europe
Whether embarking on a Eurotrip or a weekend jaunt to a foreign city, European travel requires some smart planning; you may know all the must-see landmarks, but we provide the hidden gems.
Christmas Lunch, Shipping Disasters and the Hadron Collider
In the marine insurance industry based at Lloyds of London there was a tradition that whenever there was a shipping disaster the ‘Lutine Bell’ would be rung to mark the event. The UK hospitality industry does not have a central forum like Lloyds but if it did and also had its own bell that bell’s clapper would be well and truly clapped out on Boxing Day after our Christmas lunch experience.
By Alan Russell8 years ago in Wander
Best Nightclub in Italy
A toga party in a Roman temple? How could I pass it up? In the summer of 2013, I laid in a hammock with a glass of red wine next to me and a book in my hand. I swung back and forth in the little patio off the hostel I was staying at in Rimini, Italy. People were laughing, talking, and smoking next to me in the patio, but my mind was drifting. The wine and sound of waves started to put me into a fuzzy lull. A beautiful long blond-haired man named Marco called my name. I had met him the first night in the hostel and he was working there in order to travel. He had that beach bum vibe and a joy that was contagious.
By Acasia Tucker8 years ago in Wander
Things I Remember About Rome
I've been to Rome several times with my family and I've enjoyed it every time. It's a place that I will never forget, but if I go to Italy again, I will choose another city to explore like Venice or Sicily. With that in mind, my trips to Rome have offered me a pleasant experience and I can't wait to go back to Italy again.
By Chloe Gilholy8 years ago in Wander
Budapest Went Crazy for Christmas
I think there are many reasons why people tend to go to central European cities for little getaways throughout their 20s. I personally know first hand how diverse and exciting our continent can be (Boo Brexit). What I found really astounding about Budapest, however, was how evident all of these different tribes of tourists were, and how well they complemented each other.
By Christian Atkin8 years ago in Wander
The Secret Places Around the City of Paris
I went to Paris three years ago and I will tell you upfront the smell of pub crawls and piss lining the streets never wavered from my nose anytime I walked around the city. It was my first time in France and so far reminded me of the streets of Dublin that I had longed to parade again.
By Heather Wilkins8 years ago in Wander
Iceland > Everything
Spring break of 2017 was just weeks away and every single friend group had a beach condo in Florida or a catamaran in Mexico that was calling their name. I had grown tired of the endless road trips and weeks spent lying on my couch in Kansas City, so I proposed a wild idea to my good friend Alison:
By Kelsey Knecht8 years ago in Wander
The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond
Imagine you’re living somewhere a bit lacklustre, like a very average and grungy flat in a bland bit of Glasgow. You’re not within easy walking distance of many super nice things and every time you go out, you see a shitload of rubbish, and well, shit. Because weirdly, people just let their dogs use the pavements as toilets and don’t bother to clean it up. Come on people!
By Megan Hemmings8 years ago in Wander
My Little Renaissance
The sun was setting over the Pyrenees mountains, as I reached the top of the Piazzale Michelangelo viewing platform overlooking the beautiful city of Firenze (I know english is Florence, but it just doesn't sound quite as good, so I'll stick with Firenze). I turned around, put on a rather specific tune on my headphones, and got my first glimpses of the city's panorama. At that moment, despite having only spent an hour in this far away place, I suddenly felt at home. Not in a classic sense of course, but rather — like the comedian Trevor Moore once so elegantly put — as a conscious vibration observing my little section of life.
By Art-Peeter Roosve8 years ago in Wander
Not All Wanderers Are Nuts
Four years ago this week, I displayed masochistic tendencies. I was in the exam room of the local urgent care clinic with a foot that could not support my weight and X-rays showing a small avulsion fracture in my badly sprained ankle. The good doctor said to take it easy, use crutches, and ice it as needed. My response was “but I’m hiking to the Acropolis next week!”
By Kaki Olsen8 years ago in Wander
Best Kept Secret
Sometimes there are things that seem almost too fantastic to believe. For example, if I told you that within a small area in Wales you could visit Roman ruins, Medieval ruins, early Industrial ruins, and see the birthplace of saints, Hollywood celebrities, and one of the fathers of the American Industrial Revolution, would you believe me?
By Andrew Jenkins8 years ago in Wander
