Roma: La Dolce Vita & La Citta' Eterna

ROME (Roma) is frequently called “the eternal city.”  I don’t know about that, but certainly it has stood at the crossroads of history for more than 2000 years, as the capital of the Kingdom, the Republic, and then the Empire.  That all came tumbling down in 476, but the tradition carried on through the Middle Ages with Rome as the seat of the Catholic Church, and popes as the heads of state instead of emperors.  In the 19^th century, secular Rome became the capital of the new united Italian republic.  The sights are too many to mention. Unlike most cities where landmarks are generally divided between churches and museums, here we have the added categories of castles and fountains, plazas and steps.  Everything either dates before 400 or after 1400.  For a thousand years or more, almost nothing was built and Rome’s population dropped from as much as a million to as little as 20,000. 

SWINGIN' LONDON: Don't Forget Your Rubbers (It rains a lot)

LONDON is the capital and largest city of England, and one of the great cities in the history of the world.  What can you say about London that hasn’t already been said?  It’s huge, sprawling, magnificent, and once controlled about half the world.  The Romans founded it in 43 AD as Londinium on the River Thames, from which it grew to become the largest city in the world for almost a hundred years.  To this day it’s the best place from which to access the rest of the world, somewhat equidistant to all the rest, economically if not geographically.  You can easily spend a few days sight-seeing here.  Major tourist attractions include the famous Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.  That should keep you busy.  If not, then check out the British Museum, the National Gallery, Madame Tussaud’s wax museum, and the three major South Kensington museums (Victoria and Albert, Natural History, and Science). 

Zurich: Where a Hostel Can Save You a Bundle

ZURICH was once an outpost of the Celtic Helvetii and Romans before falling under the influence of the Franks and Alemanni, and long before joining the Swiss Confederation, a group united in opposition to the Austrian Habsburgs.  Its location at the crossroads of trade routes put it at the center of political and economic events on the cutting-edge of history.  Soon it became a manufacturing powerhouse, and a bastion of Protestantism, democratic reform, AND finance.  Culture followed, and Zurich became the center of the Dada art movement.  But it was not all inspired.  Its banks’ role in laundering Hitler’s money became known in the 1990’s and it repaid millions to Jewish families plundered.

Marseilles, the un-Paris

MARSEILLES is France’s second-largest city and largest on the Mediterranean coast.

It is also France’s oldest city, founded by the Greeks as Massalia before it became Roman as Massilia.  After the fall of Rome, the Visigoths took over briefly before the Franks and Charlemagne came in, then the counts of Provence.  It was reincorporated into France in the 15^th century and served as naval base for the Franco-Ottoman alliance.  As a major port it suffered badly during the various plagues and was always at odds with authority.  It strongly supported the French revolution and more recent socialist and communist political movements.  They say Mary Magdalene and Lazarus preached the Gospel here.  

Backpackers and Flashpackers: Guide to World Hostels : Confucius say, "Heaven risee, Helsinki..."

Backpackers and Flashpackers: Guide to World Hostels : Confucius say, "Heaven risee, Helsinki...": HELSINKI is the capital and largest city in Finland, and home to approximately twenty percent of all Finns.   Though founded in ...

Confucius say, "Heaven risee, Helsinki..."

HELSINKI is the capital and largest city in Finland, and home to approximately twenty percent of all Finns.  Though founded in 1550, it didn’t grow much until the 19^th century.  Today it is less expensive than the other Scandinavian capitals, so not a bad place to hang for a while.  There are ferry services to Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Tallinn only some 50mi/80km across the water in Estonia.  The city is small enough to walk around easily and the architecture is lovely.  Much of it is clustered around Senate Square, such as the state council building and the Lutheran cathedral.  Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral is a vestige of previous Russian rule.  In the Hollywood tradition of “day for night,” Helsinki has been used frequently in cold-war movies as the cinematic equivalent of Communist USSR, art imitating life.  This is the place to try a reindeer burger.  Enjoy.

     There are a couple good hostels listed in the book here, prices $30-35 for a dorm bed, maybe twice that for something private.  For a 10% discount on the already low $10 book price, click on the 'discount store' link and when prompted for coupon code, enter 9KGCTDCP.

Athens: Philosophy, Art, and... Hostels

ATHENS is where Western civilization began, with accomplishments in philosophy, politics, art, and literature that are unsurpassed to this day.  Athens is also one of the world’s oldest cities, documented from 1400 BC, when it played a role in the preclassical Mycenaean culture, and today the largest city and capital of Greece.  After centuries of neglect as a part of the Ottoman Empire, Athens today has returned to much of its previous vitality and importance.  It has also overcome much of its horrendous smog problem of a few decades ago, and today is fairly pleasant, especially in the tourist areas under the Parthenon.  Piraeus is the major port and is only a short train ride away.  Piraeus resembles nothing so much as a modern airport with ferries coming and going constantly.  As always the main problem in Athens is the economy. 

ANNOUNCING THE DECEMBER 2012 PUBLICATION OF “BACKPACKERS & FLASHPACKERS IN WESTERN EUROPE--500 Hostels in 100 Cities in 25 Countries”

Hostels are the biggest thing that has occurred in decades for budget travel.  Just when it seemed like international travel was an activity becoming reserved for upper class dining and whining in overpriced resorts, and when a backpack was becoming nothing more than a fashion statement for dot-com jillionaires to hide their valuables and their vulnerabilities, the explosion of hostels in the last few years has once again leveled the playing field and made travel possible for almost anybody and everybody with the desire and the disposition.  Accommodations ARE the most expensive part of travel, after all. 

     Hostels have long been around, of course, at least in Europe, but those were youth hostels.  These are hostels for backpackers, and flashpackers, too, their more upscale urban cousins.  There’s a world of difference.  Now Internet is a standard feature, computers available for free or for rent, and many a flashpacker with smartphone or laptop.  It’s not just Europe now, either, or just youth.  It includes the whole world, and it’s a way of life.  If it’s a cool place to visit, then there will probably be a hostel there by now, staffed by local people, all with at least a working knowledge of the English language.  You can easily organize a trip and stay in budget hostels the whole way the whole time now.  This book will help.  It’ll also tell you the history and major attractions of each place.  C U in Helsinki, or Inverness, or Lisbon, or…?