Tag Archives: tourism

in english

Mexican Geography for Europeans

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One of the challenges I’ve had in explaining the security situation in certain parts of Mexico to some of my friends and colleagues has simply been the fact that people don’t necessarily understand the size of the country.


Now, courtesy of ifitweremyhome.com, I found this excellent map superimposing Mexico on top of Europe to prove my point.  Just as people going to the beaches of Greece and Turkey didn’t need to worry about the Glasgow airport bombers, it makes little sense to worry about the security situation in the northern border if you’re going to the beaches of central and southern Mexico.  I certainly won’t, and I go there every year (If you need tips, I wrote a small guide some time ago).

That’s what drives me crazy sometimes about the international news coverage of the country.  I’m not telling you that there aren’t places that are screwed up, but using that brush for the whole place is misleading.

in english

Helsinki for beginners

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After being asked a couple of times what is there to see in Helsinki, I decided to write this guide using a previous post about Brussels for guidance.

Helsinki, at the northeastern corner of the continent, can be easily missed when touring Europe.  While it is not the largest, nor the most cosmopolitan city of the Nordic countries, it definitely holds its own with a very interesting position and history between Western Europe and Russia.  It is a medium-sized city between the forests and the seas with very marked seasonal changes. The majority language is Finnish, Swedish is spoken by a minority and almost everybody has a working knowledge of English.  Other languages such as French, German, Spanish or Russian might not be as widely understood, but you might get lucky.

Vappuaatto @ Senaatintori

When to arrive?
Plan well according to the weather.  Helsinki is 60 °N (as far north as Alaska) even if the climate is milder, so if you want to see snow you might get lucky in January-February, whereas June-July will be the highest part of summer.

How to arrive?

  • By plane to Helsinki-Vantaa airport, one of the best in the world and an important hub between Europe and Asia.
  • By train to the Central Railway station from other parts of Finland and Russia.
  • By bus (e.g. Matkahuolto)
  • By ferry or cruise to the Port of Helsinki from Germany, Sweden, Russia or the Baltic States (e.g. Tallink, Silja Line, Viking Line).

From the airport to the city
Quite easy. Local route 615 takes you from the airport to downtown (4 EUR), while Finnair also runs a bus service (5.90 EUR).  A taxi ride to downtown will be approximately 30 EUR.

Transport within the city
Helsinki has one and a half  metro lines, buses, trains & trams. I would recommend buying a 1-7 day travel card or if you plan to visit a lot of museums and sights, a Helsinki card which has those included.

  • Don’t try to take the public transport without a ticket. Even though It is possible, the fines are quite steep.
  • There are only night buses during weekends, so I recommend staying at a hotel within walking distance of downtown.

Accomodation
If you’re on a budget, check the hostels from the Finnish Hostel Organization. Otherwise, budget hotels like Omenahotelli are a safe bet.  If you’ve got more leeway, international chains like Radisson, Holiday Inn and Finland’s very own Sokos Hotels have some very good locations in town.

Basic tourist information
Preparing yourself

What to see?
Basics

  • The Lutheran Cathedral and Senate Square (Tuomiokirkko & Senaatintori)
  • Market Square (Kauppatori)
  • Esplanadi park
  • Suomenlinna, The Gibraltar of the North.  An island 20 minutes away from the Market square with an imposing fortress.
  • The Church in the Rock (Temppeliaukion kirkko). How do you carve a church out of solid granite?

Further away

  • Seurasaari open air museum, see how Finns used to live in centuries past.
  • Uspenski Cathedral, the largest Russian Orthodox church in Western Europe.
  • Kiasma Museum of Contemporary art.  Location is centric, but it’s not for everybody.
  • National History Museum.  From Fenni to Vikings, to Swedes to Russians to Independence.
  • Sibelius Monument. An interesting piece of art that doubles as a wind organ.
  • Finlandia Hall: One of the most famous buildings by designer and architect Alvar Aalto.

Within 3 hours of the city centre

  • Nuuksio national park in Espoo, 45 minutes from downtown.
  • The wooden town of Porvoo, 1 hour from downtown.
  • The old town of Turku with its castle and cathedral.

Where to eat, drink & shop in Helsinki?
Eat

  • Finnish food haunts like Konstan Möljä (Hietalahdenkatu 14), Manala (Dagmarinkatu 2), Kosmos (Kalevankatu 3) or Zetor (Mannerheimintie 3-5) are usually a good idea for an introduction to the salmon, herring, reindeer, potatoes and dill that make the basis of traditional Finnish cuisine (around 20 EUR for a meal).
  • Saaga (Bulevardi 35) seems to be the best Lappish restaurant in town, even if it’s a little bit kitsch and prices are somewhat steep (50 EUR for a full meal).
  • Before the fall of the Soviet Union, Helsinki was renowned for having better Russian restaurants than Moscow or St. Petersburg.  Favourites are Saslik (Neitsytpolku 12), Kasakka (Meritullinkatu 13) or Bellevue (Rahapajankatu 3) (meals between 30-70 EUR).
  • If what you want is good international cuisine and budget is not an issue, places like Postres (Eteläesplanadi 8), Luomo (Vironkatu 8) and Olo (Kasarmikatu 44)are quite nice.

Drink

  • If you’re a teetotaller, you’ll be happy to discover that Finns drink plenty of berry juices.
  • In case you’re not, you’ll be happy to discover that Finns drink. A lot. 😛  Especially recommended are Finlandia and Koskenkorva vodkas (or at least, that’s what my friends who drink vodka say).  Finnish beers (especially the famous Lapin Kulta) are not particularly great but drinkable.  My personal favourite is Sandels.  There is also berry-based liquors and interesting concoctions (and national institutions) such as salmiakkikossu or fissu for the more adventurous.
  • As for the bars themselves, I like Belge for its assortment of Belgian beers and relaxed atmosphere, Praha for its music selection and Nolla for the company.  Some people I know prefer Teatteri for its yuppie atmosphere, though ;). There is also plenty of bars along Iso Roobertinkatu (Iso Roba) for those with interest in a long night out.

Shop

  • Stockmann department store is the largest in Finland, and its souvenir selection is usually both good and with taste.  Sokos is another department store in town.
  • Souvenirs are also available at the Market Square for those so inclined.
  • While not cheap, fans of Nordic design should definitely check the shops in Design District Helsinki in the area bordered by Uudenmaankatu, Iso Roobertinkatu and Erottajankatu.
  • Kämp Galleria, one of the fanciest shopping malls in Finland, is right in the middle of the city and has Marimekko, Iittala and Moomin shops.
  • Other malls in central Helsinki include Forum and Kamppi.

Important to know

  • Tipping is not needed.
  • Kaisaniemi park is best avoided at night, even if during the day is pretty OK.
  • Summer is high season for pickpockets.  We seem to import them from neighbouring countries.
  • During winter the sidewalks can be very icy.  Sounds like a joke until you break an arm or ankle.

References

You can also check my pictures about Helsinki in Flickr.

in english

Brussels for beginners

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After Beco posted about travelling in Europe and good ol' Ceronne about visiting Paris, I just feel compelled to contribute.  However, as many of my readers aren't that proficent in Spanish, English is the language of choice.

Brussels, being between Paris and Amsterdam, can be easily missed when touring Europe.  It is frankly a mistake.  Sometimes berated as a city with no character of its own, the truth is that it has many, as it sits right at the border between Latin & Germanic Europe and is rather appropriately a mix of both.  As such, be aware that even though the city is mostly French-speaking, Dutch is also common and English is widely understood.  Furthermore, don't be surprised if somebody speaks Spanish.

City hall
City hall

When to arrive?
Preferrably before the weekend.  Pack an umbrella, it tends to rain very often.

How to arrive?

From the airport to the city
Quite easy.  Coming from Zaventem there is a train every 20 minutes, which costs 2.8 EUR.  From Charleroi is a little more difficult, there are hourly buses as that airport is quite far away and only serves budget airlines.

Transport within the city
Brussels has two metro lines, buses, trains & trams.  I would recommend buying a 10 trip ticket at the vending machines at the metro stations, since the city is comfortable enough to walk to most places.

  • Don't try to take the public transport without a ticket.  Even though It is possible, the fines are quite steep.
  • There are only night buses during weekends, so I recommend staying at a hotel within walking distance of downtown.

Accomodation
If you're on a budget, I can recommend Hostel Van Gogh and Sleep Well hostel.  Otherwise, there are plenty of nice little hotels in Avenue / Adolphe Max / Laan or Place Rogier / Rogierplein.

Basic tourist information
Preparing yourself

  • Map of Brussels.
  • Map of the public transportation system (includes bus and metro)

What to see?
Basics

  • The Grande Place, one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe. 
  • The Manneken Pis, the renowned statue of the peeing kid.
  • Just walk around downtown.

Further away

  • The Laeken Gardens, including the Japanese Pagoda and the Chinese Pavillion.
  • The European Quarter, with the buildings for the Commission, the Parliament and the European institutions.
  • The Belgian Comic Museum (Centre Belge de la Bande Desinée).  Required if you're a fan of Tin Tin or Lucky Luke.
  • The Parc du Cinquentennaire with the Royal Museums of Art & History and the Military Museum.
  • The Atomium and the Mini Europe amusement park.
  • The Bois du Cambre Park.  More like a mini-forest, really.

Within 3 hours of the city centre

  • Tervuren and its Museum of Central African Cultures
  • Antwerp, the centre of Flemish culture.
  • Ghent, another nice Flemish City.
  • Brugge, the best preserved city in Flanders.  Going there is like being back in the high middle ages.
  • The Adrennes forest.

Where to eat, drink & shop in Brussels?
Eat

  • One of my favourite places is, without a doubt, De Ultieme Hallucinatie in Rue Royale / Koningsstraat.  Typical Belgian fare in an art déco building.  Not exactly in downtown, though.  Try the Carbonnade á la Flamande.
  • If you don't mind eating with other tourists, Rue des Bouchers is a typical haunt offering Belgian & international cuisine, next to the Grande Place.  I recommend the first restaurant to the right, next to an art gallery, but can't remember the name.
  • In Rue / Jules van Praet / straat there is plenty of good restaurants.  Le Chat Noir is nice for mussels (only in season), Réves d'Asie has excellent Thai food and there is plenty others.
  • Nearby, at Arteveldestraat (I think), there is an excellent Vietnamese haunt called Da Kao II.  Very affordable prices as well.
  • If you're in a budget and its lunch time during a weekday, you can have a baguette at a sandwicherie.  There's plenty in the business district around the Gare Centrale / Centraalstation.
  • Furthermore, some of the best things in Belgium are edibles: French fries (known here as frites / frieten) and chocolate.  For the fries, the best ones are supposedly at the Maison Antoine at Place Jourdain, whereas the best chocolates are Neuhaus and Pier Marcolini (although Leonidas are also quite OK and much cheaper).

Drink

  • Unless you're a teetotaller, a visit to Brussels is not complete without trying the beers.  You can check the Belgian beer review for a wider selection, but if you're in a hurry I'd recommend the following:
    If you like dark ales, nothing I've tasted beats Chimay Brune.  If you're more into clearer brews, I'd say Brigand Blonde or Ciney Blonde are quite good
    (but you'll probably find Leffe Blonde or Duvel more easily).  If you would like to taste fruity beers, Special St. Louis Kriek or Timmermans Kriek are quite nice.  On the other hand, if the taste of Brussels is what you have in mind, Timmermans Gueuze Lambic is what you seek.  And for white wheat beer, I still prefer Hoegaarden.
  • Different bars will have different beers, so don't be disheartened if you don't find your favourite one immedately.
  • As for the bars themselves, I like Delirium Café, where you find over 2000 beers from all over the world, Celtica for some fun and dancing, Le Corbeau for dancing on tables and Á la Bécasse for a relaxed, typically Belgian atmosphere.  There is also a nice chicha bar in Greepstraat, but I can't remember the name.  It's easy to find as it is the only one with arabic decor and nice sofas in dark red hues.

Shop

  • If you like expensive brands, the area around Avenue Louise / Louizalaan is what you're looking for.
  • If you like antiques and African handcrafts, you will find them in the Sablon / Zavel neighbourhood.
  • Rue Neuve / Nieuwestraat is also lined up with shops, especially clothes.
  • Souvenirs are sold in downtown, especially around the Grande Place. There is also a couple of stores that specialise in European-themed goods, one of them near the Manneken Pis.
  • There's also the City 2 shopping centre in case you're still missing something.

Important to know

  • Tipping is not needed.
  • Avoid theareas around the Gare du Nord / Noordstation and Gare du Midi / Zuidstation at night, or preferrably altogether.
  • Be careful with pickpockets.  Even thought the problem is not as extended as in Italy, you can still find them.

References

You can also check my pictures about Brussels in Flickr.

in english

Tourism in the US

I came accross this article at Gwyn's blog.  As a foreigner, I am not surprised that many overseas visitors are very afraid of U.S. Border Officials.

Even though I have a U.S. tourist visa, I haven't been there since 2001.  Why?  Because I haven't needed to.  Most of the time since I moved to Europe my trips to the other side of the Atlantic have been to Mexico, and I haven't needed to make a stopover in the US on my way there in a very long time.

I may have wanted to go there on holiday again (I'm still missing Washington, D.C. and the Southwest), but given that there is only a limited amount of holidays you have, I'd rather spend it with my family.  Maybe if they go somewhere there in the summer, we might decide to meet there instead.  I wonder how has the place changed?