14/4/10: Quirky Madrid

Visiting Madrid but sick of following those well-worn paths to the same old tourist traps? Here’s our alternative guide to the off-kilter gems of this one-of-a-kind city.

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/quirky-madrid/



Visiting Madrid but sick of following those well-worn paths to the same old tourist traps? Every guidebook you read will mention the art museums, the palace, the bull ring and the tapas restaurant that only absolutely everyone visiting the city will know about, but what about the sights that make it truly unique? Here’s our alternative guide to the off-kilter gems of this one-of-a-kind city.

The turtles in Atocha train station

 Atocha Station's Tropical Garden

(Almost) as good as going to the Madrid Zoo, the oldest part of the city’s Atocha train station has been provided with an indoor tropical garden and nature habitat following its redesign by architect Rafael Moneo. At the front of this garden area there’s a pool which is filled to the brim with turtles swimming in the water, crawling on the rocks, or more often than not sitting extremely – almost disturbingly – still. Whilst their health is frequently debated (you may find yourself wondering if some of them might in fact be, well, dead) this hasn’t stopped people gathering to observe them whilst waiting for their trains.

Apparently all the turtles in the pond have been brought there by the people of the city so whilst this could be a case of ‘a turtle’s for life, but someone else can take care of it after Christmas’ it has, at least, provided otherwise neglected turtles with an alternative habitat in this landlocked city.

Chamberí Metro Musuem

Olde Worlde charm at the Chamberí metro station

Or as you might be tempted to call it: the ghost station. Located on metro line 1 between the Bilbao and Iglesia stations, the Chamberí metro station closed in 1966 when the Ministry of Public Works realised they couldn’t modify the platform to accommodate modernised trains. It fell into disrepair and then decay though the track that ran through it was maintained because of its position on the metro line.

In 2008, 42 years after its closure, the station reopened as a public museum designed in the style of the train stations of old to commemorate the metro’s past.  Entry is free and the station is open from 11am every day except Mondays. Whilst by no means a large place (the majority of the museum lies along the platform), it’s full of character, with old-style advertisements and original features giving visitors the curious sensation of being separated from reality and out of sync with the modern world. As the trains that whizz past get only a fleeting look at the station hopefully someone is looking out wondering if they just imagined you….

Cine Doré

Another restored gem of the city is the Cine Doré, one of Madrid’s first cinemas and still where the Spanish National Film Library’s archives are screened. Its three screens offer an eclectic line-up of films in their original language as well as seasons dedicated to a specific director or film movement.

The beautifully maintained main auditorium, with its connected cafe and bookstore, is the best place to experience the theatre but its rooftop bar comes a close second – outdoor screenings are held here throughout the summer.

The cinema’s website is updated monthly with their programme; film tickets cost less than three euros.

The ‘Heavies’ of Gran Vía

Punk rockers and 'political activists' (!) Emilio and José

Madrid’s principal street Gran Vía is celebrating 100 years of existence this year but nothing on this famous street has made a deeper impression, locally at least, than the infamous ‘Heavies of Gran Vía’.

The 41-year-old twin brothers Emilio and José Alcázar have dedicated the past five years to standing outside the Bershka clothing store on Gran Vía every evening. Why you ask? Well, Bershka occupies the site where their favourite hangout, music store Madrid Rock, used to be. To keep the memory of the store alive they spend every day on the pavement outside the entrance. Think David engaging in a benign protest against the global Goliaths of homogenisation – in this case Spanish clothing chain Inditex – and you’ve got the idea.

Now as much a part of the landscape as the famous Schweppes sign that looms nearby, the brothers have a facebook fan page and Madrid tourism are asking for tourists’ pictures with the brothers via their social networking sites. Weird yet wonderful, and only in España!

3/11/09 - Plane Alternatives

Heading for a bigfoot-sized carbon footprint? What are the alternatives if you want to travel around Europe?

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/plane-alternatives/

The other day after reading a report about carbon footprints I decided to calculate my own, solely in relation to flights for the last 12 months. It makes for guilty reading. The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by my air travel in the past year was 2.33 tonnes of CO2. Seriously it’s just like a MasterCard advert… travelling around America with my mate $, Hogmany in Edinburgh €, Snowboarding €, flying home to spend time in Ireland €, Oktoberfest €, damage to the environment – priceless.

Making for a bigfoot-sized carbon footprint

But what do you do if, like me, you are a complete travel junkie? In preparation for my next, hopefully guilt-free, trip I’ve researched some alternative methods of travelling.

Although planes may the quickest way of travelling, they are certainly not the best nor the most environmentally friendly. By travelling through, rather than above, a country you get to experience a lot more of what it has to offer. Plus, as some wise person once said, ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination.’ When I think of the (horrible) nights I’ve spent kipping on the floor in London’s Stansted airport for the sake of a cheap connecting flight I would beg to disagree but hopefully I’ll embrace this phrase once I leave behind plane travel. Adios Ryanair, Hello Eurostar…!

I hear the train a comin’ …It’s rollin’ ’round the bend…

The ultimate in luxury train travel: The Orient Express

Travelling long distances by train has an air of mystique about it. You only have to think of the Orient Express to imagine long luxurious journeys through winding countryside all the while quaffing champagne and nibbling on caviar. Whilst the Orient Express is aimed at the luxury market and may perhaps be slightly out of your budget, the romanticism and adventure of a train journey is not lost with regular train travel. Sometimes there truly is nothing better than gazing out of a train window watching the world go by…

Mainland Europe is extremely well connected by railway. The advantages of travelling by train are clear. It’s comfortable, affordable (especially if you book in advance) and you can bring a lot more luggage. Once you’re onboard you’re free to read, sleep, chat, eat, head to the bar and even hop off the train to explore along the way (if timetables allow for it).

If you travel by overnight train you can use your travelling time to your advantage to wake up refreshed in a completely different part of the world. One suggested trip is to travel through Switzerland by rail. Switzerland has some spectacular scenery with breathtaking views of lakes, forests and mountains from every window.

Interrailing, i.e. travelling by train through Europe, is where the European rail network really comes into its own. It’s an incredibly popular holiday among young Europeans, especially during the summer months. It’s definitely not something that appeals to everyone as it can involve a certain amount of roughing it – especially if funds are limited. However, in return you get to see and experience as much of Europe as you can possibly cram into one holiday.

You can choose between a One Country Pass (self explanatory) or a Global Pass (enabling you to travel in up to 30 participating countries). The One Country pass limits your travelling days to a maximum of eight. The global pass is a little more complex. The choice is between either the flexi or continuous options. Flexi options consist of either five days’ travel in a ten-day period or ten days’ travel in a 22-day period. This option is good if you plan to spend a night or two in each location and have a clear itinerary planned. The continuous options are more open and allow you to travel whenever you want over either a 22-day or 1 month period. Find out more about interrailing on the Rail Europe website.

The wheels on the bus…

If you’re like me, the idea of travelling by bus is not something you would gladly substitute for a quick and painless plane journey. I’ve travelled by Greyhound Bus in America and bussed my way through Spain and it’s not something I’ve ever enjoyed. In my opinion, the one and only advantage of a bus journey is that it’s cheap.

However, I’m coming around to the idea that there are circumstances where bus tours could be fun – especially when they combine two of my favourite things: travelling and partying. Contiki are one of a number of companies who are renowned for their bus tours and what’s more they support responsible and sustainable travel, which isn’t surprising since travelling by coach is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to get around. But aside from the warm glowy feeling you’ll get from helping the environment, their tours look incredibly fun. They only allow people between the ages of 18 – 35 to travel with them, you can choose between over 40 countries to travel to, and everything is organised for you.

One example of an interesting European tour that they do is the 16-day European Encounter tour. This tour takes you through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, France, Monaco with many stops along the way. I could bear a few hours in a bus if I got to see that many places! Other companies offering similar packages are Topdeck and Busabout.

I’m onboard…

Although boats are the last method of travel I’d consider if I was in a hurry, there are a lot of fun holidays out there that take place on boats.

You could spend a week travelling through the waterways of Ireland, the UK or France on a cruiser or a canal boat. By taking it slow and stopping along the way to spend the night in the villages and waterside bars you’ll get to meet some unforgettable people and learn about unfamiliar places that you never would have seen otherwise.

The Tall Ships Race - an unforgettable experience

Another option for an unforgettable holiday is to volunteer as a crew member for next year’s Tall Ships Race. I was a member of the crew on the now defunct Asgard 2 in 2003 and I can easily say that it was one of the best holidays of my life. Sail Training International organise the Tall Ships Race every year. The idea behind the race is to encourage friendship and sailing among young people. As such, half each ship’s crew must consist of people under the age of 25. Most countries enter a vessel and you apply directly to the vessel for a berth onboard. For a list of the participating vessels visit Sail Training International. This year’s race starts in Belgium and ends in the UK via Denmark and Norway, so if you’re lucky enough to get a berth it will be an amazing adventure.

So as you can see, it turns out there are lots of alternative options to damaging the environment by flying, which let you have an amazing time too. I’ll let you know what my carbon footprint is in a year’s time… !

30/09/09: Oktoberfest!

The one and only Oktoberfest in Munich – Germany’s annual beerathon.

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/oktoberfest/

Oktoberfest!

When in Munich...

‘What a genius idea!’ declared the Aussies I was travelling with. I was little more apprehensive. Beer? No lovely cocktails? Well when in Munich… Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival that takes place every year in Munich. Last weekend I braved the opening weekend and I can confirm that whether or not you are a beer lover this is one festival you shouldn’t miss. The action has already begun but continues till October 4th so you still have time to join in the fun!

Where to stay

I joined some Aussie friends on Friday evening after a never-ending journey from Madrid to Munich. The campsite we stayed at, Thalkirchen, is a 15 minute walk from the nearest metro stop and really cheap if you‘re travelling on a budget. For those who don’t enjoy roughing it there are plenty of hostels and hotels in the Munich area, although they get pretty booked up this time of year.

A good tip is to book through a tour group. This cut out a lot of effort for us and we arrived to ready-erected tents complete with air mattresses. The showers were hot and there were even electrical sockets in the bathrooms. For someone who is wedded to her hair straighteners this campsite gets definite thumbs up from me! Unfortunately my happiness was slightly marred by the fact that I didn’t get a tent near my mates due to my late arrival on Friday evening. Instead I ended up rooming with an English guy who was part of a stag party surrounded by tents containing his friends. Truly, it could only happen to me!

What to wear

Dirndl and lederhosen may sound funny but they are a must! We went for the more traditional costume of full skirt, puffy sleeves and low neckline whilst the guys opted for anything from braces and a hat to the full lederhosen ensemble. But there were a lot of variations on the traditional German dress from the tourists – anything from hot pants to über short skirted versions that could only have come from a sex shop. A word of warning to those ladies who go for the ‘updated’ German dress though – don’t stand on the tables. Please.

Beer wench!

What to do

The central activity of the festival is, predictably, drinking. The tents are open from 10am on weekdays and 9am on weekends. Be aware that purchasing beer can be a major challenge, especially at busy times. You have to be seated before you can be served although if the waitress (beer wench) has served everyone at her tables she may serve people standing in the area. The waitresses (beer wenches) work voluntarily so you must tip them if you want to get served again. A good rule of thumb is to give them €10 per stein and let them keep the change.

Each tent is dedicated to a specific beer but, as you’ll realise pretty quickly, they’re also dedicated to a specific crowd. We spent most of our time in the Hofbräu tent which is (without a doubt) the tourist tent. A sea of tour company t-shirts greet you when you walk in and the majority of accents are British or Australian. Unsurprisingly, this tent gets pretty rowdy in the evenings. In the centre there’s an area called the ‘pig pen’ which is a standing room only. Be wary if you’re a lone female in this area; aside from being grope central, you’ll notice the overhead angel steadily accumulates clothes and underwear thrown up from the crowd as the day wears on.

Bands play all day long and random outbreaks of singing in the tents add to the rowdy atmosphere. We spent a lot of time jumping up from our seats onto the benches to sing along to quality (?) tunes such as Mambo Number Five. Every ten minutes or so the band plays the Oktoberfest toast song which is your cue to get up on your seats and start clinking glasses left, right and centre. Having no clue to what the German in the song meant I was perfectly content singing my own gibberish version especially as the hours passed by… Just remember to say ‘prost’ at the end of each song!

What to eat

Food is served in the tents and festival grounds all day. Two typical snacks you must try are pretzels and gingerbread cookies. You can buy absolutely gigantic pretzels at the festival which go perfectly with beer. Unfortunately once you start you just can’t stop, resulting in a vicious circle of drink – eat salty pretzel – get thirsty – eat another salty pretzel – drink and so on and so forth. Another typical snack is the giant gingerbread cookie, which will often have a phrase iced onto them. My mate went for the ‘Ich Liiiiiebe dich’ iced message and I, unable as always to avoid the tacky, went for ‘Mein superstar’. These can be hung around your neck so you can take bites when hunger strikes. What a genius idea!

Beats a currywurst we say...

No more beer

There’s no doubt about it that two days of non-stop beer drinking requires stamina. As someone who rarely drinks beer, after a couple of steins I was well on my way to drunkenness: so remember to take breaks! Don’t be that person who vomits all over the table.

Within the festival grounds there are lots of fairground rides to take advantage of although some – including the rollercoaster – may be better on an empty stomach! There’s also a huge statue of Bavaria on a hill at one end of the festival grounds where people go to relax or, in some cases, sleep off the alcohol.

Do try as well at some point to leave the festival and see Munich itself. The beautiful English gardens are a lovely escape from the madness and contain everything from nudist sunbathers to surfers on the river! Munich’s Marienplatz is one of the city’s central squares and a great place to grab a coffee and people watch. At 11.00am, 12.00am and 5.00pm you can see the famous Glockenspiel in action as the carved figures move about accompanied by taped music.

So go and enjoy Oktoberfest while you still can. It’s definitely worth it. I’ll finish with one invaluable lesson I learned this weekend at Oktoberfest: Don’t take a camera on a rollercoaster when you’re drunk. It will fall out of your hands… But at least I’m now the proud owner of a dirndl!

Find out more about Oktoberfest from Munich’s Tourist Board.

28/09/09: Travelling Solo?

Holidaying on your own: the pros, the cons and the best ideas for travelling solo

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/travelling-solo/

Travelling Solo?

Lonesome?

‘Table for one?’

If that phrase strikes dread in your heart it’s time to think again. Nowadays travelling alone has never been so easy… or fun! So why isn’t everyone doing it you ask?

You might find the answer hidden in the words of the not-so-great Akon: ‘lonely, I’m so lonely’. Oh dear. The fear that you’ll spend your days alone is one of the main reasons people don’t like to travel alone. But, unless you’re planning to spend your time in a remote hermitage far off the mainland, I can almost guarantee this won’t happen.

If you want a break from the world, travelling alone is the perfect way to find time for yourself. Or, if you’re simply travelling alone because you can’t find someone to travel with, don’t worry! There are a million ways to find friends and fun along the way. Here are some hot tips to get you started:

Accommodation

The key to travelling alone (and I may be stating the obvious here) is to be sociable. Hostels are a great way to meet people and make friends. Try sites like hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com and check the reviews to see what people say about the atmosphere of the place. Hostels that organise nights out are ideal if you want to get to know people quickly. Even just hanging out in the kitchen or lounge area gives you the chance to meet and make friends with fellow travellers from all over the world.

Extreme couchsurfing

If you want to get to know a place and its people a little better you could consider couchsurfing. This is a great (and free!) way to travel. All you have to do is fill out a profile on the website and then search for couches in the area you’re planning to travel to. Then, pick your favourite person in the area and send them an email asking to stay. Most people have a limit set on how many nights a guest can stay so don’t outstay your welcome! Keep in mind as well that you may not be sleeping on a couch. In the world of couchsurfing anything goes: from the floor, a blow up bed, or (as in one of my more memorable experiences) a prison bus! Most hosts are eager to hang out with their guests so don’t treat this as just a place to stay. Think of it as opportunity to make new friends and to get to know the real life of wherever you’re staying.

If the idea of turning up to a complete stranger’s house to spend the night scares you, try looking at the events happening within the couchsurfing community you’re travelling to. Lots of cities have active communities who meet up regularly so invite yourself along.

‘What do travellers do all day?’

This quote comes from one of my favourite books about a young English guy who is doing a gap year. He poses this question after spending all day lounging about his hostel. Don’t be this guy! Get out there and discover what there is to do…

Sightseeing

Sightseeing alone can be a depressing business especially if there’s no one beside you to discuss just how small the Mona Lisa really is or whether Spanish or French guys have sexier accents. For this reason a bike tour is a great alternative to the traditional bus tour (where you’d have no one to sit next to) or walking around alone. People tend to be a lot chattier on bikes, not least because battling against the traffic tends to break the ice! One excellent company is Fat Tire Bike Tours who do tours in Paris, Barcelona, London and Berlin.

Become a wwoofer!

Volunteering

If you fancy getting involved in something and meeting people while travelling, volunteering is another option. There are thousands of different ways to volunteer, depending on what you like doing. Here are a few suggestions:

• Teach English: A couple of companies run immersion camps in Spain that look for volunteers to work as English teachers for them in an informal capacity. You don’t need any qualifications apart from being a native English speaker. You will get your food and accommodation for free in exchange for spending all day chatting to people who want to improve their English. Two companies who run immersion programmes are VaughnTown and Pueblo Inglés.

• Go wwoofing: If switching heels for work boots doesn’t turn you off, wwoofing is another option to consider. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and is an organisation that assists those interested in working as a volunteer on an organic farm. Almost every European country has a wwoofing organisation. You pay a membership fee and once you are registered you can browse the list of farms available and email the farms to ask for a few days/weeks work. It’s voluntary and generally you receive food and accommodation as payment.

• Work at a festival: Another good idea if you’re travelling alone if to volunteer to work at a festival. For example, the Great British Beer Festival is staffed completely by unpaid volunteers and you get benefits like free accommodation, entrance to parties, etc. But that’s only one festival, many more look for volunteers. Try websites such as Festival Volunteer. Who knows who you might meet? I’m thinking music festivals and Kings of Leon personally, mmm…

Skiing in a group means there'll always be someone to pick up you up...

Go in a group

You could also plan your trip within an organised group so you have a readymade group of people to hang out with. Companies like First Festival Travel and Top Deck Tours organise group trips to festivals, sports events, skiing and snowboarding holidays and lots more. Given that the prerequisite of these trips is that you are able have a good time you can’t go wrong!

Or alternatively, consider signing up to a boot camp or for group lessons in whatever activity you’re interested in – snowboarding, windsurfing, or horse riding to name just a few options. Like bike tours, learning something together means that you break the ice straight away and can lead to having brilliant fun and making great friends!

So there you go, being a lone traveller doesn’t mean being a lonely traveller so get out there and start your adventures!