Every year in May, Europe has a spike of strange fever that leaves the Non-Europeans absolutely skeptical: the Eurovision, a ritual gathering of the kitsch, of the musical improbabilities, of the easy glitter, created in the middle of the fifties when it was necessary to gather Europe around peace and cooperation and dispel the spectre of the war. What about sixty…
Category: TRENDS
Review: Sir Albert Hotel, Amsterdam
It’s one of the gateways to the one which is nicknamed the Quartier latin of Amsterdam, the cosmopolitan De Pijp district. For a long time, it was the place to stay of the workers and the migrants. It’s now the land of the bohos, one of the landmarks of the artists, the students, and the homosexual community. De Pijp is…
10 things to do in Pest
Budapest: two cities in one, Buda and Pest. So far, nothing difficult, but these two cities joined by History both have their own soul. Pest is teeming with the life of a European capital, Buda invites to strolls in its charming little streets on which the centuries left their mark. Discover a few ideas for itineraries through Pest thanks to…
The Wilson Opera hotel, Paris
It was my refuge when Paris knew some terrible days at the beginning of this year. The Wilson Opera is a little three-stars hotel, so discreet that we could keep the address secret. Its name could make you think that it is located on the Grands Boulevards, but you’ll find it in the little Stockholm street instead, at a stone’s…
The InterRail pass in question
When you plan to travel in Europe by train, the first thing you think about are the InterRail passes. But are they always essential? What is InterRail? The brand is self-advertised as backpackers-friendly and offers several passes that allow you to travel in all of Europe by train. Buy your pass and then, take any train without paying anything (except…
5 European TV shows to (re)discover
« I need a daily dose of fiction to survive. […] The fiction serves to perfect and make this flawed life a little better. » Pedro Almodóvar. As far as fiction is concerned, Old Europe’s small screen has no reason to be jealous of the fabulous America anymore. Nowadays, European shows – especially British and Scandinavian ones, can hold their own in the…
The Hugo : a trendy cocktail from the Alps
Fed up with the eternal mojitos or caïpirinhas? Good news: Latin America is not the only place where people know how to make sunny cocktails. Goodbye Cuba or Brazil: welcome to the South Tyrol! It was there, in the Trentino-Alto Adige, that the Hugo was born in 2005; a summer cocktail that quenches your Central Europe thirst, from Austria to Bavaria,…
Impressions: Viennese cafés
On November 10th, 2011 the UNESCO classified Viennese cafés as masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. These Wiener Kaffeehäuser, the true temple of delightfully outdated lifestyle, have been described as places “where time and space are consumed, but where the only item on the check is the coffee”. A spacio-temporal rift there lets us contemplate the ordinary and…
Eurotrip in Central Europe, day 1 : the Viennese summer
My last post presented to you the program of my little trip in Central Europe, between four cities of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Prague. The idea is to tell you about this trip day by day, focusing on places, moments, delicacies, attractions, etc. Don’t hesitate to share your observations or your favorite places with me! Let’s…
An express to: Baden-Baden, Germany
Baden-Baden spreads leisurely at the heart of the Oos Valley, along a small tributary of the Rhine. This sprezzatura is characteristic of antiquated fashionable spa-towns. Baden-Baden, however, came out well from the “thermal transition” and has always remained, ever since the Antiquity, a small, but dynamic city. Indeed, the Romans first made the most of its hot water-springs, which are…
