One of the main reasons I had come to Detroit was the fantastic architecture that this city has to offer. Detroit celebrated its heyday in the early 20th century when the automobile industry took off, and car ownership became available to everyday people. Witnesses to this boom are the many stunning historic skyscrapers in Detroit, particularly from the 1920s, buildings that still define one of the most recognizable skylines in the world.Of...more
Finally it was time for another excursion. As a true architecture buff, Detroit had been on my radar for a long time, and I definitely wanted to explore this unique city in detail. So for the last few weeks I had been working with Visitdetroit, the city's visitor and convention office, to map out a detailed itinerary of the city that would expose me to all sorts of unique facets of the Motor City.After a hectic day at the office on October 16,...more
It was barely mid-day by now and we had already seen so much. Our ride on the Number 11 bus had introduced us to some of the citys main sights from the comfort of the upper level of a double-decker bus. And our subsequent walking tour had taken us past Buckingham Palace, Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament where we listened to Big Ben ringing in the noon hour.But our whirlwind London sightseeing adventure was to continue. To get an even better feel for the city we were planning to go on a sightseeing tour with Thames River Cruises that departed from Westminster Pier. To me a sightseeing trip on the Thames River was just an absolute must for a stay in London. Soon the voice of our tour guide came on the speaker system, and he entertained us with bits of knowledge about London and with his dry humour.From the boat we got a brilliant view of the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, and we kept chugging eastwards past the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre. The modern office development above Charing Cross station came into view, and further along on the north bank we saw Somerset House, an impressive Neoclassical building from the late 1700s that used to house...more
After a busy morning exploring Smithfield Market, two historic train stations (St. Pancras and Kings Cross), an enjoyable stroll through the world-famous Portobello Market, an interview with one of the organizers of the Notting Hill Carnival which we followed up with a first-hand exploration of this charming neighbourhood and a brief excursion to...more
Our last day in London had arrived, far too quickly I might add. My travel partner Andrea and I had already spent two action-packed days in this cosmopolitan metropolis which included explorations of Portobello Market and Notting Hill, a ride on the River Thames and a guided tour through Londons fascinating East End. This morning would hold a very...more
Our last day in London had arrived. After our serene and peaceful early-morning kayak tour on Regents Canal we freshened up quickly, grabbed a bite to eat and got ready for our final adventure in London: a guided tour of Southall, one of Londons many fascinating ethnic neighbourhoods.Punctually at 11 am our personal tour guide, Anne Mark, picked us up and whisked us onto one of the modern double-decker buses that form the backbone of Londons above-ground public transit system. Donning a colourful Shalwar Kameez (a traditional Indian dress), Anne was perfectly dressed for our excusion to Southall, often referred to as Little India, a suburb with a population of about 90,000 people on the western end of London.Southall is also the location of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, the largest Sikh Temple outside of India, an impressive white marble and granite building with stained glass windows and a gilded dome. More than 54% of the population hails from India, while another 11% have come from Pakistan. These immigrants have brought the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of their homelands with them, and we were ready to sample a slice of South Asia on the west side of London.While we...more
Our second day in London greeted us with brilliant sunshine, and even though it was still early May, temperatures in the mid twenties (Celsius, of course) were in store for us. Andrea and I started our day with a nice breakfast at the Zetter Hotel, a...more
Its amazing what you can pack into a day: our sightseeing tour on the Number 11 bus had introduced us to some of Londons most important sights. During our walking tour we explored Buckingham Palace, the Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, arriving...more
Kaput is a common term these days that Europe's summer backpackers use which in layman's terms mean finished. Do not dread the day your daughter runs off to Europe with just a backpack. Backpacker travel insurance is available. This concept is not...more
After five great days in my temporary home in the Western Bay of Palma it was now time to relocate and have a closer look at the eastern side of island. I needed to check out today and move into my next apartment in Port dAlcudia. I packed my...more
With my love for the Spanish language and my fascination for Mediterranean landscapes, the island of Mallorca has been one of my dream destinations for a long time. A couple of months ago or so I had finally decided that 2009 was going to be year for...more
I love unearthing small, quirky cocktail bars in London. When you open the door, you get transported to another world, a magical world away from the hustle and bustle of London. After a lot of searching I think I have found my three...more