you can combine with Sidon town with crusader castle;
4) Jeitta Grotto (cave) 30m,
and there are other destinations like Qadisha Valley or Tripoli the #2 city
San Francisco to Denver by train
California Zephyr
Moynihan train hall at Penn Station
- The station is on the west side of Eighth Ave between 33rd and 31st. This starts at the corner of 8th and 33rd.
- Look up and admire the east front of the classic building. It was designed in the same period, by the same architect, as the old Penn Station. This facade still contains a functioning Post Office
- Enter the main building at sidewalk level. It should say “to trains”
- Inside you’ll see a Starbucks in front of you, turn left and walk towards the main atrium
- From here you get the full impression of the scale. It’s about 250,000 sq feet. It used to be the sorting room for the Post Office. The glass ceiling is all new and there’s a time lapse video about it at the 31st Street mid block entrance. Here you can also see the tops of the escalators going down to the platforms.
- There’s a brand new clock suspended from the center of the glass canopy. It’s meant to create a new rendezvous point for NYC.
- If you look up and across you will see the terrace of the Amtrak First Class Metropolitan Lounge
- If you look to the left at the base of the central main column there’s a very subtle tribute (carved in the marble) to Michael Evans who was the force behind the project. We worked closely with him. Great guy. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/nyregion/michael-evans-moynihan-train-hall.html?referringSource=articleShare
- Now turn around and head west toward the opposite side of the hall and towards Ninth Avenue. Proceed past Amtrak ticketing and luggage desk on the left to the end of the short corridor.
- Here you will see the entrance to the future food hall on the right and the Amtrak luggage reclaim area on the left. Go into the luggage reclaim room and admire the collection of photos about the original Penn Station
- Come out of the luggage area and turn left (south) towards the steps up to 31st Street. This is the mid block entrance.
- Go up the stairs to the doors. This is the taxi drop off/ pick-up area. On the ceiling above you is the first of three art installations. There’s a plaque on the wall by the stairs up. https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/mth/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvP6ABhCjARIsAH37rbR4jTI3vjPCHGE5YX10MPOsle-6uidNC2RY4mS0c88SC7jQZGeO3yAaAgBUEALw_wcB#section_6
- On the other side of the entrance is the video story of the building of the skylights.
- Go up the stairs to the upper level of the station. On your right is the entrance to the Amtrak First Class Metropolitan Lounge
- Continue (north) to the 33rd Street mid block entrance, passing the entrance to the future NYC Facebook offices on the left. Here there will be a grand passage to Ninth Avenue and Hudson Yards. There’s talk of a pedestrian passage from Hudson Yards to Herald Square eventually and a direct connection to the Highline. https://ny.curbed.com/2019/3/4/18248675/hudson-yards-moynihan-train-hall-pedestrian-bridge
- At the 33rd Street mid block entrance (the rideshare drop off/pick-up) look up and see the second of the art installations. https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/mth/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvP6ABhCjARIsAH37rbR4jTI3vjPCHGE5YX10MPOsle-6uidNC2RY4mS0c88SC7jQZGeO3yAaAgBUEALw_wcB#section_10
- Turn around (south) towards 31st Street again and immediately turn left. Head east and at the end there you will see the interior entrance to the Post Office lobby which is currently being restored to it’s original glory. Instead of going into the Post Office go down the stairs on the left.
- Now you will be back where you started in front of Starbucks. You can either go down the ramp to the left and checkout the Westend Concourse that gives access to all the Amtrak and LIRR platforms (and the Eighth Avenue subway) – or turn right and check-out the ticketed waiting room in the center of the main hall on the East side.
- The ticketed waiting room has beautiful hardwood furniture specifically ordered by the Governor with electrical outlets at every seat. There are also bathrooms in this area and the third art installation. https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/mth/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvP6ABhCjARIsAH37rbR4jTI3vjPCHGE5YX10MPOsle-6uidNC2RY4mS0c88SC7jQZGeO3yAaAgBUEALw_wcB#section_2
- That’s pretty much the tour
- If you want to see one more thing head down to the lower level Westend Concourse and towards the Eighth Avenue subway.
- Cross under Eighth Avenue and into the lower level concourse of the old Penn Station. This concourse is currently being renovated to raise the ceiling and double the width. Proceed to the east end (Seventh Avenue) and admire the new entrance with skylight and view of the Empire State Building.
San Diego recommendations
A word about Tijuana…
Tijuana is a city of 2 million+ people in Mexico 16mi/25km south of downtown San Diego. See also Tijuana recommendations. Tijuana IS safe and can be visited in as little as half a day. Experience a completely different place, and eat food that is far better and cheaper than in the United States.
SAN DIEGO BY NEIGHBORHOOD
- The most “European-style” walkable urban neighborhood, is “Little Italy” on the north side of downtown, along India and Kettner streets between Ash and Laurel. (map: https://goo.gl/maps/Jp7ve4Mucg4uLs1w7) It feels a bit like Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Many good Italian restaurants, good gelato at Pappalecco, ramen en Underbelly, very large and amazing-looking cakes at Extraordinary Desserts, Crack Shack for tasty trendy fried chicken sandwiches. Trendy cocktail bars. A lot of upscale, younger locals as well as visitors from Europe, upper class Mexico City crowd, etc. I like to stay at the “Homewood Suites by Hilton Downtown/Bayside” simply to be a short stroll from this strip.
Crack Shack: hip fried chicken sandwiches, alcohol.
Also watch planes fly low as they approach the airport.
- The hipster ‘hood is North Park, full of artisan beer brewery/restaurants, hipster shops and barbers, etc.
- Downtown the Gaslamp District is full of places to drink and eat, but full of people visiting from red states, people here on conventions, all in all a typical “tourist destination” collection of places, expensive but not good quality food or sophisticated. Bandar has good Iranian food, one main course serves 2 normal humans.
- Next to the Gaslamp is the East Village full of new high rise condos, young professionals, local crowd, and a bit of hipsterness.
- Breakfast at MISSION in East Village or North Park… get there early….eggs, pancakes, California-“Mexican” breakfasts like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles, also veggie/quinoa/healthy breakfasts.
- Hillcrest is the walkable gay neighborhood about two miles north of downtown. A lot of bars and clubs here (still) and it’s one of the U.S. cities where people still go out to the bars, the Internet hasn’t cut the scene in half like other cities. Just walking along University Avenue here is fun people watching. Rich’s is a good place to go for a big, friendly, younger-but-all-ages-welcome crowd. Urban Mo’s is great for the same type of crowd but it’s mostly tables to eat a (predictably bad, but edible) burger and fries.
- Roger grew up in Mission Hills just to the west, nothing for tourists per sé but full of beautiful bungalows (you could walk from Hillcrest to Fort Stockton street and the streets around, there are a couple of coffee places like Meshuggah Shack and a cluster of decent restaurants at Goldfinch and Fort Stockton).
- Old Town is a big tourist draw for American tourists that would be way to scared to go to “dangerous” Tijuana – it’s a bizarrely handsome complex, a world’s fair-type Middle-American creation of “Old Mexico” craft and souvenir shops and typically American (bad) “Mexican” food that you could find in suburban Des Moines. There are also some of the original buildings here from the first American town of San Diego (mid-1800s). You can get a good selection of quality Mexican crafts, pottery, etc. at Bazaar del Mundo closeby, for high-quality actually nice stuff, the selection is, frankly, better than the best selection in Tijuana (Sanborn’s).
- The central park is Balboa Park which contains the San Diego Zoo, One of the best in the world. The museum complex was built for the World’s Fair in neo-Spanish style (similar to Seville, Spain) and is a very nice place to have a walk around, through the rose garden as well. Otherwise I find Balboa Park disappointing – it mostly consists of roads, a golf course, military use, etc.
- La Jolla is the chiquest area, about 30 minutes north of downtown, they are building a light rail line to the mall here, but you really need a car to enjoy it because each point of interest is several miles away from the next. Brockton Manor is a great place with a view for breakfast – Cointreau French Toast mmmm BUT! be prepared for a strong smell from the pelicans and sea lions. es el barrio chic, vale la pena ver las focas y comer French Toast con Cointreau en Brockton Manor. Across from Brockton Villa is a short walking path along the cliffs at the ocean, and where you can watch the sea lions. The Scripps Aquarium is close by. There is an old “village” with very high-end shops aimed at very affluent, older people who stay here and a small good contemporary art museum. The mall (outdoor), called “Westfield UTC“, was recently renovated and is really (really!) a pleasant place to walk with gardens, fountains, cafés, and very good food.. full of unique high-end (but thank God, not “luxury fashion”) shops that have been specially selected to open here… a BIG new Nordstrom, an Amazon bookstore.
- Coronado – expensive (ground zero for upper-class Mexico City) and I think, overrated. The Hotel del Coronado is 1800’s majestic building, just be warned, it’s crawling with tourists. Once you get there, the food/facilities are nothing special. Downtown Coronado is walkable but not very interesting. You can get here by a fun, picturesque ferry ride from downtown.
Beaches and beach villages
MISSION BEACH: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBxkKFnCQfo) where you can walk and see the well-toned bodies of local attractive young people… There are many other beaches of course (I’m not a beach person, so ask someone else!). Dog beaches – fun for hanging out and watching at Ocean Beach (ocean, best) and Fiesta Island (bay, also a small hiking trail around the marshlands).
SOLANA BEACH and DEL MAR beaches and villages: Drive or take the Coaster train to Solana Beach station. Walk south along Cedros Street, the main street, for shopping, dining aimed at “ladies who lunch”, and trendy Lofty Coffee! Cedros becomes Camino del Mar and crosses a channel into Del Mar. Walk down the stairs on the Del Mar side of the bridge and walk west to Del Mar Dog Friendly Beach – one of the most beautiful sections of beach to walk on. anywhere in San Diego. Continue walking for one mile south to 17th street where Del Mar’s old railroad station and beachfront park are located. Go east (inland ) two blocks to Camino del Mar and walk south through downtown Del Mar, with upscale shops, bars and restaurants. https://goo.gl/maps/jh9dcmKtgMFmi1cVAL’Auberge Del Mar hotel is located here. Uber back to Solana Beach station.
Hiking in the city
San Diego is blessed with many beautiful canyons and you can go for a hike right near downtown – Maple Canyon (1 km long) is the best and easiest, Tecolote Canyon longer and good. There is a long walking/biking trail along the San Diego River – flat but pleasant vegetation, that you can access by trolley (from Morena or Fenton stations and all stations in between).
Shopping
MALL SHOPPING: Fashion Valley (Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Macy’s, Apple Store, etc.). Nearby is Mission Valley which has Target and many other lower-priced chains; across the street is a Best Buy. Both have stops on the light rail/trolley. See also UTC in La Jolla, which is extraordinarily nice and worth a visit if you have a car.
OUTLET SHOPPING is at San Ysidro (“Las Américas”) is RIGHT AT the PedWest (easiest) pedestrian crossing to Tijuana. It’s a ten-minute walk from the San Ysidro trolley station, but this is also (lately) a super-cheap place to get an Uber Pool to/from Downtown San Diego (like, $15)
Gambling
If you like big casinos and have a car and are not going to Las Vegas, you can check out the 7 big Indian casinos in the mountains – all around a 45-minute drive (except during rush hour). Barona is definitely the nicest, comparable to a mid-sized casino in Vegas and has good food (buffet, steakhouse, casual). Sycuan is also good. Both pay back fairly. Jamul is closest but will just take your money. There are also big, but not quite as nice casinos, in central Tijuana, the best being the main Agua Caliente Hipódromo, but there are branches near the main border crossing (Pueblo Amigo), on Revolución, in the Plaza Río Tijuana mall, etc.
Do I need a car?
-You may want to go without one for one or two days, if you stay downtown. A car is useless to experience Downtown, Little Italy, Fashion Valley Mall or for short visits to Tijuana. You can grab a Lyft/Uber for the short hops to hike in the city, Hillcrest gay nightlife, Mission Beach. You can have a wonderful (half-)day in the beach towns of Solana Beach and Del Mar by “Coaster” train.
You will want one if you want to do La Jolla, see multiple beaches, explore more city neighborhoods like Mission Hills, visit the Indian casinos, or go further afield such as the Mexican coastal road, Valle de Guadalupe or San Diego’s North County. You don’t need to one to visit Disneyland or L.A.
Combining Los Angeles and San Diego? Consider that there is excellent Amtrak train service between Downtown San Diego, Anaheim (Disneyland), and Downtown Los Angeles, leaving about every two hours. It takes three hours. You can break the journey and easily explore on foot the beautiful, old Spanish colonial town of San Juan Capistrano. In a car San Diego to L.A. can be 2.5 hours but usually 3 to 4 hours, in traffic, mostly through endless boring suburbs.
Going by land to San Francisco? My favorite drive is Highway One and I recommend taking the Amtrak train from San Diego or Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo, spending the night, and from there renting a car and taking a full day to drive Highway 1 to Lucia, Big Sur, destination Carmel/Monterey. Sleep there, explore, and continue on by car, or drop the car and go by the frequent Monterey Airbus to San Francisco Airport and catch BART (S.F. “subway”).
Hotels
In the U.S. it’s hard to be somewhere where you can walk to things, and in San Diego, Little Italy is great for that, while Downtown is big, with a lot of facilities, but soulless. For proximity to Little Italy, I like the new combined Hilton Garden Inn & Homewood Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayside (make sure it says Bayside!), or the new Residence Inn & SpringHill Suites Downtown/Bayfront (Bayfront!). Residence and Homewood each have another property nearby which are run down. The new Intercontinental is also in this area.
Not my style, but I hear L’Auberge del Mar is luxury/fantastic for a true resort in the North County beach area.
AVOID Hotels in Mission Valley/Hotel Circle or near the airport/Shelter Island/Harbor Island are run down, you need a car, and for me depressing.
Gaslamp District hotels downtown are my second choice, at least everything is walking distance.
Tijuana recommendations
Why go?
- If you’ve never been to Mexico, to eat real Mexican food and see a quirky version of Mexican color and culture
- If you’ve been to Mexico, to have great food and see a quirky but interesting a real border culture and a vibrant city of 2 million.
- If you only like the most obvious pretty clean places in the world, yeah. Don’t go.
- To drink. For the coastal drive. For the food, from tacos to chef driven cuisine. For the prices, less than half of San Diego.
- Combine with shopping at Las Americas outlet mall, which is literally AT the Pedwest border crossing.
Take a car? Trolley? Uber?
- You can take the San Diego Trolley (light rail/tram) to San Ysidro station, which is at the east pedestrian entry to Mexico – from here you can Uber or walk 20 minutes to the Zona Río (upscale area) of Tijuana, or Uber to Downtown Tijuana.
- take your car and park on the US side in paid parking lots for around $10/day:
- at LAZ Parking: goo.gl/maps/Nb9moxACgEn6UoTA, and walk across the East/main border, easiest access to the upscale Zona Río
- around Camino de la Plaza, closer to the west pedestrian entry to Mexico, “Pedwest”, at the Las Americas outlet malls. If you cross at PedWest, on the Mexican side, grab an Uber to Downtown TJ, or, if you are not easily scared by weirdness, you can walk 20 minutes — safe, but crosses a river and goes past some decrepit, semi-abandoned shops and there are some junkies who may approach you, but hey, you’ll get harassed more in San Francisco!
- for visiting the beaches and other towns, if you have a car, take it; you need to get Mexican auto insurance at the last U.S. exits. It will be take 1-3 hours to cross back into the U.S., Mo-Th after 8-9 pm it can be faster.
What to buy
GETTING AROUND
Uber works really well and costs 1/3 of US prices…short trips cost under 3 dollars. Street taxis are safe but may overcharge you; agree on a price.
SHOPPING – WHAT TO BUY?
Quality Mexican crafts – from the Mercado de Artesanías between Pedwest Mexican side and Downtown – or from Sanborn’s (many locations). There are also a lot of crappy so-called “Mexican crafts” everywhere.
Medicines – cheap and over the counter generics of Viagra, Cialis, and some other stuff. You cannot legally bring it into the US, so you would have to “forget” that you have it at US customs and take a risk. But don’t try to get sleeping pills, antibiotics, ADHD meds or pain meds. Most pharmacies will send you away. Sketchy pharmacies AT the border will offer to sell them to you at exhorbitant prices, but have been known to be in collusion with the cops who will extract a hefty bribe from you for not having a prescription. Farmacia La Más Barata Padre Kino has a doctor next door who can issue proper prescriptions for such meds for legitimate purposes, which you can then buy at the pharmacy.
WHERE TO VISIT IN TIJUANA
DOWNTOWN – AVENIDA REVOLUCIÓN
Avenida Revolucion was – from the 1920s till 2001, thronged with Americans shopping for leather goods and duty-free imports, as well as drinking. The crowds and shopping are mostly gone, but there are still plenty of bars. Avoid the ones from 2nd street northward (red-light district, scams), but south of there, you’re good. You can also visit:
A branch of Agua Caliente casino (between 3rd and 4th) for sports betting, table games and slot machines
Caesar’s restaurant (between 4th and 5th streets), it’s like 100 years old, and delicious food if you want a real restaurant meal. The cuisine is classic continental (stuffed breaded veal), pastas, with numerous Mexican touches (duck tacos). Oh and they invented the Caesar’s salad. For real.
Colectivo 9 between 6th and 7th which is full of hipster food stalls, also on this block there are several coffee houses and craft beer bars.
- Pasaje Rodríguez hipster coffee and art
The beautiful Jai Alai palace between 7th and 8th streets – for Instagram moments
Sanborn’s at 8th St. which is a small department store for gifts and also has a restaurant with Mexican food that’s better than the U.S. (but just so-so for Mexico)
Avoid the dirty, smelly, sketchy red light district on 1st and 2nd streets west of Revolución, unless you like to see the underbelly of society, ugly prostitutes soliciting you (if you’re a man), the drunk, homeless and people stuck here while trying to get into the U.S.))
ZONA RÍO
This area was built as the city’s new modern business center in the 1980’s.
To get there:
- Cross at the east/main pedestrian crossing (by trolley), walk to the Pueblo Amigo hotel then via the Avenida Independencia bridge to El Cubo – or just Uber it.
- From Downtown Tijuana you can walk 15 mins. towards Mercado Hidalgo or grab an Uber.
Centro Cultural “El Cubo” – contemporary art museum and history of Baja California
Plaza Rio Tijuana – a normal “classic American-style outdoor mall”, with a Sears and 2 hypermarkets, but may be interesting to see what different products are for sale here
Mercado Hidalgo – a real Mexican traditional market selling fruit, vegetables, meats, etc., also food stalls to eat a meal, etc. etc.
At the far east end of zona Río are:
Hipster food stalls at Foodgarden Sanchez Taboada
Tepoznieves for the best shaved-ice ice creams in Mexico, in dozens of flavors
The “big” Agua Caliente casino
Beyond that the excellent La Caja contemporary art gallery
BEYOND CENTRAL TIJUANA (WITH A CAR)
Playas de Tijuana
the local beach boardwalk with casual places to eat and drink cheaply, as well as people watch. The US border wall on the beach is pretty surreal (Instagram time!). If you drive, stop at my two secret viewpoints below.
SECRET AMAZING VIEWS on the way to Playas de Tijuana
View of the ocean and the border walls: end of Finesierra street, Vistas del Pacífico neighborhood, https://goo.gl/maps/bvTXkC6eJciqpyhSA
Panoramic view due west out to the ocean: corner of La Cima and Playa Encantada streets, Laderas del Mar neighborhood: https://goo.gl/maps/3nV7wg8jALDnyo9Y8
ROSARITO
a historic hotel Rosarito Beach hotel and some lobster places, but lobster is better in Puerto Nuevo a little south
COASTAL ROAD BETWEEN ROSARITO AND ENSENADA – BEAUTIFUL!!!!
ENSENADA – a working port – check out the seafood market, port promenade (Malecón)
VALLE DE GUADALUPE WINE COUNTRY- north of Ensenada – with wineries and farm-to-table restaurants, the best one is Finca Altozano, see below. A small Napa Valley and nicer than you would expect (considering Tijuana is not very “nice”!) – you can continue driving north on Highway 3 and cross the border at Tecate, if you wish to do something different.
EL MIRADOR and LA BUFADORA blowhole, south of Ensenada on a beautiful, beautiful bay… visit if you have time.
WHAT TO EAT
TACOS, TACOS, TACOS!!! Mexican tacos (which are always “soft shell”) are 1000% better than tacos in the U.S.!!! I am not an expert but this is an article: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/04/6-tijuana-tacos-worth-crossing-the-border.html and here is a map of the places that they mention https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yxer7iCCIRTmN0owaV1OxhomNo4DDF5Z&usp=sharing
TELEFÓNICA GASTRO PARK between downtown and Zona Río (Boulevard Aguacaliente #8924) – DON’T MISS IT
CHEF-DRIVEN RESTAURANTS – some of the best restaurants in Mexico are here in Tijuana, mostly run by Chef Javier Plascencia! Downtown go to
- Caesar’s, in Zona Río (take an Uber to)
- Misión 19 or
- La Querencia (for these two you need to reserve).
Food and menu at Misión 19
Javier runs a casual seafood place called Erizo in Zona Río.
In the Valle de Guadalupe wine country Plascencia also a fabulous farm-to-table and wine open-air restaurant Finca Altozano.
LOBSTER IN PUERTO NUEVO – Puerto Nuevo restaurant in Puerto Nuevo between Rosario and Ensenada
ENSENADA – La Guerrense restaurant, Tacos Fénix, Irene Cocina del Barrio food truck, Mantou gastropub for foodies
EL MIRADOR – Taquería Criollo
Amsterdam – where to go
HOTEL/AIRBNB
I would suggest staying as central as you can as this is a centralized pedestrian and bike-friendly city. It’s one of the most expensive cities in the world to stay, so I don’t have anywhere specific to suggest since I always stay wherever there’s a deal. Look at booking.com.
Hotels: the sedate, stately Amrath and the hip Hoxton are gorgeous with original art nouveau details. For location you can’t beat the Krasnapolski (which is where Roger lived for a while when he first moved to Amsterdam). One thing for sure – don’t stay at WTC, “near” Schiphol or outside the A10 ring highway.
RESTAURANTS
they come and go quickly but I suggest Navy, Morlong (also has a great canalside patio) and drinks at the Hoxton hotel (hip) or cafe Luxembourg (yuppie but traditional). Coffee and apple pie on a panoramic canal side patio at cafe de Jaren. If you like Indonesian food go to Kantjil & de Tijger. Be careful though – if it’s a good place you NEED a reservation.
SIGHTS
- Rijksmuseum, for the history of the Dutch Golden Age of trading goods and humans, and art
- Van Gogh museum
- Stedelijk (STAY-duh-luck) museum of contemporary art
- Optional: Hermitage, branch of the St. Petersburg, Russia, museum
- Heineken museum
PARK
- Vondelpark
NEIGHBORHOODS
- Walk the canals – quieter spots are Keizers- and Prinsengracht away from the main intersections like Leidsestraat
- Negen Straatjes (pricy unique boutiques), Jordaan (hidden courtyards…), Haarlemmerstraat
- de Pijp (hipster/gentrified)
- Binnenkant/Oudeschans are quieter gorgeous old canals near Central Station, so quiet and zen in the morning
Brian lived on Keizersgracht 143 near Anne Frankhuis and Roger lived on the Herengracht in/above museum called the Kattenkabinet in the apartment where a scene in Ocean’s 11 was filmed!
MUSTS
- In April – Keukenhof/tulip fields
- Canal boat tour! (Any)
- Bike rental and ride (via ferry) to Broek-in-Waterland;
- Bike through the city’s historic dockside neighborhoods Entrepotdok, KNSM-Eiland, Borneo eiland etc.
DAY TRIPS
Best: Antwerp Ghent or Bruges – all Flemish cities in Belgium, closer by: Delft or Leiden (smaller old university cities with canals)
Special interest: Rotterdam (modern city as it was 90% destroyed in WW2, Kop van Zuid cutting-edge architecture, world’s largest harbor)You’re going to Amsterdam at a great time of year. It’s unlikely due to noise abatement policies, but if you happen to land from the South you get great views of the tulip fields a few minutes before landing. That said, you can see them at the Keukenhof (near Lisse, half way between Amsterdam and Den Haag). The annual flower parade there (Keukenhof) will be next Saturday. It will be insanely crowded. There’s also the “flower market” (bloemenmarkt) in Amsterdam but it’s really just a collection of year round flower/plant shops. Don’t be disappointed.
SAMPLE ADVICE
Your hotel is a bit away from the true center – which is good. Not too close to the noise and tourist crush near centraal station. From your hotel you can walk away from the river to a cool neighborhood called “de Pijp” near Sarphatipark. It’s full of cafe, shops, restaurants etc. On the far side of the neighborhood is the Heineken brewery. Last time we were in AMS we ate at a restaurant called “Hoed & Krelis” over there. It was good – but there is so much good – and as I said all booked in advance. Get your concierge to help you. If you like to try other cuisines Amsterdam is the place for Indonesian. Order the “rijsttafel” which is a banquet of many dishes. There are many Indonesian restaurants- one that comes to mind is Sama Sebo near the Rijksmuseum.
If you walk down the river (north) you’ll come to an area called the Frederiksplein and beyond that Utrechtsestraat which is one of my favorite areas to just walk and hang out. Beyond that try to get over to the Staalstraat and stop for coffee and appeltaart (just what it sounds) at “Cafe de Jaren” or eat/drink at the beautiful but expensive Hotel de l’Europe (Freddie Heineken’s hobby). From there head over to the flower market. I lived on the Herengracht right behind there in the cat museum (kattenkabinet).
The entire area from there is known as the “grachtengordel” or “canal girdle” composed of the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht (gentleman’s, king’s and prince’s canals respectively). Probably worth it take a canal tour in a boat. Make sure you see the “negenstraatjes” are (nine little streets). After this area you will come to the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank Huis. Nice hotels in this area (to duck into for a drink or meal if other places are booked) are the Dylan, Hoxton, Pulitzer.
Beyond this area and slightly to the west is the Jordaan – and old neighborhood definitely worth a visit, and then at the top of the canals is the Haarlemerstraat, another interesting area, and beyond that the water front at Haarlemmerbuurt. You can take a free ferry from central station to the other side (which is developing quickly).
If you cross the river from your hotel head over (maybe on a bicycle) to Oosterpark, Artis, Entrepotdok and Hoogte Kadijk, maritime museum and Nemo science museum (cool building with rooftop sun terrace). A great place for breakfast/lunch/drinks on a nice day is Pension Homeland. Take an Uber there. It’s not easy to find.
I’ve avoided the main center in all of this – but you must go to the Dam square, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, Stedelijkmuseum etc. I just don’t want you to miss my favorite bits! When you go over to the museum area make sure you go a bit further and see the Vondelpark. It’s really where Amsterdam hangs out on nice days.
Ok one last thing. Since you’re a train person you have to take the train back to the airport when you leave so you can see how excellent transportation planning works. Really incredible service with probably 20 minute headways throughout the day from both centraal station and WTC or RAI stations (near your hotel). At the airport the platforms are immediately below the terminal. The airport is quite something too. Great environment and shopping.
Atlanta hip neighborhoods walking tour
A walk through Atlanta’s hip intown neighborhoods
By Brian Gross
A Virginia–Highland
B Little Five Points
C Inman Park (Springvale Park)
D Krog Street
E Krog Street Market
F Inman Park Village
G Two Urban Licks
H Historic Fourth Ward Park
I Ponce City Market
J Piedmont Park
If you’ve visited Atlanta before, you may have left thinking that the city consists only of the world’s busiest airport, big tourist attractions such as the Coca-Cola Museum and Georgia Aquarium and sprawling suburbs. But in fact, only two miles from your downtown hotel are trendy new restaurants, cafes and shops in cozy but hip neighborhoods, each with its own vibe.
Here is a walking tour of some of these ‘hoods, six miles (9 km) long in total, or about two hours’ walk. Pick your favorite part of the tour, or take a whole day to do all of it!
Virginia–Highland
Uber it to the intersection of Virginia and North Highland avenues, the centerpoint of this classic neighborhood, where you will find dozens of popular restaurants, bars and boutiques. Walk the side streets (such as Adair and St. Charles) and admire the charming bungalows built from 1910 to 1930. Eat: Southern favorite “shrimp and grits” paired with a selection from the wine bar at Murphy’s – or try Atlanta’s trendiest burger at Yeah! Burger chased by a Southern bourbon.
Head south to Moreland Avenue at Euclid Avenue, where you will find:
Little Five Points
This is the epicenter of the city’s goth, punk and other alternative scenes. This is the place to shop for vintage clothing, find a fresh juice, or enjoy a beer and burger at the Vortex Bar & Grill.
Turn right (west) at Euclid Avenue to enter:
Inman Park
Atlanta’s original “suburb”, developed in the 1890s. Euclid Avenue is lined with Victorian mansions including the Beath Mansion at #866, and the Asa Candler “Coca-Cola mansion” at the corner of Elizabeth Street. Springvale Park just to the west was the site of a bloody Civil War battle – local residents claim to feel a ghostly presence here at night.
Krog Street
Continuing along Euclid Avenue, you reach Krog Street, and the landscape changes from Victorian to post-industrial. Turn left to explore Krog Street Tunnel, ground zero for the city’s street art scene. Turn right from Euclid and hit Krog Street Market, one of two large food halls opened in recent years. Turn left at Irwin and immediately right onto the BeltLine Trail, a 22-mile (35 km)-long trail around the central city built on former rail lines.
In 0.4 miles (600m) at Parish New Orleans-style restaurant, head right off the trail and explore:
Inman Park Village
Along Highland Avenue, new loft apartments and restaurants occupy former factories. Enjoy a glass of wine and tapas at Barcelona Wine Bar, Atlanta’s best pizza at Fritti or fine Italian cuisine at Sotto Sotto.
Head back to the BeltLine and rejoin the joggers and bikers heading north. Stop to visit the Carter Center, an excellent museum documenting world issues during Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Or continue onward and enter Atlanta’s most eclectic and hip neighborhood:
Old Fourth Ward
Continuing 0.6 miles (1 km) north on the trail, you’ll pass the the Fourth Ward Skatepark on the left, then trendy Southern restaurant Two Urban Licks on the right.
Head left at the Gateway Trail down the hill to visit the new Historic Fourth Ward Park and its beautiful sunken reservoir and fountains. Across from the north end of the park is Ponce City Market, a food and multiuse complex built in what was a Sears warehouse – the largest building in the Southern U.S. by volume. There, Dancing Goats’ coffee may be the best in the city – you can enjoy it swinging in a hammock.
Rejoin the BeltLIne Trail north and after 0.6 miles (1 km) you will reach:
Piedmont Park
This is Atlanta’s “Central Park” where you can enjoy the Botanical Garden (fee), Lake Clara Meer, the Wetlands, and a brisk walk through the North Woods. From here it’s a short walk back to Midtown or you can Uber it back to Downtown.
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Exploring any of these charming neighborhoods – or the many others that Atlanta boasts – will convince you that Atlanta is far more than just downtown hotels, convention centers, and endless sprawl. It truly does have Southern charm and local style!
San Diego y Tijuana (español)
Recomendaciones en SD y TIJ
Toma en cuenta pasar la frontera de sur a norte en coche puede tomar 2 horas o más. Entonces NO recomiendo rentar un coche en TIJ y llevarlo a EEUU.
Si vuelas a TIJ y tomas el puente de TIJ aeropuerto directo después de tu vuelo no hay espera (se paga 15 dlls.). Del otro lado a cinco minutos caminando por la puente está terminal “CBX” en territorio EEUU, hay Uber y renta de coches. En San Diego puedes ver casi todo en el trolley menos La Jolla y la playa (Mission Beach). O sea puedes cruzar por la puente y tomar Uber y luego ir en trolley y Uber. O rentas coche pero lo devuelves en CBX del lado americano. De hecho no conviene visitar Tijuana y San Diego en la misma visita.
SAN DIEGO
El barrio europeo es Little Italy pegado a downtown. Muchos buenos italianos, gelato en Pappalecco, ramen en Underbelly, postres incredibles en Extraordinary Desserts, y Crack Shack que es un trendy de sandwiches de pollo frito buenísimos… algunos bares trendy también de cocteles y tal… centro centro – Comida iraní en Bandar (un plato sirve para 2 personas)
- El barrio Hipster es North Park lleno de cervecerías artesanales, tiendas hip, etc.
- En el centro el Gaslamp District es para tomar cerveza común y corriente, lleno de un público de turistas, gente aquí de negocios, en fin menos sofisticado.
- Pegado al Gaslamp y el estadio de beisbol está el East Village donde hay más young professionals, más lugares para tomar cerveza/café/etc.
- Breakfast healthy MISSION en East Village o North Park… get there early….huevos, pancakes, versiones gringas pero ricas de desayunos mexicanos.
- Tenemos nuestra casa en calle Hermosa Way en Mission Hills, zona bellisima de bungalows, pero no hay atracciones para turistas en sí.
- Old Town es super turístico – re-creación gringa de “Old Mexico”.
- En el parque central Balboa Park el Zoológico es excelente, de los mejores del mundo. En Balboa Park puedes caminar por los museos y el jardín de rosas, si hay tiempo. Bonito y relajante.
- Shopping mall Fashion Valley (Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Macy’s, Apple Store, etc.). Cerca está Mission Valley que tiene Target y muchas tiendas de cadenas más económicas, en frente ahí hay un Best Buy. Ambos tienen paradas del trolley (tren ligero).
Outlet shopping en San Ysidro pegado a la cruce principal a Tijuana. (ir en trolley o con Uber (Pool)…)
La Jolla es el barrio chic, vale la pena ver las focas y comer French Toast con Cointreau en Brockton Manor. El acuario de Scripps es bueno. Hay un Amazon bookstore en el centro comercial. Para La Jolla necesitas coche.
Playa Mission Beach vas a ver los cuerpos más atractivos del mundo…
TIJUANA
No hay tanto para ver, sino comer
- CENTRO (Av. Revolución): comer en Caesar’s (que inventó el Caesar Salad), a una cuadra al norte hay un hipster food plaza “Colectivo 9” tipo Mercado Roma, ver exterior del Palacio Jai Alai
- CHEF JAVIER PLASCENCIA – Mision 19 y Villa Saverios (Zona Río), Erizo (mariscos, zona Club Campestre), Finca Altozano en wine country “Valle de Guadalupe”
- AUTOPISTA A ENSENADA 1D – bellísima costa de Tijuana a Ensenada! Puerto Nuevo – langosta, Rosarito Beach hotel – historia, Ensenada, vale la pena ver el mercado de pescado y el puerto turístico por el centro, no confundirse con el puerto comercial de barcos grandes. Se puede continuar al sur al “Maneadero” que es una zona costal más tranquila.
Portugal
Lisbon
The interesting bits of Lisbon are super small, walkable. Don’t miss the old streetcars/trams and the funiculars.
- The Baixa is sort of the old downtown (17th c. I think after an earthquake)
- To the west up the hill is the BAIRRO ALTO. You can take several elevators up to the Bairro Alto. from Baixa. There are a lot of bars for young people in all the little streets. A few “tascas” (bars) have fado like Tasca do Chico. There are larger fado places, expensive, for older tourists.
- Further north from Bairro Alto is Jardin Principe Real (lookout and park) with the Embaixada concept store with the best of Portuguese-made clothing and some trendy but more expensive restaurants. Decadente, Cevicheria and 100 Maneiras are very good. You can take the elevador da Glória down to the Baixa or just walk along the stairway – there is a lot of street art along it.
- At the south side of Bairro alto is a viewpoint Santa Catarina where young people bring their own wine and chill.
- You can take the cute old ascensor (funicular) da Bica down to the seafront and the Cais do Sodre train station, where you can
- take a ferry across the water — when you get to the other side walk along the water to the right. It is a walking path with amazing views of Lisbon, along a bunch of abandoned buildings and at the end a stairway up to Boca do Ventro where you can stop for a cheap coffee or drink.
- from Cais do Sodre you can take a commuter train to Belem to visit the Coach Museum and Moisteiro dos Jeronimos. Or you can take tram 15.
- LX Factory is a converted industrial space with a lot of galleries, shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s halfway to Belem on the tram.
- The TimeOut Market is here, unmissable, food halls all handpicked from the best restaurants and shops in Portugal that built branches here. Great and affordable food.
- Alfama is the other historic area east of the Baixa, it’s super touristy. You can ride old tram 28 up through here around all the bends. Go at off times as it’s very crowded. But perhaps best to walk as there is a lot of architecture here that we missed.
We stayed in the LX boutique hotel, near the waterfront, Cais do Sodre station and the TimeOut market. There are also some more expensive designer options near the Jardin Principe Real.
From Lisbon to Porto
- Pena Palace
- Obidos is a very small walled city with a unique hotel called The Literary Man, with books everywhere
- Coimbra is highly recommended, a medium sized city with Portugal’s oldest university – beautiful and exotic medieval architecture
- Aveiro is an old fishing town with colorful almost Dutch and Chinese architecture from the golden days of Portuguese trading
Photo albums
2016 album Lisbon and central Portugal
2012 photo gallery from Porto and Northern Portugal
Porto
The other major city of Portugal. Famous for port wine, red tile roofs, a bridge by Mr. Eiffel, tiled buildings, and its beautiful river.
North of Porto
Of interest are these towns
- Guimarãres
- Viana do Castelo
- Braga
Brian's blog 