March this year I visited San Fransisco for a work related event. I asked my US co-workers to show me around their favorite places in the city. This resulted in me visiting local dive bars, hidden gems and … a country dance club. I have experienced life in 5 different apartments of the city: the Mission district, Marina area, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Financial District and the Union square area. These are the spots I can recommend when you’re visiting San Fransisco in California.
Als Vlaanderen expert vragen vrienden mij vaak wat ze beslist niet mogen missen als ze een bezoek brengen aan Antwerpen. ‘Waar kan ik goed shoppen?’ en ‘wat zijn de leuke wijken?’ behoren tot de meest gestelde vragen. Voordat ik er erg in heb begin ik vol enthousiamse te vertellen over de parels van Antwerpen: van de mooiste musea tot de hipste winkels, lekkerste adresjes en meest bijzondere wijken waar toeristen niet zo snel komen. Antwerpen verveelt nooit en al kom je er vaak, je raakt maar niet uitgekeken.
Via dit blog babbel ik zo aan het einde van het jaar er nog eventjes lustig op los over mijn heerlijke 2014 bezoekjes aan mijn favoriete stad Barcelona. Weer is gebleken dat deze stad zo veelzijdig is dat het niet uitmaakt welk jaargetijde je kiest: altijd genoeg vertier, verrassing & afwisseling!
Whenever I’m visiting a foreign country I always try to hunt for the culinary hotspots where locals like to eat. By doing so I’m guaranteed to experience a nice and authentic atmosphere and not an overcrowded restaurant packed with tourists that serves bad and overpriced food. One of the websites I mostly use for research is www.spottedbylocals.com. This website works with locals sharing their favorite (foodie) hotspots in their home town. Trip Advisor is another good option for finding the best rated restaurants and cafes in town.
Living in Rotterdam for almost 6 years now, I know the cities’ best kept secrets. Here’s a selection of favorite places in my neighborhood – Stadsdriekhoek and Blaak- which are close to the brand new Markthal. You might find my list to be a bit Asian oriented, that’s because there are plenty Asian eateries but also because I simply love Asian food!
When I had the opportunity to travel to Minsk in Belarus, I had no clue what to expect. Without any form of research I left for the capital of Belarus, only to be surprised. The city is buzzing and offers a whole range of entertainment: Karaoke Bars, crowded night clubs, large casino’s, cozy bars, cafes and great restaurants (people really love to go out!). The inhabitants of Minsk are friendly and even though not many people in Minsk speak English, they are patient to help you and with friendly gestures and smiles you will get a long way.
After WWII Minsk has been remodelled to the taste of Stalin: wide lanes with big sovjet palaces and buildings, all of them being lit during the evening, which is an impressive sight.
If I have to capture Minsk in one word, it would be fascinating!
Rotterdam is an exciting and versatile city with a down to earth attitude and a fenomenal modern architecture. Being the town where I live, I’d be happy to show you around the most iconic buildings (Hotel New York, Cube houses), the nicest terraces (Oude Haven), beautiful parks (Kralingse bos) and even an authentic Dutch quarter which you will certainly love (Delfshaven).
Guest blog by Olivier – Antwerp Hi there ! I’m Olivier, born in Belgium and currently living in Antwerp. You can call me a hedonistic hipster wannabe, foodie lover or design & architecture freak, I meet all the before-mentioned requirements. Give me a beat & I will dance to it ! I’m obsessed with music. I literally have headphones taped to my head. Put me on a plane and I’m ready to discover the world. Any destination will do, because to travel is to live.
Off-the-beaten track favorites in Antwerp
Spending my Sundays are mostly limited to shameless couch potato-sessions, but all that is about to change since Antwerp has a shopping Sunday every first Sunday of the month. So next Sunday I will be out the door for a new winter outfit or some (very) early Christmas shopping. Really, any excuse will do ! 🙂
Antwerp is a true shopping-walhalla, so you can be sure there is enough for every taste. If you are flabbergasted by the offer, don’t worry! Below you can find a few of my personal and off-the-beaten track favorites:
Vier Antwerp Hipster Alert ! Street wear lovers and sneaker addicts are at the right place here. A small shop boosting plenty of styles from chic to casual. You will mostly find menswear here, but girls can also find some exclusive pairs of sneakers here or cool gadgets and accessories.
Kammenstraat 66, | Location
Summer has arrived which means it’s time to plan a drink at one of the many nice terraces in Rotterdam! Since the city is surrounded by lots of water (the river Maas and several canals) you can imagine there are plenty of nice spots to relax at the waterfront and enjoy some lovely views on the skyline and watch boats passing by. To make it a bit easier for you, I assembled a list of my favorite terraces in Rotterdam. Don’t hesitate to share the list with your friends. Enjoy and don’t forget to call me to join you for a drink!
