One of my favorite ways to explore a new destination is by trying the local cuisine. So when my friend John, who lives in Prague, suggested we do the Prague Food Tour, I was more than happy to oblige. Continue reading “Prague Food Tour: Czech It Out”
Hostels are a great way to save money and be social while traveling, and after staying in 20+ hostels all over the world in the past few years I’ve learned how to pack for them. Below I provide some of the essentials I recommend for a successful hostel stay.
Lock
If you are bringing any valuables with you (laptop, lots of cash, etc) then it’s wise to bring a lock for your items. All hostels will either have lockers in a common area or in your room available.
Towel
While towels are usually available to rent in hostels, I prefer to bring my own. I use a thin beach towel that easily fits into my luggage.
Earplugs
If you’re sharing a room with others there’s bound to be some noise. I usually buy a pack of foam earplugs that do that trick.
Flip flops
Hostel bathrooms can be similar to locker room bathrooms, so I prefer to wear flip flops to keep my feet clean.
Toiletries
While some hostels do provide toiletries, I haven’t found that to be the case across the board, so I would recommend bringing your own.
Food
Not necessarily an “essential”, but almost all hostels have kitchens that you can store and cook food in. So if you want to save money or whip up a quick snack, bringing your own food is worthwhile.
Are there any other items you consider essential to a hostel stay? Share in the comments below!
A secret bar in an disused underground station? That sounds right up my alley, I thought.
After trying to pop in (unsuccessfully), I finally went the smart route and made a reservation for Cahoots, a bar I had heard so much about since moving to London. Continue reading “Cahoots: London’s Secret Bar”
One of my favorite ways to see a city is from above, and London doesn’t disappoint in ways for you to do so. Below are my top five favorite London rooftop views:
Duck and Waffle – Liverpool Street
Duck and Waffle is a 24 hour restaurant and bar where you’ll get great views of the Gherkin. Come for brunch (although make reservations ahead!), or for a glass of wine at their bar.
Entrance fee: None
Madison – St. Pauls
Madison is a rooftop bar and viewing platform (both free to enter) near St. Paul’s Cathedral. For a family friendly rooftop view, this is the place to go as the viewing platform is separate from the bar.
Entrance fee: None
Dalston Roof Park – Dalston
A bit of a hidden gem, Dalston Roof Park is a seasonal favorite, open from spring to the end of September. Here cocktails are served while a DJ spins music on weekends.
Entrance fee: £3 normally, more for special events
Sky Garden, located in the “Walkie Talkie” building, is the only rooftop on this list that has full 360 views of London. Sky Garden is quite large, and it’s nice to take a walk around the gardens.
Entrance fee: None
The Shard – London Bridge
The “View from the Shard” is the biggest rip off attraction in London at £26. However, if you enter the Shard from the restaurant entrance (it will be marked), then you can head to one of the Shard’s bars where a drink may run you £8, but entrance is free.
Entrance fee: None
Which of these looks most appealing to you? Is there another rooftop you recommend in London?
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What’s next?
This upcoming week my friend Miriam will be visiting me in London. We have plans to check out Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland festival and go to Cahoots, an old tube station converted into a 1940s cocktail themed bar.
Over the weekend I’ll be heading to Prague, Czech Republic. I’ll be exploring the old city and also partaking in a Czech food tour with my friend John who lives in the city.
Till next time all!
Many months ago, before the Brexit votes were placed, I never thought it would happen. My colleagues in and out of London were against it, as were my British friends in the city, and my boyfriend. Being new to the country and not understanding many of the issues the country was facing and regional nuances, it didn’t make sense to me why you’d want to leave the EU.
When it was announced that Brexit had indeed gone through, I was genuinely shocked. The pound plummeted. My boyfriend had trouble focusing at work that day and several of his colleagues and him left mid day to console themselves with (several) pints at the pub. Hate crime against Polish immigrants and Muslims increased nationwide.
I thought it would be a wake up call for Americans in the Clinton vs Trump presidential battle. Don’t make irreversible decisions like the UK did, my fellow Americans, I hoped.
When Trump first announced his presidency, I thought it was a joke. As time went on though, I obviously realized it wasn’t. Almost everyone I knew was supporting Clinton, however, and the few that were supporting Trump kept quiet about it.
I too found him awful. His comments negatively resonated with me, and didn’t fit with the narrative of my life as a feminist, daughter of a Muslim, and daughter of two immigrants who have worked hard to be successful in this country. To boot, both my parents are extremely patriotic, and raised me to be the same.
To get as far as Trump did though, there obviously had to be people supporting him. As time went on and I saw the poll numbers the night before election day with Clinton leading 2-3%, I didn’t feel any sense of comfort. Just like Brexit shocked me, I felt wary that Trump would pull ahead.
I woke up Wednesday morning to the news that Trump was the new President-elect of the United States. Part of me felt relieved that the election was over. Most of me just felt disappointed. I didn’t have much of an appetite that day.
However, I’ve watched Trump’s acceptance speech where he hailed Clinton has someone we owe a debt to. I saw him have a productive meeting with Obama. As much as I understand why so many of my fellow Americans are pissed off, the voting is over. We don’t have to like him, but we do have to move forward.
I will pray and hope that the America Trump painted for us in his election season is not the country he actually plans to implement (that wall seems like it’d be awfully expensive). I will hold him to an extremely high standard after all the talking he’s done about ‘Making America Great Again’. I also hope he doesn’t ruin the progress in healthcare and human rights that we’ve made in the past eight years.
Noelle Across The Pond 