Stonehenge was high on my list of things to see and I am satisfied with the experience, but I did not have expectations of 30 meter high stones that I would be able to walk freely around and through.  In fact, the highest stone is about 7.5 meters (25 ft) and the monument is roped off so the closest that one can get it about 25 meters (100 or so feet) from the stones.  The £6.50 admission fee (included with most tours) includes an audio guide that does its best to put whatever guesses the experts have about the artifact into context.

Stonehenge is a good experience and recommended for Druids, major history enthusiasts with great imaginations who are not looking for concrete rock solid answers, and people with some time to kill in London who are looking to see the beautiful English countryside.  It is not recommended for people who have limited time in London, people who will be disappointed with only 25ft high stones, and all others who have used the words ‘underwhelming’, ‘overrated’ or ‘boring’ to describe the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Parthenon, Tower of London and or the Roman Forum.

How to get there:

Train is an option but the logistics are a bit complicated.  Probably the easiest way to see the Hanging Rocks is to go with one of the numerous tour companies.  There are a number of tours that either swing by Stonehenge after Windsor Castle and before Bath (approx £65) or go directly there and back (£25 and includes admission).  No matter how you try to do it you are looking at a minimum of 6 hours to get there, see it, and get back.

Salmon and mussel starter from L'Amie Jean

By Sarah— Living in a great city like Paris we often receive the questions:  where do you recommend us going to eat?  which are your favorite places?  Looking back on the last two years and all the delicious meals we’ve eaten, sublime wine we’ve sipped and fantastic atmospheres we’ve enjoyed we have acquired quite a lengthy list of worthwhile places. So here we have our favorites, not necessarily the best in all of Paris, but definitely the locations we frequent.  This list is composed of  the places we have found to be the most interesting, most consistent and best value for the Euro that we have experienced… so far.

After no more ado, here are our Paris favorites arranged from most to least expensive.

L’Amie Jean: Not overly expensive but not cheap either, this little French bistro delivers a quality and authentic dining experience.  The chef Stephane Jego subscribes to idea that haute cusine does not have to be a budget breaker.  The menu focuses on traditional French cooking but Stephane dishes it out in a new and inventive way.  If you are looking for good French food with an interesting twist, we highly recommend this place. Expect the bill to tally around €120 (for two) with a decent bottle of wine and after dinner drinks. A reservation is required.

Monjul: A meal here will run around €110 for two including wine, but the Asian + French fusion warrants the price. This is one of my favorite restaurants not only because I have enjoyed many meals here but because of the, “this is the best meal ever!” comments that our guests make.  My only complaint is that they change their menu infrequently so I tend not to back as often as I would like to. Each dish is unique and interesting in ways even a hardened foodie will find interesting,  with such delectable treats as the silly sounding, yet scrumptious, porky-snacky they have so many things right that they do not need to change their menu often. Recommendations necessary.

Le Comptoir de Relais: Classic sidewalk cafe in the heart of Sant Germain des Pris, which is an area that is great for people watching and relaxing.  Perfect for an afternoon of eating traditional French pates, cheeses and meats while enjoying one of Paris’ most famous neighborhoods without the hefty price-tags of the more famous Cafés just down the street.

Au Sergent Recruteur: All you can eat: Mid-priced classic French country cooking (and a lot of it). We were a bit hesitant to go here the first time, but it was a fun experience. If you have a good group of people and like to not worry about running up the bill with wine then we fully recommend this rustic food barn reminiscent of what you might expect to find in the French countryside after a long carriage ride in the 19th Century.  The food is hearty and plentiful meal starts with a huge basket of fresh veggies and a tasty vinaigrette.  That segways into an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord board of meats, salamis and pates. Wait!  There’s more!  Then there is the main course which is followed by a board of cheeses.  Oh, did I mention that limitless wine is included?  Sure you will be hard pressed to find a Frenchman in here but this place is perfect for getting a good meal and not worrying about running up the bill as the cost is €47 per person without any “surprises” at the end.  Reservations should be made but you can often get a table without.

Bacon and chevre salad from Chez Gladine runs less than €8

Chez Gladine: Cheap, Basque, Lively. In Buttes aux Cailles, this off-the-beaten tourist-path bistro is at maximum capacity every night with French students.  If you arrive any later than 8:00 be prepared for a 30 plus minute wait outside.  But don’t worry, push your way to the bar and order a bottle of wine or beer and enjoy the party outside.  Even though it seems chaotic the staff is friendly (they do speak enough English to put your name on the list and make recommendations), yet efficient at handling the volume of people.  The food is good and basic and there is a lot of dishes so you can’t go wrong. The salads are huge, the duck is delish, and the gateaux basque is sweet.  Don’t be intimidated by the wait or the chaos.  Chez Gladine is a great experience.

Le Pot de Terre: Cheap, French, Touristic. If you are a foodie – don’t bother with this place; however, if you in the mood for decent food without a hefty price tag, then give it a shot. This is a no fuss, no muss restaurant that some would consider very touristy but there are also always a lot of French customers as well.   We always leave satisfied. No reservations necessary.

Au’Petit Grec: Cheap as it can be, Creperie,  Standing room only. On Rue Mouffetard, you can’t miss Au’Petit Grec because it almost always has a line even if the other adjacent creperies are vacant of even a single customer.  The most interesting crepe place we have found which serves up the French staple with a Greek twist.  I like to get here at least once every two weeks for Friday night dinner.  My favorites are the tarama, feta, olives with tomato and lettuce, the bolognese, and the savoyarde. All around good and copious food.

]]> http://ikangaroo.com/2010/04/22/paris-a-locals-food-picks/feed/ 0 http://ikangaroo.com/2010/02/12/history-of-valentines-day/ http://ikangaroo.com/2010/02/12/history-of-valentines-day/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:23:45 +0000 Chris http://ikangaroo.com/?p=2221

]]> http://ikangaroo.com/2010/02/12/history-of-valentines-day/feed/ 0 http://ikangaroo.com/2010/01/15/introducing-hostels-of-naples/ http://ikangaroo.com/2010/01/15/introducing-hostels-of-naples/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:45:09 +0000 Chris http://ikangaroo.com/?p=2174 Layers of history, superb gastronomy, authenticity and adventure await the traveler who braves off the beaten path and heads south of Rome.  Far from being a secret, Naples and its neighbors have long been renowned for Pompeii, the Blue Grotto and being the cradle of the quintessential pizza, but the region also has a sketchy reputation.  Well, now a new class of hostel owners are joining forces and applying elbow grease to help the region glow like a fresh lemon in the noon sun over Sorrento.  Their strategy is simple: be knowledgeable and friendly.  The name of the group is Hostels of Naples and they have representative hostels in Naples, Capri, Ischia, Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi.  The welcome point of the group is Bella Capri, in Naples, which has the characteristic helpful staff that will helps to arrange all transportation in the region and provides recommendations for things to see and places to eat in Naples.  While this is not a tourist information per se, Bella Capri’s staff is working very hard to help each guest get the most out their decision to visit Southern Italy.

If you are planning a trip to anyplace near Naples then check out hostelsofnaples.com or if you want to enhance your adventure in the authentic Italy, just reserve at Bella Capri and let them help you plan the rest of your trip when you get there.  The secrets of Ischia, the Limoncello of Sorrento and Amalfi and so many more surprises are waiting to be explored and introduced to you by the proud partners of Hostels of Naples.

I’m nominating Spain as the SNACK CAPITAL of the WORLD.  So with Madrid being Spain’s capital it has a lot of gastronomy to live up to, which it certainly does. I have come to understand that the Spanish, no matter what region, consistently, confidently and effortlessly serve-up bite-sized scrumptiousness.   Snacks that stretch the imagination of how food can taste and be presented.  A grazing session through Madrid teaches us all that snacks at the bar can be a cornucopia of morsels, flavors and textures and there is no need to ever sit down for a meal.

While arranging a short visit to Madrid I put out the word on Twitter and asked for some restaurant recommendations.  I did get a few, but strangely I was not told about a specific place.  It was always, “oh I ate at a great place right near Plaza Mayor, but I cannot remember the name” and similar comments.  Now I know why this is: Madrid, like so much of Spain, “is” a restaurant.  It is a sprawling food court of cervecerias, siderias and just plain good ol’ tapas bars.  To fully enjoy this experience you should first change your way of thinking to not look for someplace to eat but rather anyplace that has food in those ubiquitous glass bar cases.  Pop in, have a bite and a drink, if you like it then order another and if not then move on.

Here are a few places and tapas that we enjoyed a lot:

Sidrería El Tigre, Calle de las Infantas, 30, 28004 Madrid, Spain

A very rustic and basic tapas bar complete with a mounted boar’s, typical rock walls and wooden beam ceiling.  Before deciding to finally try it I had passed by a couple of times and always noticed that it was crowded.  To look at the interior I could not really understand why and then I ordered a beer, glass of wine and some tapas that totaled a whopping €4.00.  After paying I took another look around and it dawned on me that this is seems to be a university hang-out, judging by the clientele.  Even though this bar was crowded I was very impressed by the efficiency of the barmen.  There is nothing worse then being ignored at a bar and this was not the case here.  The tapas are not gourmet but the bustling atmosphere and price are hard to beat.

Mercado de la Reina, Calle Gran Vía, 12, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Modern and more upscale this tapas bar and restaurant draws a more buttoned-up after work crowd rather than the t-shirted after class patrons at El Tigre but it is still casual.  Just as the atmosphere is slick so are the tapas which are too many to review but I will say that the potato tortilla here is perhaps the best I have ever had.  If you only have the tortilla here that is served all day this bar is worth it.  Another tapa that I had here, which is common in Spain, was a portion of Padrón peppers.  The green peppers are roasted and then dressed with a bit of olive oil and salt.  But the fun of this tapa is not in the taste but in the thrill.  You see, mostly these peppers are sweet but sometimes they are super duper spicy.  So eating a plate is like playing Spanish Roulette.

Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de Oriente, 3, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Not a restaurant like Mercado de la Reina but actually a market.  This newly remodeled glass and steel structure houses over 30 stalls that sell fish, meats, books, pastries, wine and beer among a lot of other goods.  There are tables set up or you can just gnash your way through.  We enjoyed buying a glass of champagne and walking with it to sample this and that around the market.

Lizarran, Calle del Prado 4, 28014 Madrid, Spain‎

There are a few of these in Madrid so if you are not into the ‘franchise’ thing you may want to give this a miss.  With that said, I am a sucker for a pinchos restaurant and this place holds its own.  As you would expect at any pinchos bar there are a number of interesting looking and tasty bits served on little slices of bread.  All you have to do is lift up the glass case and choose one.  Keep the toothpicks on your plate so the barman can tally your bill.

Cerveceria Alemana, Plaza de Santa Ana, 6, 28012 Madrid, Spain

Apparently a Hemingway favorite but we had no idea when we visited this typical bar off Plaza de Santa Ana.  This seems and looks like one of those traditional places that women were not allowed into until laws were passed.  The bar was tended by someone who may have actually served Hemingway and the ground was covered with discarded napkins.  Walking into here was like going back 50 or so years, except that it is one of the few places in Madrid that is smoke-free.  Just judging by the location, decor and staff it is obvious that it is an institution and perhaps a tourist trap.  However, we did not find this to be the case in the least.  The prices are clearly marked, the staff was super friendly and the bill was right in line with other prices.  One thing that made us nervous here was that the barman kept offering stuff and when we refused he insisted and said ‘gratis’ (free).  As a rule of thumb you should always ask the price before accepting.  This time it turned out okay but in the past I have gotten burned on the what I like to call “oh my friend you must try this!” scam.  One tapa that I had here that was exceptional was the fried chorizo.  Common as chorizo is I have never had one so tasty.

Madrid is filled with great food and friendly people so even if you still want to sit down and have a meal make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to just go on walk-about and experience the capital of the world’s Snack Capital.  Enjoy and Buen provecho!

During my travels I have met a lot of people doing odd jobs to supplement their income to keep themselves on the road.  In fact, the romance of hopping from place to place and finding this or that job was pretty exciting to me at one time.  I have done everything from washing dishes in Tel-Aviv to creating “atmosphere” in Joe’s Garage in Lagos Portugal.  Recently, with the new generation of tech and media savvy travelers I have met people blogging their way from hostel to hostel.  I ‘ve even met the @Twitchhiker who successfully made it half-way around the world by connecting with people on Twitter and depending on the kindness of strangers.  This type of travel is a long way from the times of yore when travelers packed up a Lonely Planet or Let’s Go and took to the rail to look for receptionist gigs in sketchy hostels and tout jobs for dive bars.  Sure, those jobs are still out there but there are a lot more ways to get around and even boost your resume and or portfolio in the process.

By far one of the most creative ways I have seen a group of travelers keep it going is happening right now with a team of four Korean filmmakers who are planning to stay abroad for the next year.  Equipped only with one laptop that is in use 24 hours, their creativity and a willingness to subsist, these four have already created some of the most exciting hostel videos out there and they have another eight or so months of traveling.  When Hojae was able to take a break to meet me for a coffee in Rome he told me that when they landed in Paris in October 2009 they really had not thought out the situation in detail.  In fact, they had not even made a video that they could pitch.  And judging from the initial video that they created in Paris, even though it shows skill, it is completely void a WOW factor that might excite a hostel owner to agree to a video for bed exchange before the video is delivered.  But Yellow Hostel in Rome gave them a shot and the gang hitchhiked from Paris to Rome and delivered a WOW video that would make any hostel owner proud (see video); oh, in case you are wondering Hojae told me that there was actually no spray paint involved in the video and that effect took a bit of time to create.   Obviously from this video their skill and creativity shine through.  I am especially impressed with how the video captures the essence and character of its subject.  After the Yellow video they have gotten a number of offers, including this video for Hostel Alessandro Palace in Rome,  but they still have a bunch of time left in their trip  and are looking to explore the rest of Europe.

Check out their Youtube page at www.youtube.com/user/pm35mm or website www.ingyeo.net.  Or maybe just drop them a line at pm35mm at hotmail dot com.

Jose Ramon Elizandro (Joserra) at Alona Berri

I am always nervous about ordering at a new restaurant.  Will it be good? Will my meal be best item on the menu?  My greatest fear is that I will choose poorly while one of my dining mates hits the deliciousness jackpot resulting in my stewing while they relish.  I call this feeling ‘food envy’, which for me manifests itself as an almost uncontrollable impulse to toss my plate aside and lunge at another’s food.  When eating out food envy always seems to be a possibility until you can find someplace where chefs execute scrumptious miniature gourmet morsels that are so cheap that it you don’t like them then there is no worry.  And if someone else has something better than you then you can easily have the same without breaking the bank.   I suppose, while I am dreaming, I would like for that place to be by the sea and have sandy beaches and a pumping nightlife.  Wait!  That place does exist!  Actually it is a whole city called San Sebastian in the Basque Country in Spain and it is a foodie paradise that is void of food envy.

While searching for worthwhile culinary adventure, on Twitter, I asked for suggestions about worthwhile destinations and promptly Linda Fox (@foxychops) suggested San Sebastian.  I quickly learned that San Sebastian has many quality restaurants in a small area and an extraordinary gusto for food.  Additionally, the city has large and clean sandy beaches, stunning vistas and a lively nightlife.  I still had some questions about activities so I emailed the San Sebastian Tourist Office and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were responsive and very helpful.  I was sold.

There is an old saying that says that ‘heaven is where all the cooks are Spanish.’ Growing up in an Italian family with a rich food culture I’d never have believed this, especially since my only experience with anything even remotely Spanish was a dish called Spanish rice, which I remember from my elementary school days as being pasty rice goop that could crawl down a wall.  However, I’ve since learned that this statement may be true, especially of the Basque Region.

A pinch of gastronomy that is arguably the base of Basque culture is the pintxo (‘peen-sho’) which is a variation of tapas common throughout Spain.  There is no strict definition for a pintxo – in fact there are too many varieties to even count – but the word means ‘spike’ because there is often a wooden spear skewing the bite sized snack.  Some places tally the bill by counting the toothpicks on your plate.  The accepted legend is that tapas / pintxos are the result of a 13^th Century law imposed by King Alfonso X either for health reasons or to prevent drunk driving.  Since then pintxos have become a key ingredient of the San Sebastian cultural palette.  This can be seen  nightly when the town’s streets fills up with people on  pintxos bar hop called a txikiteo (‘chickie-te-o’) that happens from about 7pm until the famously late Spanish dinner time that barely starts by 10pm.  Besides being fun, the txikiteo is one of those rare authentic cultural activities that is assessable to tourists.

The heart of the San Sebastian’s pintxos district is the Parte Viaja which the cobble stoned lined old town that is full of pubs and numerous taverns serving the local snacks that range from basic to gourmet and cost between €1.50 to €3.00 apiece.  Glasses of beer and wine run about the same price.  However, don’t limit yourself to the Parte Vieja because there are notable taverns all over the 180,000-person city.

Some notable restaurants:

Alona Berri-  Located in Gros, about a 20 minute walk from the Parte Viaja, this is one of the most famous pintxos restaurants in San Sebastian. Owned and run by Jose Ramon Elizandro, Joserra (pictured at top), who is a seasoned veteran of the San Sebastian food scene, this small restaurant needs to be on any txikiteo.  Alona Berri is much more posh and experimental as the tag-line “Alta cocina in Minitura” (upscale food in miniature) implies.  The service here was excellent and the food resembled a tasting menu at a chic restaurant. The only exceptions being the causal atmosphere and featherweight bill totaling €70.00 which included 15 pintxos, 2 glasses of wine, a bottle of wine and an after dinner drink.  One of the best price to quality restaurants that one could ever expect to experience.  Take your food and drink at the bar for a 7% discount or enjoy the excellent service sitting down and enjoying the spectrum of interesting and tasty miniature dishes.

Bar Gorriti-  At the edge of the Parte Vieja you’ll find this nondescript and very authentic tavern.  You might be tempted to only stick your head in, thinking that you’ll find something better down the road, which you might, but the great thing about a txikiteo is that you don’t have to commit more than €1.50 and 10 minutes.  Bar Gorriti has the same pinxtos found throughout the whole quarter but I found them among the largest that I saw.  Take a minute to peruse the pictures on the walls to see how the adjacent square, which used to be the main market that is now underground, has looked over the decades.

Bar Nestor-  Famous for its tortilla which is generally regarded the best in San Sebastian.  Don’t expect to just walk in and get a slice of this revered potato pie, you will have to plan ahead and possibly reserve a piece.  Tortillas are only served twice a day at 1:00 and 8:00pm.  Try stopping by at least 2 hours before hand if you do not just want to try your luck.

A Fuego Negro-  Right on 31 Augusto which is a main vein pumping through the Parte Vieja you’ll find this unique restaurant run by the next generation of pinxtos artists.  A Fuego Negro is an updated pintxos bar and restaurant which pushes the envelop both in terms of superbly executed pintxos mini soups such as tomato puree, mussels and béchamel and décor that is a refreshing contrast to traditional wooden interiors.

Ganderias-  No trip to Spain would be complete without indulging yourself in a big plate of jambon serrano (ham) and a steak.  Ganderias is a straightforward steakhouse that serves tender aged beef by the kilo so bring your appetite (i.e. skip the last three or so pinxtos).  Ganderias is very reasonably priced, especially considering the quality of meat.  We escaped with a bill of only €75.00, which included a mixed ham plate, kilo of steak, bottle of wine, bottled water and after dinner drink.  The portions were too big for one person and it was accepted, and perhaps even expected, that everything be split between at least two.

Gabriella our friendly cooking teacher from Tenedor Tours.

If you that want to bring your new found pintxos love home to impress your friends or just want to develop your cooking skills, I recommend the pintxos cooking classes run by Tenedor Tours.  Besides being a great way to spend an afternoon you learn how to make your own pintxos so that your Basque experience will live on.  Recommended by the San Sebastian Tourist Office, Tenedor is run by transplanted New Yorker Gabriella Ranelli de Aguirre.  The class is advertised as 3 hours long (ours lasted longer when you include eating time) and costs €125 per person which includes the lesson, food and wine.  Gabriella brings the group on a pretty solid walking tour to stores to buy and sample cheeses and meats while she shares her anecdotes that she has accumulated while living in San Sebastian for 10 years.  Besides the many useful cooking tips we learned, Gabriella focuses on pintxos made of common ingredients that can be easily made at home.  Our lesson included how to make six types of pintxos, homemade mayonnaise and gazpacho.  Groups are limited to about 8 and lessons are given in a super nice flat in the Parte Vieja that is fully equipped and spacious enough for the group to move about freely.  For a budget traveler €125 may be out of range but consider that food, wine and a unique experience is included.  We have recreated the recipes and utilized the cooking tips all with great success!

All the excitement of a complex yet assessable tasting menu, San Sebastian cuisine is the perfect  getaway from food envy that will satisfy any foodie.  As previously mentioned the Tourist Office is a huge help.  Even if you do not book online for the activities make sure that you stop by the office to get updated information and to book your activities such as sailing, a pintxos tour and of course the cooking class.  Walking tours also originate there for €6 and provide a decent city overview in terms of both the history and orientation.  San Sebastian is very popular with the Spanish so getting a room in high August season will be more challenging and expensive.  Moreover, because of its proximity to Pamplona many people use it as a base for their bull running excursion so plan a head for the first week in July.

Where to stay:

NH Aranzazu-  Good customer service, big and clean rooms and reasonably priced.  This hotel is a distance from the Parte Vieja and not practical to walk but the bus is close by and frequent and there is a beach with walking distance.  Cabs run about 6 – €8 depending on the time of day.  www.nh-hotels.com/NHAranzazu

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