The short answer: NO.

When visiting Naples and the rest of the South of Italy you can do better things with your time and money than traveling to Capri to see the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), especially if  that is your sole intention for visiting Capri .  Yes, this Roman Emperor private swimming hole has breathtaking and unexpected color, but you will be ferried in and out so quickly that you will not have any time to soak it in.  The 11€50 admission charge buys a short and cramped boat trip through a cave that while beautiful is simply a waste of money.

Capri has a breathtaking coastline and cliffs that for centuries have been admired and for a short time during the reign of Tiberius (AD 17-34) feared ( he used to like to toss people down to the jagged shore.)  Today, Capri still attracts emperors of sorts as evidenced by the private ships like Limitless (owned by Victoria Secrets boss Leslie Wexner) that commonly circle the island.  No, there was no Adriana Lima sightings, unfortunately.

If you still decide to visit, knock yourself out.  I recommend giving the Blue Grotto a miss, but you will still see some very comparable caves and water colors on your tour around the island.

Here is an idea of the base costs for a day trip from Naples:

• Ferry:  €11-18 each way
• Boat trip around island (Blue Grotto not included): €14
• Admission to Blue Grotto: €11,50
• Total: minimum €47,50 per person or 8 pizzas at Sorbillos in Naples
• Food is about 2x to 3x more expensive than in Naples
• Limitless purchase price when you get yacht rich, more than $100,000,000
• Cost of renting a yacht like the Limitless $500,000 weekly

So, Capri is not a budget destination but now you something to look forward when you strike it yacht rich.

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/2010/02/02/france-its-groundhog-day-no-its-jour-des-crepes/ http://ikangaroo.com/2010/02/02/france-its-groundhog-day-no-its-jour-des-crepes/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:18:54 +0000 Chris http://ikangaroo.com/?p=2197

Every day is a festival in Louisiana.  Literally.  The soulful, sultry Bayou State in the southern U.S. boasts of more than 400 festivals annually.  And just as Carnival (January 6^th-Ash Wednesday) winds down it’s time for another season: crawfish season! Known as crayfish outside of the linguistically-dynamic borders of Louisiana, these freshwater crustaceans are at their best from March until June.  Similar to an American Barbecue, the people of southern Louisiana typically eat these tasty “mudbugs” at a crawfish boil: a large social gathering often in someone’s backyard where live crawfish are boiled in massive pots full of heavily spiced water, usually with garlic, cayenne, lemons, salt and pepper.  In fact, Louisiana produces 90% of the crawfish in the world, 70% of which is consumed in the state.  Popular items to boil along with the crawfish include sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, and whole garlic.  Once done boiling and soaking, this cornucopia of spicy delectables is poured out onto a large table covered in newspaper, and finally covered in a last round of freshly-squeezed lemon juice.  Then its time to “belly up” to the table and chow down.

Although the meat inside the tail of the crawfish is the real prize, it is quite common, encouraged in fact, to suck the spiced juices from the head as well.  So if you find your self lucky enough to end up in a backyard in southern Louisiana elbow to elbow with locals, staring down at a pile of bright red crawdads and someone asks if you “suck the head after pinching the tail”, don’t be offended, they’re just being nice.

For travelers to New Orleans without the luxury of a local contact, here are 6 places to grab some  boiled crawfish and one place to try if you can’t make it to the Big Easy.  And remember, crawfish go great with a cold pilsner, amber-bodied beer, or chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

1. Lucy’s Retired Surfers’ Bar: Located in the Warehouse District, this spot has long been a favorite happy hour spot for the working crowd, especially on Friday’s. During crawfish season Lucy’s does a boil every Sunday from 4:00 until they’re gone.
2. Yo Mama’s Bar and Grill: Just off Bourbon St. Yo Mama’s has a lot going for it: cheaper beer, great hamburgers, close to Bourbon, 60 + varieties of Tequila…and of course, crawfish. They do a boil during the season from Friday to Sunday starting at 12:30 until about 7:00.
3. Acme Oyster House: The NOLA classic serves up boiled crawfish everyday while they are in season.
4. Franky and Johnny’s: Located in the Uptown area of the city (up the river from the French Quarter) this is where the locals go for award-winning boiled crawfish when they’re not cooking them at home. Their solid menu features other New Orleans favorites like po-boys, muffulettas and homemade bread pudding. This place epitomizes the neighborhood bar and boasts a classic jukebox that only plays 45s. Dancing allowed.
5. Big Fisherman Seafood: Sells boiled crawfish by the pound for you to take away. Prices vary each season for a variety of reasons, but will generally fall between $3.50-$4.50/lb. Because the peeling, pinching and sucking motions necessary do not lend themselves to eating “on the go”, try the bar across the street (next).
6. Bulldog across the street has been kind enough to let people eat the crawfish at their bar; all you have to do is order a drink. Not a bad deal since they feature one of the best draft beer selections in the city!
7. Recommended! Deanie’s French Quarter: The original in Bucktown has been a New Orleans favorite for decades. Now they have opened up a brand new location in the French Quarter that serves up delicious seafood including a spicy and succulent crawfish boil.
8. Now for those of you who are not able to make it to New Orleans you can try Pappadeaux. This seafood kitchen has a few locations throughout the USA, which have a crawfish boil a couple of times weekly. Check their website www.Papadeaux.com for locations and days of the week.

Enjoy this video of how to eat the crawdaddies!

For those of you that are not able to make it to NOLA for the Crawfish season make sure you check out the great activities including a Running with the Bulls in the French Quarter put on my NOLA Bulls.  Check out their link here.

]]> http://ikangaroo.com/2010/02/01/new-orleans-best-crawfish-places/feed/ 1 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.