European river cruises: AAA travel show tidbit

by Jamie Rhein on

The one presentation I was able to attend at my cyberspace AAA travel trade show, “Europe is Closer Than You Think” was the one by Uniworld Grand River Cruises. As I watched a slide show from the comfort of my home-based office, the presenters talked about what the cruise ship company offers and then answered participants’ questions.

For people who would like to tour Europe, but are afraid of the costs, a river cruise has some advantages. Since you sleep on the ship and meals are covered, that takes care of worrying that you could end up spending much more money than you had planned. Wine comes with dinner and is included in the price. The ship also is your transportation. That cuts down on the wondering about how much getting from place to place will cost you. Since at each stop, local entertainment comes on board, you won’t have to spring for entertainment tickets either.

One of the things the presenter mentioned is that such a trip also cuts down on the hassle of needing to pack and unpack at each destination. There are 5 to 8 hours at each port, but you could stay longer at the city where the cruise starts or ends. Just arrange for your flight to arrive a few days early or leave a few days late.

Another feature I like about Uniworld Grand River Cruises is that there are experts who give tours of the places on the shore excursions and the admission to the places on the tour are included in the cruise price. You won’t be dinged over and over again when you want to maximize your experience. On board the ship, there are programs as well, or you can chill out.

Another plus about these cruises is that the ships are not big so you’re not traveling with huge crowds of people, and because the ships are small they can travel where large ships can’t. Cities are not the only stops–so are small towns and villages.

There are several itinerary options. Here is a link that leads to the page of European river trips. The company also offers trips in Egypt, China , and Russia. There’s a trip that cruises the Black Sea and takes in Ukraine and Turkey.

Guide to New Haven: Where to eat, drink, and party

by Jerry Guo on

Eating

It’s not a stretch to make the claim that New Haven has as many restaurants as a good chunk of Manhattan. Besides New Haven pizza (yes, even better than Philly’s or Chicago’s) and burgers, the town’s also known for eclectic ethnic foods, such as Ethiopian, French-Vietnamese, and Japanese fusion. And we haven’t even started counting up the Thai places (dozens). The Dixwell and 9th Square neighbourhoods are good place to start your culinary exploration.

Louis’s Lunch ( 562 5507; 261 Crown St; burgers $5; Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm) Though this eatery’s only open for a couple hours each day, it’s well worth the effort to squeeze into your schedule. The Library of Congress credits this little 1-room take-out shack with creating the first burger, back in 1895. They’re so good that management forbids you to use any condiments. They even frown slightly at side dishes-though they do make a mean potato salad.

Pepe Pizzeria ( 865 5762; 157 Wooster St; large pizzas $18; Mon-Fri 11am-10pm; Sat-Sun 12-8pm) If you go to one restaurant in New Haven, make it Pepe’s. Known as the birthplace of American pizza, Pepe is smack in the heart of Little Italy and an absolute icon. Be prepared to stand outside for at least 45 minutes before stepping in to order the thin-crust pizza topped with fresh clams, the house special.

Ibiza ( 865 1933; 39 High St; $40-80 main entrees; Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm) The ultimate in luxury eating, this gem was recently voted the best Spanish restaurant in the country by The New York Times. Perfect for a romantic date or if you just like a rich glass of wine (and a wide selection of cigars to boot).

Drinking

Anna Liffey’s Irish Pub ( 773 1776; 17 Whitney Ave; Sun-Thurs 11:30 am-1am, Fri-Sat 11:30am-2am) The perfect bar for the international set. You avoid the student crowds at many of the other bars and enjoy a bit of sophistication-exotic beers, scrabble night, and Soccer Sundays!

Entertainment

Toad’s Place ( 624 TOAD; www.toadsplace.com; 300 York St; Wed-Sat 9pm-2am) This is a must-visit destination. You haven’t experienced college life at Yale without going to Toad’s, or as the students say, “all roads lead to Toad’s.” If you’re lucky, you might catch one of their infamous shows. Modest Mouse and The Killers recently came.

Shopping

J-Press ( 772 1310; www.jpressonline.com; 262 York St; Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm) For the ultimate “Ivy League” shopping experience, a stop at J-Press is a must. Founded in 1902, the interior is the epitome of old-school preppiness. Resist the urge to pop your collar when you’re shopping inside.

Guide to New Haven:

Aesthetically pleasing: Travel + Leisure Design Awards 2008

by Anna Brones on

Travel definitely tops my list of interests, but coming a close second is design. Put anything with good lines and a sense of color in front of me and I am immediately thrilled. When I travel this turns into a lot of ogling at art and design inspired hotels and frequently visiting a lot of contemporary and modern art museums. Travel + Leisure seems to be on the exact same page this month with its Design Awards 2008.

As the chic travel magazine puts it, “Architecture and design shape every aspect of the travel experience.” I couldn’t agree more, and even though Travel + Leisure caters to a wealthier clientele, this still holds true when you are on a travel budget. Just because you can’t afford to stay in a well designed, modern hotel, doesn’t mean you can’t visit the lobby. And a lot of great architecture is best viewed from the exterior — a perfectly inexpensive way to pass an afternoon.

To showcase some of the best design, Travel + Leisure picked 15 different travel related categories and put together a slide show of the winners. Some of my personal favorite winners include the Nordpark Cable Railway Station in Austria, which won Best Transportation and the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, which won Best Cultural Space. Other winners were the Beijing National Stadium, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City and the Town House Galleria, Milan. Take a minute to feast your eyes on some of the best in travel design here.

What are your favorite travel designs?

Binging in the UK: Part of culture or culture itself?

by Iva Skoch on

Last week in London, I noticed pubs still closed at 11, despite having had the option of applying for a 24-hour drinking license for almost three years now. It just so happens, that the UK released a report last week claiming that the prolonged opening hours didn’t really help curb the “binge-drinking problem” in Britain.

In her column, Sorry I binge responsibly, The Guardian’s Zoe Williams writes about the complicated British culture of binge-drinking, asking herself whether to blame the 60s for destroying a shared understanding of morality, or the 80s for creating the financial disparities that make society functionally meaningless to people anywhere near the bottom, or–her best bet–she offers leftist fiscal explanations.

Whatever causes the Britons to binge-drink, one thing is clear. Liberal licensing laws have not helped much. The average pub in the UK stays open only 21 minutes longer than before (pubs are not interested to apply for licenses). Although crime has gone down slightly, alcohol-related crime, in city centers, has gone up, especially after midnight. Williams writes: “If the relaxation of licensing laws has had any beneficial impact on crime, then perhaps it is to keep burglars in the pub, giving them less time to burgle.”