Doc, for London depends where you are staying but can recommend Monmouth coffee (several locations but i prefer going to the Borough Market!) if tea isn't your thing or Le Café Alain Ducasse in King's cross (very nice train station, a scene in harry potter was filmed here, platform 9 3/4ths). Fish and chips aren't that good. haha! What they have are good Indian food actually. A good view of the whole london without paying for anything would be going to the sky garden at a building called the "walkie talkie" as the building resembles as you guessed it a walkie talkie. I honestly think it looks like a humidifier. Anyway, another place for a good view of london is having drinks at sushisamba or eating in Duck & Waffle in Heron tower or now called 110 Bishopsgate. They have a separate entrance to those two restaurants via a high speed elevator at the side of the building instead of going to the lobby but the lobby has a massive aquarium. Largest in the UK i think. A play at west end? visit weekend markets? museums are great in london. a dinner cruise by the thames is also good. Or if you have the time, go out for a day trip and visit Bath, London. Roman architecture. very picturesque. The city is a unesco world heritage site.
They do have very good Indian food. From the various small shops that sell Chicken Tikka to some very good restaurants like Dishoom. I like Fish and Chips and the best one I had was in a shop called Poppies in Spitalfields.
In Copenhagen, try the open faced sandwiches (herrings) and the sausages ( don't forget to have the crispy onions as condiments) my kids can't get over it In Oslo, try the Salmons very different from what we have here, also the reindeer and moose meat as the others have suggested.
Guys, if you were to visit a country in Europe over and over - which one would be it? Have only been to a handful of places. Thoroughly enjoyed my time in spain. 2 weeks spending around Seville, Madrid, Toledo, Avila, Segovia, etc. spent it around summertime there in August. London I've been there 3 times and spent around 2-3 weeks each time. Portugal i didn't enjoy the food that much or maybe didn't eat at the right places? Haven't been to the Benelux or the nordic countries. Croatia and Poland have been floated to me as next to visit.
Visit BENELUX, then Germany, Italy, Switzerland, or go Scandinavia, i.e. Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, or East Europe like Romania, Poland, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia...
Whiskey, check. Fish and chips, maybe one order for all of us, LOL. Moose meat and reindeer meat.. steak! Definitely the Belgian chocolate and waffles Had a really bad experience in Barcelona last year, so will be extra careful this time around. Thanks! Yes to coffee! Will keep that in mind. Will use our first day to head to Stonehenge (my Dad's bucketlist) and some areas before we board the ship. When we come back, we have two fulls days we're trying to fill in, but I think we won't be able to make a day trip out, will just scour the city instead. Thanks! I've tried deer, when I lived in Indiana, I'm game to try that again, especially if it's served as steak The sausages, we have our eyes set on that. Will take note of the herring. Will give the salmon a try most definitely, Dad wants the king crabs there, too! Thanks!
^doc, as you are going on a cruise, you will not have the luxury of time to try all on port calls, best bet is near their markets.
Doc, there's a day tour for both Stonehenge and Bath. That should be a good day trip out of london. Skip going to Stratford-upon-Avon (hometown of Shakespeare).
Stayed in Vienna for six months and fell in love with the city. As it is relatively at the center of Europe, you can visit eastern Europe (Bratislava, Prague, Budapest) and then nearby Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, etc.
We're arriving in London at 7:00AM and we're being picked up by a private bus that will bring us to Stonehenge in the morning. Is Bath nearby? We have to head to ship at 1:00PM, though it's supposed to leave at 5:00 PM, we definitely want to be there a little bit earlier. Bath would be an option, though we're thinking we can also head out to somewhere near the port by lunch time, just to make sure we don't miss it, LOL Market, like the ones in Spain? Loved that place, cheap and authentic, LOL. But most likely, will go that route. Thanks!
Bath is an hour away from stonehenge, maybe around 50km. If that helps. but yeah, might be a tight schedule if you squeeze bath in.
Scandinavia here we come. Just two weeks away, bar ANY hitches. Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, then Germany and Netherlands. Don’t know how we’re gonna squeeze two days each country at 15 days tops including air and train travel. But it will be exciting. My only apprehnsion now is if i will be allowed to travel, with elections so near our scheduled trip. Dang.
I've been contemplating on making my own beer at home. Good thing I am in Germany now where malt, hops, and yeasts are easily available. Does anyone have experience in bringing home these products via check in luggages? I'll source malts in Ph but I am worried about the pellet hops since I'll be bringing in about 5kls of it and it is packed in foil. Baka mapagkamalang marijuana (it belongs to a same family, afaik) or baka bawal maglabas?
If you happen to be in Munich in the next few days until May 12, check out Frühlingsfest or Spring Festival. According to locals, it's exactly like Oktoberfest, only scaled down (from all 6 Munich breweries to 2 breweries participating) and much, much less crowded: https://happytowander.com/fruhlingfest-munich-springfest-guide/ My sister-in-law brought us there on Opening Day last Friday, the day before we left. It was a rainy day but it didn't dampen the carnival atmosphere of the festival: rides, food, games, some local young men and women dressed in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses (hmmm) respectively, despite the cold and wet weather, and of course, the beer! Apparently they have another smaller festival in winter. Any excuse I guess to bring out the beer. hehe
Hi there, do you guys have any recommendations for Western European travel packages (France, Amsterdam, Rome, Germany, etc.) for first timers that already includes airfare, accommodations, and transfers? I found a lot of travel agencies online (Discover Asia PH, TQ Travel Solutions) but I'm not sure if they're legit. If ever, it'll be our first time going to Europe and we want to have a hassle free vacation. Or is it better to just DIY everything?
Mm...cardinal rule for first time: always go with a tour group. Diy on the second, third visits etc. For tours, go with established players in the industry with an actual office. Rajah and Reli are veterans. They've been in business since high school. Buy Inquirer and Philippine Star. Lots of ads for European tours.
Send them by mail or balikbayan box. Like it or not that is surely to be flagged by anywhere from Customs to Airport Police because of its rather suspicious contents. You don’t want to spend hours being asked what they are and for what. Last year I brought Goldilocks Polvoron in ten boxes to the US and all were confiscated at JFK even if it was searched and looked up as a confectionery. Then going home (again) I was held up at the checkin counter because there was this humongous bag of sweets in my luggage. I had to open my suitcase, show them the bag, open it and then asked where I got it and for whom it was. It’s a hassle really especially when you’re in a hurry and sometimes can get testy because you think you’re being targeted. TL/DR: Send by mail or box it separately.
