Spain - Barcelona Scene

I just traveled to Barcelona to see my friend Txell. She is from Barcelona and we studied
German together years ago.

I spent the weekend, Friday to Monday with her, and we managed to do quite a lot. She lives in Gracia, where there are lots of lovely cafes and restaurants, however, this time of year, at the end of August, it's more quiet than usual, since all the locals are on holiday. All the shops are closed and people leave to travel to other parts of Spain or farther away for holidays.

My favorites places in Barcelona, thus far:

Candal Restaurant - It has THE Best Tapas!

Cerveceria Catalana - is an amazing restaurant in Carrer de Mallorca

El Born - "the trendy" area in Barcelona that you don't want to miss!

Ra Restaurant

Hotel 1898 - at the very top, there's this great bar with an amazing view of the city and it also has a great ambience.

There are about 10 nice beaches near the city. Just take the subway and get off at the Barceloneta Exit. Once there, you'll have your choice of a lot of different scenes!!!

Salud! desde Barcelona!!
(Cheers! from Barcelona!!)

Story, courtesy of Kayra Martinez (FRASW)
Photos, courtesy of Kayra Martinez (FRASW)

Munich - Day trip To Neuschwanstein Castle

Photos and story by Josi-Lim MCauliffe (dcasw)

From the Hauptbanhof Station:

For a group of five or less, you can travel together on one ticket called "Bayern-ticket", it is about 30 euros good for one day for the whole group. The ticket allows you to travel anywhere in Bavaria's buses as well. When buying your ticket, specify that you are going to 'Fussen' and ask for the timetable for trains to 'Fussen'. Direct trains to 'Fussen' run every 2 hrs.

After purchasing a ticket, go to track 27 or 28 - that's where they usually leave from. There is no food or drinks on the train, so pack or buy your snacks and refreshments before you get on the train, because it's a 1:45 ride to 'Fussen'.

Changing trains:

Make sure you clearly understand if you need to change train or not. About half of the trains going to 'Fussen' require you to change in 'Buchloe or Kaufbeuren'. This is not a big deal, since the train you are meeting is directly across from the train you arrive on. Almost everyone on the trains are going to 'Fussen'.

When you get to 'Fussen', take the bus #73 or 78 to Schwangau. The bus will take you up the hill (your group ticket works on this bus). When you arrive in Schwangau, walk about 100 yrds and buy the ticket to see one or both of the famous castles. There are 3 ways to get up to the 'Neuschwanstein" castle.

1). You can take the bus (1.80 euro) and it will drop you off at 'Marien-brucke' (Maries Bridge) for a first great view on the castle. You have to walk about 10/15 mins to the castle. Make sure to go 'Maries bridge' where you will find the best view of both castles.

2). Take the horse-carriage to 'Neuschwanstein' (6 euro uphill and 5 euro down) and it will take you as close as possible and a small walk 5/mins to the entrance. The walk down is refreshing!

3). Get your walking shoes and hike the 45/mins walk.

* Reminder: make sure you have the timetable for the bus back to 'Fussen' and the train back to Munich (they usually coordinate with the times). It was worth every minute...Have fun!

Story and photos by Josi-Lim Mcauliffe (dcasw)

Moscow - Photos by Josie

Photos of Moscow - August 2009
Josi-Lim Mcauliffe's (dcasw)

Great Russian Food - Moscow

There is a wonderful restaurant in the alley/street directly behind our layover hotel (see the enclosed photo for restaurant's entry door) that serves delicious Russian food. Their menu has English translations, so it's easy to read, and their food prices are very reasonable ( I had a soup, an entree, a large beer and a bottle of water for under 20$ dollars).

After 9pm, they have live music in the front room - an accordion and a guitar player - nothing too loud, just perfect as background music. The service is friendly, accommodating and they speak enough English to understand questions about the food in the menu. The name of the restaurant is Ecerdri? Or something like that (hard to read from their card). I'm told, it's the name of a famous Russian Poet.

If you go, here are a few recommendations from the menu :

- The mushroom soup - creamy and rich
- The Borscht soup - the typical Russian beet soup - delicious!
- The Veal with Plum Cream Sauce - everyone likes this one

Don't order the Chicken with butter Inside - It's pressed chicken pieces, not a cutlet.

We discovered this restaurant, courtesy of Marina, our very generous Russian language speaker, who volunteered to take along six of us crew members with her, as she set out for dinner.

Do you have any bars, pubs or restaurants in Moscow you wish to recommend? if so, let us know! Write to us at postcards@me.com

Red Square @ Night - Moscow

Some photos of Red Square at night, under a full moon. Gorgeous!

Moscow Souvenirs - What can I get?

In my recent travels to Moscow, I've discovered a few souvenirs, that may be of interest.

1- Black Vodka - It sells in one of the DME Duty Free shop's, the one between gate 9 and 10 (photo enclosed). It sells for about $16 dollars a bottle and it's pretty cool. And yes, it's not made in Russia, but in England and it's really black but with out any flavour (I don't know how they make it black). However, if you purchase it in the UK, you will pay about $36 Pounds per bottle, clearly, way more!

2- Matroska cases for wine bottles - They are just like the matroska dolls, but taller, and open up to encase you liquor bottles. They make wonderful gifts, different enough to get a wow from any recipient. If you want one, you can find them in the souvenir shops in Arbat street and they cost about $20 dollars or less a piece.

3- Old Revolution Posters - These are amazing sets of re-printed historical Russian posters from the communist days that come encased in a nice cardboard jacket with about 10 to 12 small posters inside. Well, I say posters, but they are not the size of posters. I imagine the originals were larger, but these have been re-printed in a smaller format - about 12x16 . They would make a great gift and would look wonderful framed as a collection. They sell them is the lobby gift shop of the Metropol Hotel for about $20 dollars a set. I particularly like the series on the Olympics, for they depict the sports they so avidly sought gold medals for.

4- Old Russian Medals and Pins - There's and old gentleman that sells his collection of old Russian military medals and revolution pins near the entrance of the Red Square. He sets them out over the ledge of the driveway of the red building that sits right behind the statue of the "Man on The Horse". His prices are reasonable and his selection, extensive. It's fun to check them out. If you go, let me know what you think.

If you have any other suggestions, please write to me at postcards@me.com.

Moscow - 24 Hours in Moscow

This past week, I flew to Moscow for work. During my short stay, I decided to visit one historical Russian site, the amazing Czar's Museum ( better known as The Armoury Collection). It's one of the top five "must-see" tourist stops in Moscow, right after the Red Square and the Kremlin.

To enter the museum, I first find the ticket office, just outside of the Kremlin (photo enclosed). I arrive around 1:45pm at the booth and I notice that the place is crowded and chaotic. People seem confused because it's unclear which line one must take to purchase tickets.

I join one of the three lines available with our knowing if it's the right one. The language barrier does not help me and I discover 10 minutes later, that I''m in the wrong line. The ticket booth lady directs me with hand signals, to stand in another line.

A few minutes later, at around 2pm, my line is motioned to step up to the sales window. We're supposed to merge with the Kremlin line, one at a time. Yeah right! The plan may be reasonable in London, where people obey line rules, but here in Moscow, it quickly turns into a push and shove situation where shoulders, arms and bodies fight to get ahead. Great!!! what should I do now? Not knowing what to say in Russian to defend myself verbally, I decide to push back.

I extend my arm in front of the next aggressive person in the opposite line trying to get ahead of me and say NO, firmly. I quickly step ahead of this person and reach the front of the line. Eureka! I try to remain focused on the purchase of my ticket as I speak to the ticket lady in English, but she only speaks Russian. Oh no, I apologize with my hands, and say "Armoury Museum? please?" she understands!! What a relief! She hands me a ticket and motions me to go in the direction of the Kremlin pronto. With my ticket in hand, I exit rapidly with out looking back and head to the museum.

The entry ticket to The Armoury has "a time of admission" printed next to the date. One is only allowed in at this time. It's 2:05pm and my time of admission is 2:30 pm. I have to find the entrance door of the museum very rapido!! Not an easy task in this city with few signs in English. I press on as quickly as my tired legs can carry me, and I enter the Kremlin (the museum is inside this complex). Right after the entrance gate, I see some people standing in a line. Could this be my line for the Armoury? according to my map, the Armoury building should be just there, so I join the line and take a chance.

Well, it would have been too easy if I had picked the right line, that's just how it is in Russia. But off course, I'm in the wrong line. I learn this as I reach the door. This is getting old folks. I'm in the line for The Diamond Fund Collection (sigh). I ask the guard where I should go, he points me to nearby line, just a few steps away. So there I go.

Could this finally, be the right line. I have to wait 15 more minutes before I'm allowed inside the building to find out. It's 2:15 pm and the hot summer sun burns through my clothes with no shade in sight! Ugh! I'm very tempted to leave before I melt, but I remain in place. People begin to gather behind me. Everyone appears stressed by the sun. I later learn that there is no need to stand in this wretched line. Everyone with a ticket, gets in with out delay, even if you show up at the exact time of admission printed on your ticket. Lesson learned, don't wait in line, just get there on time!

I enter the museum through a basement door, pass a large coat check area on my left, the souvenir stands on my right and left and the desk that rents Pre-recorded guides in English (and other languages) of the collection. Get one if you go!! I didn't and was very sorry I passed it by.

Finally, I reach the museum. It's two floors of dazzling royal gems, fancy Faberge Eggs, gilded Carriages and Sleighs, elaborate Armours, eye-popping Jewel encrusted Crowns, hand painted thrones, ancient tapestries, and surprise, surprise, Catherine The Great's Coronation dress embroidered with silver threads. Darn, how I wish I had the recorded guide. The collection is fascinating.

After I finish visiting the Czar's collection, I learn that I can opt to also visit the The Diamond Fund Exhibition Collection for an extra 500 Rubles with leaving the building. It sounds very tempting - royal jewels, no lines, ...humm, I think that's a yes. I pay up and march right in. The exhibit, unfortunately, is disappointing. It consists mostly of cut stones from the Urals, gold and silver mammoth nuggets from local mines and VERY few royal jewels. I anticipated more Czarist's Bling! Oh well, my advise to you is, save your money for the more impressive Royal collections like the The Tower of London in England, or The Topaki Palace in Istanbul.

Finished with the museums, I leave the Kremlin and walk through the Alexander Gardens (right along the Kremlin). When I reach Sbarros Pizza and McDonalds, I discover there's an entrance for a subterranean mall. Surprisingly, it's a large mall with three underground floors. Who knew! such a large place underground, right next to the Kremlin.

In the basement, I discover an interesting food court. It has a nice variety of international foods, all of them, extremely well priced. I see a Sushi, Sbarros Pizza (these I recognize). I also see Russian Blinis and Middle Eastern Food. Some places, I can't make out, because the writing is in Cyrillic. I purchase some wild rice and vegetables from the Middle Eastern stand and my meal, plus a drink costs me less than 10 dollars. An awesome deal in Moscow, I swear!

After my satisfying, but unmemorable meal at the mall, I head to the glitzy, trendy, scenic rooftop lounge (photo enclosed) of the Ritz Carlton-Moscow - the O2 Lounge. Wow, what a view! You can eat sushi or just have drinks, as you take in the stunning views of the Kremlin. Really, it will take your breath away... and so will the prices on the menu. Stay and have a drink so you can enjoy the view and the beautiful people. Don't forget to take pictures of the gorgeous views. I hear these views are particularly memorable at night, when the Kremlin lights up like a Christmas tree.

After I finish taking my pictures from the O2Lounge, I head for the cozy, quieter lobby lounge of the Ritz. It's tea time, I'm thirsty and my feet need a rest. Twenty dollars and three cups of delicious tea later (served in gorgeous china), I decide it's time to head back to my hotel. I'm exhausted. I've seen bling all day - ancient bling at the Armoury and Noveau bling at the Ritz. Time to pack it up and go to sleep.

If you decide to go to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, it's located right behind the National Hotel with it's main entrance, facing Tverskaya Avenue.

Dosvitana! (see ya later!)