Vieux Montréal
Renato, Dennis, Declan and I visited the old part of town, Vieux Montréal, around the cathedral. It’s an interesting mix of styles, really old smaller buildings, interspersed with more modern ones, e.g. from the 19th century. Cobblestone streets remind you of Europe, and of the age of this city, which is one of the oldest […] Read More
Festival du Jazz
By coincidence, I came just in time for the opening of the 35th Festival International du Jazz de Montréal. From June 26th to July 6th, the city is buzzing. Two million visitors are expected, among them half a million tourists… Hundreds of concerts will happen over the course of two weeks, and I can hardly […] Read More
Last days, wrapping up
These are the last days in TLV. My foot is fine again, but I am still struggling a bit with my cold, mostly my sinus are blocked and i have a headache… so the last days have been slow, again. I decided I would not run around like a mad tourists on those last days, […] Read More
Yummy Kadiköy
On the last day in Istanbul I decided to make it over to Kadiköy on the Asian shore. It’s supposed to have a great market on Tuesdays, although I did not make it there in the end. They have moved the market further from the ferry, so I just strolled through the Balik Pazari, the […] Read More
Asia
It was sunny, and so I took the ferry from Kabatas to Üsküdar on the Asian side of Istanbul, following the last mail from my sister with stuff we didn’t do. The ferry system is great to cross over, you can use your Istanbulkart that works on Metro’s, Trams and buses, to hop on pretty much […] Read More
Re-settled
I moved to my new place this morning, in the middle of Beyoğlu again. It’s only a short walk to the main shopping street, and all the side streets with bars and restaurants, but my street is totally quiet, no through traffic, and a police station at the end. Feels good. I unpacked again and my […] Read More
Hamam
After the first quick visit to the supermarket around the corner for some basics, I met up with Sven for a stroll through the area, notably around İstiklâl Caddesi, the main shopping and pedestrian street in Istanbul. It is a really nice street, with an old tram line passing through, and has countless shops, bars, restaurants, […] Read More
Tremendous Tokyo
Here’s my best-of-Japan, a mix of Tokyo and Osaka: Best part/scene/place: It is hard to decide, as Tokyo has so many different scenes, from the Hanami at the Meguro Kanal, to the bars of Shinjuku, to the Harajuku in the Park. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it in Tokyo. Best drink (alcoholic): Sake. What […] Read More
Absolutely Auckland
And here’s my best-of-Auckland: Best part/scene/place: Ponsonby. Probably the best mix between residential, restaurants and nightlife. Although much more quiet than Melbourne’s Fitzroy, it has it’s charm. Best drink (alcoholic): I didn’t experiment much. Just some local Kiwi brews. Auckland wasn’t cheap to go out, and I needed to save some money. Best restaurant: Xio Dan in Auckland. […] Read More
Coromandel Peninsula
I got my car at 10 in the morning, then packed up my stuff, got a coffee for the way and my repaired bag, and ran into Clint and a friend. Final hugs, and off I go. My first stop tonight is Hot Water Beach, however I took quite a detour via the Coromandel Peninsula. Separated by […] Read More