In the Gulf of Naples in 6 B.C the Emperor Augustus traded the island of Ischia for Capri.  This swap still resonates today as the island that gained Imperial favor, Capri, remains popular and the other, Ischia, continues to be fairly unknown.  In fact, if you were to ask someone from Ischia about Capri the response would most likely be that Capri is good for a day trip while staying on Ischia, which has so much more to offer.  Over the centuries Ischia has been ruled by occupying armies, countries, pirates and ruling families; however, in spite of its shaky political and natural history it remains faithful to its Greek and Italian roots.  Today the rocky island has a population of about 60,000 that is divided among five towns with the two largest being Ischia Town and Forio. Once on the island, Ischia Town has the most nightlife and shopping while the quieter Forio provides a quaint and relaxing atmosphere.

My wife and I spent four days during the end of May on this island that has remarkable beauty, warm days and crisp nights, whitewashed buildings with blue trim, great food, and friendly people that are proud of their history and island.  Our days were activity filled with swimming, driving the scooter around to the island’s attractions, hiking Mount Epomeo and soaking in the many hot springs while our evenings were spent relaxing and eating the local dishes. As two very independent travelers with vastly different requirements for a relaxing getaway, Ischia satisfied us both as it offers good and unique food plus plenty of activities.  And our enjoyment was compounded because our hosts delivered superior hospitality and a clean place to stay.  Ischia could be precisely what you need if traveling with friends, as a couple, with a family or if you are just looking for a quiet and easy to reach escape from a noisy city hopping grind.

Getting to and around Ischia:

We departed from Naples on a hydrofoil (€18 each way) and within a little over an hour we reached Forio, which is smaller than Iscia Town but with plenty to do and is easy to access the rest of the island. Rather than dealing with public transportation we rented a scooter for €25 per day as it allowed us to set our own schedule.  Although, with the windy roads, fast cars, faster scooters and hills a scooter is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced so a car rental might be a better option- they were not much more than the scooters.  In talking to other travelers we were told that the buses were timely, cheap and adequately got them around.

Where to stay:

We stayed at La Rotonda sul Mar, which is a Colella Family property.  Amerigo, one of the Colella sons, picked us up at the port, brought us to our apartment, recommend things to do on the island, arranged our scooter, transported to and from their restaurant and then finally dropped us off at the port.  From Papa Salvatore and Mama Tina to the three brothers Giuseppe, Amerigo and Lorenzo this clan delivers their promise of family hospitality and as a consequence they provide an authentic Italian experience. From cooking lessons with Mama Tina to learning how to make limoncello with Papa Salvatore to each of the brothers zooming between all their properties to look after the guests the Colella Family provides a truly unique opportunity to learn, rest and enjoy Ischia.

Depending on your preferences the Colellas have three different and distinct accommodation options.

A traditional hotel: Poggio del Sole is on the same land that Salvatore’s and Tina’s respective families owned before they married so in a way it is the land that grew the family.  Each room has its own bathroom and balcony with a sea view and some rooms even have a kitchenette and two balconies.  It is located just above the family restaurant La Casereccia so meals are an easy commute.  The hotel is a good choice if you are looking for a quite get-away.  Poggio del Sole is in a neighborhood that makes it impractical to walk to the port so if you stay here you will want to factor in transportation.

View from patio at Rotonda sul Mare

Apartments and rooms: We chose to stay at La Rotonda sul Mar, which is located on the sea and is a 20 minute stroll from Forio and even less to some bars (in the Italian sense) and restaurants.  Keep in mind that many European beaches are rocky but approximately 300 meters away there is a sandy beach.  From June to September a deck is set up so you can sunbathe right on the water and as of May 2009 there are plans to install a beach bar.  With a few levels of patios, the beautiful sunsets and easy water access we loved the location.  The interiors of the rooms are basic, but very clean and spacious. My wife normally prefers a luxurious feeling room but she found this very comfortable and I had no complaints.

The hostel: Ring hostel is a standard hostel that offers more atmosphere than amenities.  This is one of those places where if the walls could talk, goodness knows what they would say. But as luck would have it the walls do talk in that travelers have been using them as a guest book since Ring Hostel was opened in 2005.

The food: Forio had many tasty restaurants, but our experience was tainted due to one tourist trap.  To start positively, the hotel Poggio del Sole is connected to the family restaurant, La Casereccia, which everyone should try.  It has a traditional wood burning pizza oven and they serve many of their homemade products including Papa Salvatore’s limoncello and prune juice.  La Casereccia is a restaurant where you can “si mangia bene” and stay on budget.  One of the most outstanding dishes that we had was the octopus salad (insalata di polpo).  It is an Ischia specialty so it will be on the menu most places.  In Ischia this salad is prepared by adding some small cut-up octopi with oil, lemon and a few other garden ingredients that results in a simple and tasty appetizer.

Just down the beach from the La Rotonda sul Mar is a string of restaurants that all seem to be about the same.  We chose one at random and ended up being pleasantly surprised. The name is called L’Ancora and it is really not that much to look at but it does have an extension on the beach, which met our single criterion for that meal.  We ordered a frutti del mare pizza complete with octopus, mussels and anchovies and it was fresh and tasty while not being too fishy.  But the real treat was a bruschetta panino that they make with their homemade pizza dough.  I thought that I had seen all variations of the bruschetta but this was a stand out by being served on pizza dough. L’Ancora is a good bet for the restaurants along that strip.

Sometimes the problem with traveling off-season is that many of the places that heavily target tourists will not be opened or in full swing.  Indeed, the port of Forio on a Tuesday night at the end of May was pretty empty. Unfortunately we settled for the restaurant called La Romantica di Porto Francesco because it at least had a few other guests.  When we arrived the waiter seemed nice enough.  He recommended a decent bottle of Greco di Tufo (we found the table white wine on Ischia to be pretty poor) and walked us through the menu making a couple reasonable recommendations.  Then he pulled what I call an “off menu” stunt which is when a waiter suggests a “special dish” that is not on the menu, so there is no price. In this instance although we insisted we were not all that hungry the waiter heartily insisted that we had to try the specialty of the house. As seasoned travelers we know to ask the price – but didn’t as the waiter seemed pleasant and we were feeling comfortable.  In the end we paid as it was way too much food and had a price 2-3 times any other appetizer on the menu. We disputed the bill when it came but the waiter said we had agreed to it. Instead of making a scene we paid and left with another traveler rule more ingrained in our minds.  The lesson is always the same: insist on knowing the price before ordering and when you hear, “I have something special for you” or “don’t worry about it I will make you a special price” most likely you are about to get taken.  It is no surprise that this little scam and overcooked pasta ruined the evening; the wine was decent and a real steal at only 50% the price of the appetizer.

What to do: Hike to the top of the Island:  The hike to the top of Mount Epomeo is easy but strenuous. The hike took us about 45 minutes to an hour but the view from the top alone makes it worth the hike. The hike can get a bit hot so try to do it in the morning. It is strange to think hike and then automatically think food, but there are three places to eat along the way: one at the very bottom, another hidden in the woods about 25% of the way up and another at the very top.

Hunters' rabbit is an Ischia specialty

After the hike we stayed on the top for some cold water and a snack at the restaurant that looked like a mud hut but had, as you might imagine, an excellent view.  My wife sampled the bruschetta, which was a pile of tomatoes and basil bathed in tasty olive oil set on a garlicky half loaf of toasted Italian bread.  I went for the specialty of the region that I discovered while hiking up when I saw a few playful signs advertising coniglio alla cacciatore, translated hunter’s rabbit.  Fortunately, I ordered the coniglio because it was easily the best rabbit that I have ever eaten and among some of the best dishes that I have ever tasted.  It was served in a thick but not too heavy tomato sauce with roasted red bell peppers, onions, garlic along with some white wine, salt, pepper and a few family secrets.  For those that have not tried rabbit the taste is not particularly strong or gamey but has the taste of fowl dark meat with a texture of duck so it is not stringy like chicken.  However, in this recipe the rabbit is smothered in so much sauce that the natural flavor is in a supporting rather than starring role. The pasta dishes that we saw come out were also plentiful, actually enough for two.  Our bill totaled €39.00 with the €18.00 rabbit being the lion’s share of the bill with the bruschetta, salad and half liter of wine making up the difference.  It was an excellent meal and experience- highly recommended.

Negombo: One reason why Augustus decided to trade Ischia was because of the risk of severe volcanic activity was too great to invest building an imperial palace or even spending time there.  But it is exactly all of that activity that creates all of the thermal springs that makes Ischia such a find.  Negombo is a thermal bath park that is one of the best places that we have found while traveling.  We are not a sit on the beach type couple so we appreciated the opportunity to visit the 25 different thermal pools that the resort offers. With everything from hot and cold dips, to Turkish baths, to a variety of heated pools in addition to one of the nicest beaches we saw on Ischia, it is an excellent way for anyone to spend the day.

We spent an enjoyable day trying all of the pools, returning to the ones we liked best, eating lunch and swimming in the ocean. Our favorite was the water cascades that drop water from various heights that when you stand under the water stream it actually gives you a pretty thorough and effective massage. The cost of entry was €29 per person which might not be in everyone’s budget, but both of us felt that it was well worth it as we spent 6 hours jumping from pool to pool. If you decide to go – bring your own towel, a pair of shoes you don’t mind getting wet, and careful of the sun – all that jumping from pool to pool wipes off any sunscreen. Another note is that if you plan on going here to be sure and ask the reception at your hotel for discount coupons which will save you €3 per ticket.

Baia di Sorgeto: Nestled into a small bay and just off the beach are a few warm water pockets that are like hot tubs in the sea.  Also known for the mud that is dredged from around the area, which is used for an all-natural facial this is a worthwhile destination.  Baia di Sorgeto can be reached by bus, taxi, on your own, boat or water taxi from Sant’Angelo.  The rocky beach is not very comfortable but there are lounges to be rented for about €15 and the bar / restaurant is very reasonable.  The mud can be bought either by the jar, or when we were the bar was selling it by the mask.  At times this place can be infested with jellyfish thus making the pools inaccessible.  To avoid this have your hotel receptionist call La Sorgente, the bar / restaurant only meters away, and ask for a jellyfish report.  Phone number: 081.907837.  Nothing would be worse than traveling across Ischia to Baia di Sorgento only to descend the 200 something stairs and learn that the sparkling in the water is really sacs of stinging plasma.

Nitrodi: These sulfur springs have been in use since ancient Romans visited Ischia.  We stopped by and gave them a look but decided against going in because the whole area was not inviting plus the €9 frankly did not seem worth it.  We would recommend this if Baia di Sorgento is infested with jellyfish but on its own with a limited time or financial budget we recommend giving this a miss.

Sant’ Angelo: This fishing village is on the itinerary of every organized tour in Ischia.  The main draw is the beauty created by the isthmus- also a sandy beach- that connects the mainland to a small dot of land that is now covered with hotels.  Sant’ Angelo is great for walking around because they severely limit motor traffic all over town so you are not being constantly buzzed by cars and omnipresent scooters. There is a cluster of bars and cafés on the mainland that are not terribly expensive and there are a lot of shops, with typical tourist stuff in addition too some pretty fun boutiques.  We found that Sant’Angelo was perfect for a light lunch or drink but not worth spending an entire afternoon that is unless you are there for the beach.

After our four days on Ischia we were completely relaxed and recharged. Aside from the “off menu” incident, which could have taken place anywhere, Ischia was a very worthwhile destination.  We felt that we could have stayed a couple more days so now we just have to figure out how to go back!

Where to stay: The Colella Family www.hotelpoggiodelsole.it  or for Ring Hostel www.ringhostel.com  They waill also be able to set up the apartment or room rental at Rotona sul Mar.

Where to eat: At the top of Mount Epomeo, La Casereccia (The Colella Family
restaurant)

Food and drink: Coniglio della Cacciatore; Rucolino is the local liqueur made out of arugula and tastes like Jagermeister; octopus salad; paccheri pasta (large round tubes) with mussels and pecorino.

Where to go: Negombo, Baia di Sorgeto, Sant’ Angelo, Mount Epomeo

Cooking classes: Contact La Casereccia www.lacasereccia.com to inquire about cooking classes and other classes that the Colella Family provides.

When to go: The busy, busy season is in August when the island is full of Europeans.  April – June and Sept – October will still have great weather but Ischia will be quieter.  The benefit of going during the busy season is that everything will be open and there will be a lot more nightlife options.  However, we are more early and late season travelers so we did not mind the fewer options in exchange for no crowds.  While Ischia may be fairly untrodden by English speaking travelers it is not a secret to Germans and Asians so expect to share the island with them no matter when you decide to visit.

As of this update on June 16, 2009 iKangaroo would like to congratulate Anthony on his How to Tour Italy project.  So far he has been churning out helpful videos about everything from how to use the automated ticket machine to buy a train ticket to the history of the Pantheon on his Youtube channel.  Also, his weekly radio show has been hitting the top 10 on the iTunes store under Travel and Places.

This week, June 17, 2009 I will be on the show to talk about and promote iKangaroo’s new free podcasts for Angels & Demons, which can also be found on the iTunes Store.

How to Tour Italy aired for the 1st time on January 22, 2009 and Anthony has done an excellent job of creating some very fun and useful segments as can be attested by the podcasts doing so well on the iTunes Store.  Tune in this Thursday June, 18 at 12:00 CDT to hear Anthony broadcast from Florence Italy with lots of tips and details that will help you know exactly How to tour Italy.  And of course, I’ll be on too.

For your weekly dose of Italy be sure to tune in or download How to Tour Italy with Anthony Capozzoli on TalkZone.com.

A common scenario that I discovered goes like this: a traveler books a bed online for €25 which they lock into for 3 days, totaling €75.  Another traveler rolls up to the hostel without booking, and because there is vacancy the price is dropped to €16 per night so her three night stay costs €48 or €27 less for the same accommodation. Then these two travelers chat over a beer and one learns that they paid 30% more, which they take up with the hostel who won’t adjust the price leaving the traveler feeling unsatisfied with the hostel.  There is an opposite scenario in which the traveler does not book online and she rolls up to find vacancy and she gets stuck paying a lot more for an alternate accommodation.  With a little thought this situation is easy enough to navigate thus putting yourself in the best situation and most likely saving some money.

Here is what to think about to decide if you should book or not.

1. The time of the year: High season in Europe is between late May and August when the majority of students and recent graduates are traveling for the summer.  March to May and Sept to October fluctuates from dead to slamming.  November to February with the exception of Christmas and New Years, depending on the city, is usually the most quite time of the year.  Of course this scenario is flipped for places that thrive in the winter such as ski towns.
2. The time of the week: I know that when you are on the road for a month that everyday is Friday, but weekends need to be considered as they are busier because study abroad students travel more on weekends; hotels have less capacity thus giving budget travelers fewer options; people like to stay put for a weekend thus resulting in fewer beds because of less turnover.
3. The city: Some cities are just more busy than others.  Plus, in major cities there is a chance that a convention, concert, holiday or sporting event could fill room capacity which will again shove more budget travelers to hostels.
4. How popular is the hostel:  The more popular a hostel the more likely it is to be booked, but don’t take this for granted.  I suggest going to www.hostelworld.com and www.hostelbookers.com to read the most recent reviews.  Also, ask around when you are on the road (i.e. receptionists, tour guides, other travelers, etc) because you will get a more candid picture from someone who has stayed there rather than online reviews.  Its for this reason why keeping your options open is more desirable because there would be nothing worse than booking a lemon hostel three months prior  only to find out that two blocks away is currently the funnest hostel in Europe.
5. Hostel capacity: Size matters!  A lot of great hostels have reputations that are far larger than their capacity.  Examples of this are Mambo Tango in Barcelona and The Beehive in Rome, which have great and well deserved reputations but not a lot of beds.  Other hostels like The Pink Palace, Balmer”s and the Generator are massive.
6. Type of room needed (dorm, single, quad): Along with size, most hostels will only have a few doubles, triples or quads so they will be harder to get without booking.
7. Number of spaces needed: How many people are you traveling with?  Of course single travelers will have an easier time than a group of 6 or more.
8. Your risk tolerance: Can you take not knowing?  Are you flexible?  That is for you to decide.

Back of the napkin calculation that could save you money if you book when you don't need to.

Full disclosure, iKangaroo uses hostelworld.com as the booking engine on this site.

Okay, from here you may have decided to book a hostel.  Great!  But now which booking system to use?  All are basically the same in terms of providing a secure and reliable reservation.  Between HostelWorld.com (HW) and HostelBookers.com (HB) it is hard to tell a difference except that HB does not charge a booking fee and HB has a more detailed rating system of each of its properties.  Hostelworld is a much bigger organization and is the market leader and as such hostels commonly allocate them more beds, which means a better chance of getting a booking and a wider selection.  But wait, not so fast, shop around because one site may have a better deal than another.

Three Examples:

1. Oops Hostel in Paris, a new and well located hostel that is becoming more popular.  I did a search for May 25, 2009 (two months in advance, high season, popular city and hostel) for one person for 7 nights and the best deal I got was through HostelBookers and the Oops website, with HW coming in €8.50 more expensive total.
2. Home Hostel in Valencia Spain for May 25, 2009 for 7 nights (two months in advance, high season, less popular city, popular hostel).  I found capacity on each website for a number of dorm rooms.  At this place HostelBookers had the best prices on 12 and 16 person dorms at €11.20 compared to €13 on HostelWorld, which when the €1.50 HW service charge is factored in turned out to be €14 more expensive.  Surprisingly Likeathome.com was more expensive again.
3. One last example to show that HW is not always more expensive and that it behooves you to shop around is Balmer’s Herberge in Interlaken Switzerland.  Balmer’s is one of Europe’s anchor hostels that has maintained a good reputation over the years. Again a search showed that HW was more expensive on the dorm rooms, but it was much less expensive for private and smaller rooms by at least 30%.  Since the Balmer’s website is supported by Hostelworld, which is common, the website had the same prices as Hostelworld.

If you decide to book it is in your best interest to shop around. As you can see prices vary.

The current economy is presenting some great bargins for everyone, including for budget travelers.  Over the past 10 years websites like hostelworld.com and hostelbookers have been instrumental in helping the idustry grow and they continue to do a great job of serving hostels and travelers, but right now it is in your best interest to shop around and possibly just try show up in a city to get the best deal.  That is how they did it in the 90’s and it worked just fine with a lot fewer beds.

By– Chris

Paris, France

I knew I was in a place hardly touristed when a friendly group of French at Bar du Centre gently mocked me for diluting my pastis with too much water and asked me, “What are you doing here?  You wanted to know the real deep France?”.  I responded, “Isn’t this festival des fromages famous?”  The students, seeming a little puzzled looked at one another, snickered and their spokesman said, “Maybe in this region.” This scene occurred at the 10th Annual Festival des Fromages de Meulan where we (i.e. Sarah and I) may have been the only two foreigners (American anyway) enjoying the ‘deep France’ experience.  With the quirkiness of a small town fair paired with world-class cheese and wine along with a jovial atmosphere this festival is a worthwhile excursion if you find yourself in or around Paris during the second week of October.

One of my travel mantras is “be open minded”, which sometimes is challenging but the rewards can be remarkable. The Meulan Festival de Fromages falls squarely into that category.  I came across a billboard advertising the event during a race from Paris to Versailles, in which we finished 13,880th out of 14,000 runners. How we ended up in the race is another story along the same lines of being open minded and taking risks. The short version is that somehow I did not translate ‘race’ to mean that everyone runs the entire 17k’s from Paris to Versailles.  I figured that there must be a walking category, which there was not. This was clear by the 1000s of runners who buzzed by looking at us with a bit of pity and embarrassment and solidified by the French spectators who kept encouraging us by saying, “Have courage you’ll make it!”  TIP:  Just because there may be a “walking” category in your local 5K does not mean that there is one in the Paris Versailles Race.  Nevertheless, talking our sweet time, we saw the beautiful French countryside where we found the billboard advertising the Meulan Cheese Festival. I snapped a picture- one of the perks of walking- thinking to myself that it would be a good Sunday adventure.

After deciding to give the festival a go, a little research was in order. It began with the obligatory Google search which yielded sparse information that confirmed that Meulan exists, but nothing about a cheese festival. I changed preferences to yield French language results and voila I found that the 10th Annual Festival des Fromages was on the local municipality website, no more information than that, but at least I knew it existed.  TIP: change Google to search to the language of the country that you are searching to find more local flavor, then translate the page into English.  Usually the translation hacks up the sentences but it will do a good job on dates and times which are usually most important.  Even with this anemic intelligence we still decided to go, but in the back of our minds we felt that it was possible that it could be a bust.

Getting to Meulan from Paris is easy and efficient as it’s only 40 kilometers away to the west. When we arrived we were still skeptical about this festival, which was reinforced in that we were the only two to get off the train to enter the empty train station.  I swallowed deeply and quickly scurried about to look for some sign of civilization beyond the graffiti tags when we found, hidden away, a stack of fliers and then we saw a person in the ticket office. By simply pointing to the flier the ticket woman got a look of shock on her face as if to say, “Really, you came from Paris for this?”. She recovered and personally escorted us to the door, three meters away, giving us very detailed instructions that we thought might require a TomTom but essentially meant: follow this road to there.  What a nice greeting.

When we saw these dancers, the cheese and wine we knew we had tourist gold.

As we approached Meulan center it appeared that the festival was only a couple of makeshift stands selling cheese and a cafe. My first thought was, “Great. Fantastic. Two awkward events in a row.”   Fearing the worst I distanced myself away from Sarah so I could more easily see if she were to attack. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we looked around the corner and saw mountains of cheese, magnums of wine, folk dancers in traditional garb and hundreds of people. We had had found tourist gold: an authentic experience with heaps of cheap, free even, food and wine. Plus we were really going to have to be effective with our ‘point and pray’ communication technique (i.e. point at something and pray that’s what you get) as we seemed to be the only English speakers. The exception being a four-year-old girl who proudly proclaimed, ‘Je parle l’anglais,’ and counted in English for us, “one, tu, fee, fo, five, ses, seben, eet, nine, dix.”  This and a cold beer started what was a very pleasant, fun and inexpensive “deep France” day in Meulan.

Highlights:

The scene:

After being relieved to know that the festival really existed it went on to exceed our expectations.  The brochure says that there are 100 cheese vendors / makers in attendance with 300 varieties of cheese, this was spot on.  We found that the stalls stretched on for about a kilometer through the main square where many of the stalls were set up.  The atmosphere was complete with folk dancers, one man bands, French rappers, goat milking lessons with the teacher squirting onlookers from the goat’s utter.  So, plenty of entertainment.

The cheeses (les fromages):

With fresh cheese at every corner in Paris I felt that it would be a waste to focus on the common cheeses such as brie, Camembert and chevre so I focused my inner Andrew Zimmern and went for the cheeses that I thought were most bizarre.  Tomme au Marc:  A tomme is a cheese made with cream after much of the fat is removed for butter and richer cheeses; marc is the leftovers (i.e. skins and seeds) after wine making that are also used for grappa in Italy and marc in France.  Together what happens is a crusted, lower fat cheese that pairs well with red wines.  The dark, amost black, shell may be off-putting but I found this cheese very tasty.  Le Lavort:  This cheese comes from Auvergne and is what the French call “full of terrior” meaning that it has the distinct taste of its land of origin.  Kind of like an Italian pecorino but softer and nuttier, Le Lavort looks like a wheel of cheese dunked in dust and dirt.  Actually it was buying this cheese that we had our snag in the day when we got stuck with a €10.00 hunk, which was not too huge but was at least 3x bigger than we wanted.  Sometimes “point and pray” simply does not work.

Pierre, maker of Rose Bonnet

The wines (vins):

What I didn’t anticipate, which I suppose was a no-brainer, was that there would be so many varieties of wine.  There was at lease 40 stands representing many regions and all the owners were more than happy to let us have a sip or taste of their creations.  After sampling a dozen or so rose we chose Rose Bonnet made by Pierre-Yves Perrachon of Chateau Bonnet.  It is smooth, full flavored and not sweet.  Our choice rouge is from Domaigne Chassagne of Beaujolais ( a region in Burgundy) called the Beaujolais Villages.  Even though we should have let it age another 3 to 5 years we still enjoyed the delicious tannin rich wine with its slight undertones of vanilla and red berries.

The food:

One well dressed sandwich

Simple, traditional, cheap and delicious.  Just like going to any small town fair there was a wide selection of easy to eat and bad for you food.  There was a plate called Tartiflette which because of its popularity I imagined an old traditional food but apparently it is the product of an 80’s marketing initiative by the Reblochon cheese trade union.  Tartiflette falls into the oey-goey-cheesy starchy food group and seems about as popular and diverse as macaroni and cheese.  Another interesting set-up was a melted cheese sandwich with ham that the wait for turned out to be the defining moment of this experience.  When we were waiting in line to get this sandwich everything ‘deep France’ seemed to converge into one of those perfect moments.  We had: some type of French rapper, for lack of a better word, who was rapping along with a brass band and creating a pretty good beat (not unlike the bands at Octoberfest), then there were the small children who were dancing, we were dancing, the wine guy was dancing and the sandwich maker who was a good 2 meters tall (6′6″) was rocking out dressed in leotards, thigh high leather boots, a fish-net mini skirt and topped of with a pony-tail restrained scrunchy, while continuing to scrape gooey cheese goodness into baguettes.  Ah, what a scene.

The Meulan Cheese Festival goes in my plus column as a positive experience.  Now onto another hidden place that gets a mere few thousand Google results.  Luckily we got a recommendation for just such a place from Pierre, our rose wine maker, who mentioned a festival in a place called La Chapelle de Guinchay (3,400 Google pages or .0001% of Paris’s pages).  So off we go.

If anyone has any other experiences in these small town festivals let us know.

Happy Travels,

Chris

Regardless of how your currency is exchanging it is always better to do something for free, that is, if it is worth your time.  Paris has a number of free things to do that are actually worthwhile and what you would pay for anyways. There are many free museums and exhibits in Paris as well as great panoramics that cost only the legwork to get there, but I am going to concentrate on three activities that would cost money in another city or at another time.  Click through for three ways to save about 25€00 so that you can guiltlessly upgrade your dinner menu or have an extra 5 happy hour pints.

Sandeman’s NewEurope Tours:

The free tour meets at Place Saint Michel just outside the metro. Look for the fountain.

As a general rule I am not a fan of the free tour model found in other cities such as Rome, but this tour outfit is not hustling people on the streets to give them a 10 minute spiel and then asking for tips.  Furthermore as a caveat I need to mention that because these types of tours are very dependent on the personality and skill of the tour-guide that your experience may be the luck of the draw.  However, with this said I had a very pleasant experience with 4 different tour-guides with NewEuropeTours.  The free tours that they offer lasts for about 3.5 hours and provide a solid overview of Paris in terms of the history and helping you get your bearings.  A comparable tour in another city would easily cost 15€00 and you would run the same risk getting a dud guide.  These guides work for tips, as they will let you know, so make sure you show up with some smaller denominations so you don’t look silly asking for change with a €50 because that day everyone seems to have come from the ATM.  

Money saved: 15€00 – tip

What’s gained?  A solid overview of Paris and 3.5 hours of entertainment.

Risk:  None, its free.  But tour-guides will vary.

Notre Dame Tour:

Detail from center door Notre Dame de Paris: The Last Judgement

Notre Dame de Paris can be an overwhelming because of its size and history.  Like most other major churches Notre Dame took a couple hundred years to build, it is high and long, imposing, built in a specific architectural style and was contributed to by a bunch of different architects that most people don’t know or care about.  At least this is the basic information on the 5€00 audio guide.  However, Notre Dame has a cadre of young tour-guides that give tours of the cathedral throughout the day.  These tours take about 45 minutes and they will point out a number of details that make these tours both interesting and worth your time, especially in describing the facade which is both intricate and rich with stories and symbolism. To find these tour-guides look for the signs when you enter the church, but if you don’t see anything then inquire at the information desk just inside the entrance.

Note:  These tours go at specific times so if you are interested in doing one you might want to take a look in the church to see when the next one is going and wait.  However, if you are outside and see a tour being led by a stick with a flag on the end denoting the language being spoken (i.e. English flag denotes English language) then just jump aboard there.  Most tours go back into the church and they get to cut the line.

Money saved: 5€00

What’s gained?  The details and stories of Notre Dame de Paris with a tour-guide that you can ask questions to and that does a good job of explaining the busy and very interesting facade and interior.

Risk:  Again, its free and even more so than the tour above you can just ditch the tour and feel no guilt.

Free Louvre Days:

The Mona Lisa was crowded but not too much.

Museums in Paris are free the first Sunday of the month, a few public holidays and the Louvre is free Friday evenings from 6-10 for those 25 years-old and under.  Some tour books will tell you to keep away from the Louvre on free Sunday but I am such a fan of saving the 9€00 and of the vast and well thought Louvre that I think that the free day is worthwhile.  First and foremost, compared to the rest of the major museums in Europe the Louvre is a treat to visit.  This museum has a useful website, great maps, large exhibition halls and rooms, many places to sit and relax, plenty of information in the form of cards and signs pointing to the more famous artworks, restrooms in decent supply and cafes and restaurants to get refreshments and recharge yourself.  Compared to the Uffizi or Vatican Museums the Louvre is a walk in the park.  

Don’t be afraid of the free Sunday, but if you are not there for that day don’t forget about the reduced rate for Wednesday and Friday nights and that if you are 25 and under you get in free on Friday nights.  Also remember that the Louvre is closed on Tuesday.

Money saved: 9€00

What’s gained?  The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and the list goes on.

Risk:  The Louvre can get crowded but as I mentioned there is plenty of space and places to recharge yourself.

So, there you go.  Three recommendations for Paris that will give you a solid city overview, knowledge about one of the world’s great cathedrals and access to one of the most spectacular art displays, all while saving yourself 25€00!

Happy Travels,

Chris

Ciao Travelers!

With such a massive amount of information about Italy, researching can be overwhelming so why not just absorb a bit at a time?  That’s the angle that Unabellavista’s new widget called Do you love Italy? is taking.  The Unabellavista widget pipes in daily tips about Italian food, art and language.  Developed by Unabellavista and recently launched, Do you love Italy? can be added to most social networking profiles to deliver daily helpings of inspiration, travel tips or just Italia-nostalgia.  So now, when logging onto Facebook you can learn how to avoid making those pesky cliche mistakes such as ordering a cappuccino after 11:00am or covering your linguine and clams with a mound of Parmesan cheese.  Yes, there is a reason why Italians don’t put Parmesan cheese on the table when you are eating seafood, but you’ll have to get the Do you love Italy ? widget to learn why.

To check out the Do you love Italy widget, click here!

Happy Travels,

MC, HNY and all that, hope you had a cracker. I spent 3 weeks in Aus catching up with fams and peeps which was fantastic, but completely unblogworthy so no treats there. I must apologize for my retrospective behavior but even the most seasoned traveller needs some downtime so I ask you to step back in time to December 14…..

So with a heavy heart (and liver) I headed out of Sunny Snooky, back to Phnom Pehn for a night then mosied over to Ho Chi Mihn City (aka Saigon) in Vietnam. The 6 hour journey by bus cost me a massive $10, so obviously I was disappointed by the lack of an in-trip movie and catering. I had wisely pre-purchased a Vietnam visa ($35 from most hostels and travel agents) and as I had already booked my flight out of Saigon, so I specified on my visa that I would be in Vietnam for 5 days only. This caused massive consternation amongst the bus driver, Vietnam border guards, immigration control, some guy on the street and numerous others.

Vietnam Immigration Officers (VIO): “5 days! 5 days only”

Dan: “yeah, and?”

VIO: “only 5 days!”

Dan: “yeah, cool, I know, thanks for that!”

VIO: “5 days you leave!”

Anyway… as you might gather, the land border controls Cambodia – Vietnam are something else. You need to disembark from the bus and walk across the border with all your luggage, through immigration then back onto the bus, which by itself is not such a problem but the question in my head was this: If Communism is the workers’ paradise, why are all the government employees so freaking miserable?

Once again, I hadn’t booked any accommodation but the bus dropped us into the backpackers area of Pham Ngu Loa St and Bui Vien Street, so I walked the streets ignoring the various spruikers (i.e. touts) trying to determine the lay of the land. Eventually I decided that all the places were much of a muchness so I grabbed the first decent thing I saw in Minihotel Alley – Mi Mi Guesthouse which was a touch expensive at $10/night but provided a really nice loft style apartment, which could have easily accommodated 3 others as well! Address: 40/5 Bui Vein Street, District 1- ph: (8) 836-9536.

The camera that I had, through extensive misuse and abuse, died completely at this stage so I headed out to find a replacement. After much searching I ended up at the Saigon Tax Trade Centre which is not actually tax free but does seem to offer the city’s widest range of high-end electronic goods and replaced my beloved and battered Casio with a Panasonic FX-55, a fantastic little box. Whilst contemplating which camera to buy I ducked into the Paradise Coffee Shop in the Rex Hotel (address: 141 Nguyen Hue Blvd. Dist. 1) and sampled a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Due to the historic French influence in Vietnam the coffee is locally grown, is very strong and has a magnificent taste. The Iced Coffees are perfect for those stinking hot days where you need refreshment and some stimulants as well – highly recommended!

After experiencing a strange but curiously relaxing face and head massage for just $6, I headed up to the War Remnants Museum, a collection of US military hardware seized after the war by the Vietnamese and labeled with amusing anti-US propaganda saying, “This is an American Bell UH-1 Helicopter seized by the victorious brave free people of Vietnam as the cowardly invading Imperialist US troops admitted defeat and retreated.” Not so funny were the displays of photographs of the victims of the US chemical warfare and their children, deformed babies, children with napalm burns and villages being burned to the ground.

Ah the Pho Soup…. how I loved thee! Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup (I preferred the chicken over the beef) that comes garnished with a huge plate of shallots, chilies, limes, basil leaves, bean sprouts and onions, which you add to your taste. There are Pho stores everywhere and vendors on the street but the most famous one is called Pho 2000, mainly because Bill Clinton visited it once, but the Pho is pretty damn good. Pho 24 stores are also common.

Also worth trying are the Vietnamese rice pancakes (called bánh bèo) which are more like savory crepes and usually come served with a mixture of pork mince and shrimp inside. These were hard to find in the area of Saigon I was staying in but are well worth the hunt!

Inspired by the above experiences I found time to visit The Vietnam Cookery Center, great value at $33 for a half day course, which includes 5 dishes and a take home cookbook and very friendly staff.

I also went out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, best seen by booking a tour at any of the numerous small travel agencies around Saigon. This underground network was built and utilized by the Viet Cong during the war to hide from the US troops and move from place to place. The tunnels were too small for the physically larger US men to climb into, moreover, elaborate, vicious traps were put in place to make things even harder. One of the tunnels has been enlarged for a 500 meter section to allow visitors to experience what life in the tunnels was like – even at the larger size and short distance crawling through the tunnel was very physically demanding and gave me a touch of claustrophobia! At the end of the tunnel tour there was a firing range and although it is a massive cliché which I had been avoiding for my entire trip through Asia I finally succumbed and bought 5 bullets which I fired from an AK-47 rifle. I have to confess that I fail to see the appeal which firearms have for some people. I found the experience the same as operating and other piece of machinery – noisy and unpleasant. But hey, it´s an experience, I´m glad I did it but I am not in any hurry to do it again. Oh, and I am an appalling shot!

In retrospect I would have spent just 3 days in Saigon and headed out of the city for a couple of days, there are some fantastic beaches and smaller towns in southern Vietnam, but it´s easy to have 20-20 vision in hindsight.

Next tourist destination: California!

Ciao,

Dan

Note: We would prefer to map everything as we do with the majority of our other posts but many countries -including a lot in Asia- are not geocode friendly. However, when this becomes possible we will surly map away.

Hello Travelers!

As one of the tourism capitals of the world, Rome has thousands of things to do, see, smell and taste. It’s an exuberant and friendly city that bursts with light, passion, art, pasta, wine and millennia of wonder. Millions of tourists pass through Rome annually, and most go home saying “La vita e’ bella! What an amazing city.” There are, however, those unlucky visitors who return home (after having spent hours of waiting in line at their embassy for a new passport—which was pick-pocketed on a bus) saying “WTF. Never going back.”

As a tourist in Italy, you must never forget that you are easily spotted: you’re carrying a map or a camera; you’re wearing (not-so-cool) sneakers or sandals; you’re (probably) under-dressed, and most importantly, you’re smiling at all the beautiful things (Romans rarely smile as they walk down a street… they’re either complaining or talking about food). The petty thieves that want to take advantage of the naïve tourist can spot you a kilometer away (as you sprint across that pedestrian walk way while praying to sweet Jesus that you don’t get mauled by a psychotic Roman driver who sees you like a bowling pin–and he, the big ball).

PLACES OF RISK

The more tourists there are in a contained area, the more likely there will be pick pockets. To a large extent pick-pockets don’t hunt at St. Peter’s or the Sistine Chapel—why? Because they’re looking for an easy escape. We’ve here mapped out the risky areas Rome, but by no means is this map complete. Please feel free to send us your stories about where and when you got scammed (though, we very much hope that this has not and never will happen to you in Bella Roma).

Termini Train Station and its Vicinity

There are many places to get pick-pocketed or scammed in Rome, but certainly one of the best places to have this act performed on you is the Termini Train Station (and its immediate vicinity). Because this neighborhood is teeming with tourists, it is also teeming with pickpockets.

The Public Bus (specifically the 64 and 40) and Metro (i.e. subway)

Crowded buses and subways are the gypsies’ favorite haunts (and the 64 and 40 buses run straight to the Vatican). Remember that more tourists have walked off the 64 bus without a wallet than on almost any other bus in the world. Gypsies love the 64 because it’s so f…ng crowded! Gypsies have been known to cut through backpacks, cargo pants’ pockets and purses for a wallet—they’ll even rob nuns of their rosaries. What’s your best defense? Keep your valuables in front of you and BE TOUGH! Remember that if the gypsy senses anger or severity in your eyes, you are less likely to be taken for prey.

The Bar or Coffee Shop

First off, don’t leave your cell phone on an outdoor Roman table…ever! Know that those cute five-year-old girls who inhabit all the major Roman piazzas and dance around selling roses, are not as innocent as they seem. While you’re buying that sweet red rose…abacadbra…you’re phone and ipod disappear!

You should also be aware of price gouging. Most Italians drink their coffee standing al bar (where a coffee will cost half the price). If you sit down outside al tavola (and Roman waiters will charmingly coerce you into doing so), you’ll be paying a service charge, which means you’ll be paying two to three times the regular price of a cappuccino. Indulgences aside, you might not want to sit for every breakfast you have in the eternal city. Peter Kiefer wrote an excellent article for the New York Times on this very subject. Click HERE to read the article.

Monuments and other tourist sites

The Colosseum, the Forum, and Saint Peter’s are all mind blowing sites to see. Because these locations are natural distractions to tourists, they are also feeding grounds for pickpockets. The Trevi Fountain and Piazza Barberini are common con man hunting grounds, while Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna is where you’ll the bracelet makers like to congregate.

THE ENEMY DOSSIER

So, you ask, how can you stave off the ill will of greedy, lusty criminals (no…wearing garlic around your neck does not go as far as it once did): KNOW YOUR ENEMY!

How do you spot your enemy?

ENEMY 1: GYPSY: If she’s a gypsy, you might see her dressed like a nineteen-seventies hippie with a long flowery skirt, a scarf/bandana, a blanket, a baby in her arms, worn down sandals, and a group of other woman tagging closely behind (with gold in their teeth).

ENEMY 2: CON MAN: If he’s a con man, he’s likely way too nice (or insistent) to be sincere; he’s probably well shaven, clean and wearing Emporio Armani. He might want your credit card number in exchange for a free cell phone, or he might try to show you some amazing Roman sights you’ve never heard of before (he may even want to be your tour guide). A common scam is the “Let’s get a drink, I-know-where-beautiful-women-are”: a bored looking guy tells you about a “secret” bar or disco with pretty girls, and when you arrive at the place, one or all of the girls are interested in you and want to sit, chat and pet. One of them might say, “Bello, buy me a drink,” and because you’re feeling lucky you say, “Sure, what would you like?” The girl says, “Champagne.” You say, “Of course.” The girl takes her first sip, you take the bill, and whoa daddy, it’s 500+ Euros.

ENEMY 3: THE BRACELET MAKER: The quick braided scam: you’ll be sitting on a fountain when all of a sudden a smiling, grease-ball comes up to you and says, “I make you friendship bracelet.” You think, “How sweet.” He proceeds to braid a string around your wrist, and when he’s finished he asks for a donation. You refuse the donation, but because you’re now tied to him, philanthropy is your only option. “If you don’t give me the 20 Euro I never leave!” he says.

ENEMY 4: THE FAKE “Tourist” POLICE OFFICER: A“ tourist police” officer will flash a badge and create anxiety. He may ask to see your money to check for counterfeit bills, or may even try to fine you for not having your passport. In any case, never show these people anything, and request to walk with them to one of the many officers that line the streets of Rome, or to the station.

So, how do you deceive your enemy?
With the right preparation, it’s easy to avert disaster.

A) KNOW where your wallet/passport/money is at all times (do not leave it in the back pocket of your pants or back pack!)
B) HOLD your purse or bag close to your body or in front of you.
C) AVOID the aforementioned people (i.e. do not let them approach you —especially in groups), and avoid fanny packs at all costs. Not only do fanny packs SCREAM tourist, but they also are high target value because as a general rule they are packed full of all your goodies.
D) BE AWARE of criminal distraction techniques. Gypsies are famous for disorienting their victims in order to steal their phone, camera, wallet, or whatever it is they know you’re not paying attention to. They might try to show you a newspaper, or they might drop an object in front of you (like their infant child–a rag doll) under the expectation that you’ll pick it/him/her up. They may even innocuously ask you for directions or a cigarette. What to do???
E) IGNORE these people! Don’t make eye-contact! Walk away! And sure enough (they’re only petty criminals and don’t really want to have to work too hard for their money) they’ll leave you alone.
F) SHOUT! When in doubt, shout it out! If you find yourself with a bracelet tied to your wrist, or find yourself too close to a suspiciously touchy person, make a scene and scare these chickens away.

Allora, now that you’ve been sufficiently primed on security measures for your trip, do remember to apply them. Look tough (sunglasses can be of assistance here), be aware of the people in your immediate surroundings (or as Borat put it, “Beat the gypsy, beat the gypsy”) and remember that being a little more street smart will make your voyage to Rome a hundred times more pleasurable.

Buon viaggio!

Elizabeth Farren

Hello Travelers!

The wind is cutting through the NorthFace jacket; your mittens are wet and freezing wet from snowballs and your winter boots gave up hours ago – in short, you need to warm up, inside and out – time for hot food and a warm fireplace. Uncommon Ground Cafe has it all: a sprawling multiple-personality cafe, restaurant, gallery and music theater with a fireplace in one room and a pot-bellied stove in another, full of couches, window seats and nooks to while away the hours with a good book, a great conversation, and a drink. Vibrant day and night with a variety of people and conversations, Uncommon Ground is full of groups of friends chatting over a coffee or a beer, young families’ laughter coming from numerous groups. Someone in the corner is reading Sartre, and you feel like there’s dozens of conversations to be had and new friendship opportunities in every nook of this warm and comfortable find.

Breakfast is served daily, featuring the old standards and a few “Uncommon” specials: the Pulled Pork Benedict with Garlic Hollandaise dukes it out with the Farm Raised Chicken Breakfast Burrito; fresh Red Hen Bakery bread makes the basis of a delicious French Toast. With a full bar, you can augment your breakfast with a house-infused vodka or Pear Mimosa, too. For lunch, the Pork Belly Sandwich is perfect winter fuel: chunks of pork belly with onion marmalade, apple slices and arugula on a warmed baguette. Fresh soups change daily, as do dinner specials.

By far, the best feature of Uncommon Ground (once you get past the fireplaces) is the creative cocktail list: the Tree-tini is a seasonally changing martini, for which every one sold a tree is planted by Live-it-Green. The current flavour as of this writing is a Pear-infused organic vodka based concoction – who knew that being earth friendly would be so delicious! For those times when you really need a warm up, Uncommon creates special coffee and cider based treats: The Devil and Mr Johnson is a steaming bowl (yes, bowl) of espresso, steamed chai, vanilla-infused Makers Mark, steamed milk and whipped cream – dusted with cinnamon, of course. The Red Apple features steamed cider with a kick of bourbon. The identity-confused can check out the Jagger Meets Bowie: pimms no. 1, rose nectar, sparkling rose, blood orange, and a floating flower petal.

So come in, grab the coveted fireplace couch, and while away the afternoon the way a real Chicagoan would – out of the cold.

Have a warm and fantastic time!

Tai

iKangaroo is proud to introduce Andy who be covering the beautiful city of Buenos Aires Argentina and other locations in Latin America.

Andy has been living, working, and blogging internationally for the past 3 years. Originally from New York City and later Woodstock, NY, he has spent most of his recent years in Boston. Andy has lived in Rome, Guatemala City, and now makes his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has traveled extensively throughout Europe, North America, Central America, South America, and the Carribbean. What started off as a hobby has turned into his passion. He believes that traveling the world, learning about new cultures,languages, and discovering new ways to have fun are an integral part of his life.

Andy has a BA in Journalism from Northeastern University in Boston. When he’s not writing he’s either traveling or bartending to keep afloat. He speaks Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and French, and is an avid sports fan, as well as a former professional snowboarder. Andy plans on bringing you new and exciting travel info from the land of Tango, Maradonna, Steak, and the infamous Juan and Evita Peron. So hop on over to South America, and enjoy the ride.

Happy Travels!