An Alternative Guide to Rome

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An Alternative Guide to Rome

As the capital of Italy and former cradle of the Roman Empire, Roma is the exquisite embodiment of La Dolce Vita and a proud culmination of thousands of years of history. No other city has had such a profound impact on Western Civilization.

Rome is home to over 3 million people and UNESCO World Heritage landmarks at every turn. To walk the city blind, sans guidebook, is to stumble on glorious magnum opuses like Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, monuments of Capitoline Hill and Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Beneath the star attractions however, beats the heart of a feisty, urbane metropolis. Amid a flurry of Piaggios, piazzas and lively espresso bars, Rome is a triumphant destination. Here are some alternatives to consider on your next visit.

The Catacombs of Rome

More than three dozen ancient burial sites proliferate under the streets of Rome. From the spectacular Vatican Grotto and Necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica to the papal tombs of Callixtus, another world lurks deep below the city. Other catacombs of note include the Jewish burial sites of Vigna Randanini and Villa Torlonia and the impressive Catacombs of Domitilla, with over 15 km of caves and channels.

MACRO Future and Testaccio

The most recent annex to the superb municipal Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO) envelops a former industrial slaughterhouse in the newly-hip ‘hood of Testaccio. A paragon of urban redevelopment, the sleek MACRO refurb job is as avant-garde as the art inside. Testaccio is also home to some of the best restaurants and hotels in Rome and main drag Via di Monte Testaccio is where club heads gather until the wee hours.

Escape to Villa Borghese

While the overall aesthetic of Villa Borghese gardens whispers country English manor, the brilliant park is decidedly Roman. The 80-hectare site contains some of the best museums in the city, from the gorgeous Galleria Borghese to the National Museum of Modern Art, complete with works by Mondrian, Picasso, Braque and Pollock. Additionally, the Villa Borghese contains a peripheral gem in the fabulous 16th century Villa Medici, home of the French Academy in Rome. From the Villa, visitors can easily descend the iconic Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps) and amble down fashionable Via Condotti.

Trastevere

The grand ensemble of monuments in Rome can detract from some of the most character-rich enclaves in the city. Take Trastevere for instance. The former medieval district is a veritable village within the capital and a premier hub of restaurants, student bars and nightclubs. Landmarks like the Church of Santa Maria, Church of Saint Cecilia and Villa Farnesina make Trastevere worthwhile. The linchpin attraction however is the massive weekly flea market held from Porta Portese to Viale di Trastevere.

A Short Trip to Tivoli

The ancient must-see town of Tivoli is a short 30 km ride from Rome. The trip is a bona fide time warp to a bygone, erstwhile era, with magnificent architecture intact and clear views of the bucolic campagna romana. Two key UNESCO World Heritage Sites draw the lion’s share of attention. The first is the Roman archaeological complex of Villa Adriana. The site covers a square kilometre and is still under excavation. The second UNESCO inscription in Tivoli is elegant Villa d’Este, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. The nonpareil palace gardens and fountains draw scores of Rome city-dwellers in the hot summer months.

An Alternative Guide to New York City

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An Alternative Guide to New York City


As the premier world metropolis, New York City’s allure is impossible to sum up with novel hyperbole. Countless films and songs make the effort but alas, only a personal visit to this oh so cosmopolitan capital will do.

While neophytes swoon under the glow of Times Square and loom of landmark skyscrapers from Empire State to Chrysler, New York, above all else, is a city of neighbourhoods. Manhattan enclaves like Harlem, Greenwich Village, Hell’s Kitchen, TriBeCa, SoHo and the Lower East Side embody the Big Apple’s burly heart and provide the proverbial marrow for tourists to feast on.


With that sentiment firmly in mind, here are five New York City alternatives to consider.

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An Alternative Guide to London

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An Alternative Guide to London

London is a formidable charge. Household-name landmarks pop up at every turn: The London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament, Wembley and the British Museum, to name but several.

Where to begin? Well in London’s case, it helps to see the trees through the forest, as it were, and break the city up into manageable segments. This is all made reasonably effortless of course, with a phenomenal public transit system. With that in mind, consider these worthwhile alternatives in the vast English capital.

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A Guide to Singapore

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The usual tagline on Singapore is that aside from malls and purpose-built tourist entertainment like Sentosa Island and the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel, the city-state is bereft of genuine character. Pure fiction!

So forgive natives of the city-state for being excessively modest and defensive. After all, the word of mouth on Singapore is rather one-dimensional. Affluent global city and economic tiger of Southeast Asia? Yes. Perpetual business travel hub? Absolutely. But so much more!

Yet for every prejudicial, hipster backpacker who shuns Singapore for gritty Malacca and Penang, one intrepid tourist discovers that outside the high gloss of the Central Business District and upmarket shops in Orchard lolls a completely different city-state. A side of Singapore where parks, wildlife, heritage architecture, ethnic enclaves and a tangle of magnificent alternatives thrive.

Tanglin Village

Chinese spice plantations, Scottish manors and the British military once held court in Tanglin. The reclamation area in Central Region, Singapore is now home to a cluster of notable restaurants, cafés and furniture shops, many of which occupy former legacy landmarks in the Dempsey area. Indeed, now a veritable “village” with some of the best hotels in Singapore, Tanglin is a prominent and cosy base for entrepreneurial architects, artists and designers of all disciplines.

Arab Quarter and Haji Lane

The Arab Quarter, or Kampong Glam, is a bona fide microcosm of what Singapore is all about. A fabulous mix of old and new Malay culture, the heritage ‘hood north of the Singapore River offers up points of interest like the Malay Heritage Centre, Sultan Mosque and Hajjah Fatimah Mosque. Nonpareil stars of the quarter include rows of revamped early-20th century shophouses on Arab, Baghdad and Bussorah streets. Meanwhile, the vivid, ultra-funky boutiques of Haji Lane preside over whatever’s hot and fashionable in Singapore.


Parks and Wildlife

Not far from the steel and glass jungle of Singapore’s Central Business District lurks another world. A world where primary tropical rainforests, brilliant coral reefs and incredible biodiversity thrive. While rapid urban sprawl and population growth is the incessant Singapore narrative, the island has actually gone from 35% green cover to 50% since 1986. With this in mind, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve all rank as supreme. The world class trio of Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park lure millions of visitors a year.

Affordable Hawker Hubs

The diverse culinary landscape of Singapore is a linchpin attraction that the city-state tourism bureau loves to play up and promote. In order to get the best street food bang for your buck however, you have to know where to look. Some hawker food courts have earned a notorious reputation for perpetrating two unforgivable sins: price-gouging and watering-down. Thus, beware of what look like manufactured, shiny-new, not-so spontaneous hawker hubs. Locals in the know (always the best guides) tend to score lunch at the East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Golden Mile Food Center or Lau Pa Sat.

Geylang

Singapore’s lone gentrification holdout is Geylang, a red-light district poster child east of Central Area. Though far from dangerous, the rough around the edges ‘hood is a stark and frankly, welcome contrast from the rest of the spotless city-state. Full of coarse atmosphere and spunk, the area has some incredible period architecture and perhaps the best collection of affordable and authentic restaurants on the island.

An Alternative Guide to Sydney

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The state capital of New South Wales is one of the premier travel destinations in the world. Modern and cosmopolitan Sydney is a vital global hub and the veritable nerve centre of Australia.

With close to 4.5 million people, Down Under’s foremost metropolis has a dynamic and diverse civic vibe, with myriad neighbourhoods and districts to explore. By day, the New South Wales capital offers spectacular and popular attractions like UNESCO World Heritage Site Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach. By night, the city comes alive and offers a rich tapestry of superb restaurants, nightlife and live entertainment.

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Traveling in Vietnam

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The Vietnam tourism industry is slowly but surely picking up over the years. Known for it’s scenic natural views, it’s one place nature lovers must not miss. As a matter of fact, I am doing a bit of research on Vietnam tours as I intend to travel Vietnam, either by tour or backpacking sometime next year (well, I need to save enough money for the trip!).

There are many tour options and there are also cruises as well for those who wish to visit the famous Halong Bay. I think it’s good to know a little about the country you plan to visit. Beside tourist spots, I think it is good to know a little about the people and the culture just so you know what to expect. If you’re looking for travel information like language and literature; climate and weather; currency etc.

Underground Living on Lanzarote

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Lanzarote – the eastern most Canary Island – is home to some of the most unusual real estate on the planet. Thanks to a cataclysmic volcanic eruption – which lasted six years from 1730. Which covered one quarter of the island in solidified lava – so forcing a serious re-think about how to construct homes and houses.

This unique architectural approach is today best epitomized by the incredible home of the island born artist and architect Cesar Manrique – owner of what is undoubtedly the most famous and surreal property in Lanzarote.

Back in the 1960´s Manrique created a house within a series of five volcanic bubbles, which still blows visitors away to this day. This ingenious feat of architecture was Manrique´s first major piece of work on Lanzarote and encapsulates his organic approach and desire to create a perfect symbiosis between man, art and nature.

In the early 1960´s Manrique was studying art in New York and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Andy Warhol. But as tourism started to take off back on his native island he felt the urge to return. Afraid that his beloved Lanzarote could be buried beneath a sea of four star hotels and apartments. As had happened in other Spanish sun spots.

With the help of influential family friends such as Pepin Ramirez – then leader of the island government – he championed an ecological approach towards development. But he needed a flagship project to convince his skeptical fellow islanders. Many of whom doubted his assertions that Lanzarote could evolve as a viable tourist destination.

Manrique discovered his site by walking the lava fields that surround much of Tahiche. A small village, which is centrally located on Lanzarote. Here, the green tip of a fig tree caught his eye growing just above the sea of black volcanic rock. And on closer inspection he found that this emerged from one of five large bubbles that had been created within the flow.

Work commenced, the five underground chambers were interconnected, and by the end of 1968 Manrique´s creation was complete. Providing him with the perfect work and exhibition space and Lanzarote with a blueprint for future development.

 

An Unforgettable Holiday in China!

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Are you planning to travel to China and you have any idea where in China you want to go? As you know, China is big! Traveling in China, I can tell you, there is so much to see and is breathtakingly beautiful.

There are some places I definitely suggest you, if nature interest you: The Yellow Mountains in Anhui Province…they are often depicted in traditional styled Chinese paintings. Places in off the beaten path provinces such as Hunan, Hubei (which has Wudang Shan, great mountain), that is not far from Henan Province where Song Shan is located and the Shaolin Temple.

If you have time to travel to Sichuan Province, or Qing Hai, the mountains there border on Tibet and are just as beautiful, Xinjiang Province that is close to Pakistan with all those mountains with fed lakes and rivers.

If archaeology interest you, get out to see the Tang Dynasty Mausoleum there 1/3 the size of the terracotta warriors in Xi’an. And for only 40 kuai you can rent a bike and ride around the city walls.

The Yangze River (Chang Jiang) maybe?

And if you stay in a place for a few days, I guess apartment rentals is a better choice cause are not so expensive as we think and are more comfortable. Just you have to pay a deposit on check in. The amount required will vary depending on the agency. But holes ask this too, so… The only inconvenient is the language barrier. Be sure that what you sign is really what you want (short term rentals is pretty new concept in China).

Ah, almost forget! I’m living in Beijing, so if this city that intrigues, inspire and rewards, this city who is reinventing itself day after day attract you, I can help!

Dutch Smoking Ban – Pure Cannabis Joints OK!

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This is GREAT NEWS for cannabis users in Holland (and tourists of course!). Now maybe the Dutch will STOP mixing their marijuana with tobacco in their joints! It’s very unhealthy and addictive to smoke tobacco!

By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels

Cannabis will be exempt from a Dutch smoking ban that comes into force in two months.

Restrictions on smokers in cafes and restaurants will not apply as long as cannabis is consumed neat, without tobacco. The exemption follows fears that many of Amsterdam’s lucrative “coffee shops” would be forced to close if soft drug users had to smoke elsewhere.

Liberal Dutch policies, introduced in 1972, on the sale and use of cannabis have generated a trade valued at more than £3 billion a year.

The coffee shops, which draw millions of tourists each year, allow users to buy cannabis over the counter and smoke it without fear of arrest.

Source: Telegraph