In the buildup to the 2012 Olympics, London is turning into the world’s most tourist-friendly city. Long gone are the gray days of an unhealthy city with bad food, high prices, and serious-looking people. The city is sparkling, the food is world-class, major galleries and museums are free—and people are smiling. Last year, conscientious travel website Travelfootprint.org reported that London’s charismatic mayor, Boris Johnson, was planning on adding his city to the ever-growing list of “cycle” cities by planting 6,000 bicycles for hire around the capital. Like so many other public works schemes that are flourishing in London in the buildup to the Olympics, this healthy-living proposal has just been given the go-ahead, according to The Times, to the tune of $230 million. It sounds as fun as the mayor’s highly popular decision to place 31 free pianos in public spaces around the capital. So next time you’re cycling past Trafalgar Square or Carnaby Street, make sure you sing along with the locals to the ever-flowing renditions of Hey Jude. + www.visitlondon.com and www.enjoyengland.com.
What’s the Secret to Looking Beautiful? The Czechs Say Beer!
You might have heard that beer isn’t always for drinking. It can—believe it or not—also be used for cleaning gold, marinating meat, and polishing wood. You might not have heard that beer can also make you look beautiful. And no—I’m not referring to your partner’s impaired vision. According to The Sunday Times, a luxury hotel in dramatic Prague, the “City of a Thousand Spires,” has divined a way to keep your skin super-silky and your stomach happy.
The Augustine Hotel uses a series of concoctions produced by…wait for it…monks to fill you inside and out with the renewing properties of beer. A 90-minute beer-infused skin treatment includes a beer footbath, hop flower skin scrub, and “full body massage with beer-drenched towels”…oh, and a bottle to drink, too. Don’t worry, if you start to enjoy the beer too much, you can atone for your sins with dawn meditation in the monastery next door. Your pocket will surely pay for those sins, though—covering yourself in your favorite beverage will set you back $280. See: www.theaugustine.com.
But don’t despair—the rest of Prague, according to Andrea Liskova of Europeforvisitors.com and Czechtourism.com, is actually rather cheap. In fact, it’s quite the steal. Liskova believes a tourist can happily enjoy Prague for as little as $100 a day, and discovering fairytale Prague—which, incredibly, emerged from World War II almost unscarred—is magical. Start by buying a Prague card (www.praguecard.biz), which includes free public transport and entry to more than 50 cultural sites. Stay in the middle of the Old Town at the comfortable Hotel Cloister Inn (www.cloister-inn.com) from $100 a night, and for dinner, indulge in prized Czech cuisine for just $12 for a three-course meal (www.cernykohout.cz). Then head off to the world-renowned and exquisitely designed State Opera House (www.opera.cz/), where you can get balcony seats from just $5. See: www.bohemiaticket.cz. The only downside to this glorious city-on-the-make is that you’ll find a glut of European tourists filling its snaking streets. Yet, as you wander, you’ll realize that it was worth booking your trip now—because it’s only going to get more popular.
Tunisia—Once the Bread Basket of the Roman Empire
Tunisia is intoxicating. Walking through the narrow paths of its seventh-century medina, you will be overcome by the aromas of jasmine, orange blossom, bergamot, and lavender. In this snaking souk (marketplace) in Tunis, the dusty capital, you can buy argan and almond oils, halava, nougat, and honeyed sesame seeds. Travel writer Rosemary Behan adores this souk, where she buys books, antiques, and gold. It’s also a wonderful place to buy tiles, leather goods, and metalware to spice up your house.
When the heat gets to be too much, Behan suggests you stop at one of the many hole-in-the-wall cafés in the medina and try some keftaji, a delicious mix of vegetables, tomatoes, herbs, eggs, and spices. If you still have time, meander into the calming Zaytouna mosque, an oasis from the bustle of the souk, which dates back to the ninth century and is supported by columns plundered from Carthage.
Yep, that’d be the illustrious Carthage, as in Dido-and-Aeneas and Hannibal-and-the-elephants Carthage. Now a northern suburb of Tunis, this ancient treasure chest with achingly beautiful views over the Mediterranean is a must-see, according to Scott McDonald of Travelblog.org. This enormous archeological site is spread over a mile and includes everything from fragments of colossal statues and sensual mosaics to everyday objects like jewelry, combs, and lamps that really allow you to imagine the day-to-day lives of the infamous city’s inhabitants.
Tunisia was conquered, plundered, and ruled for the last three millennia by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs, and as a result, is filled with vivid archeological sites. Some of this small North African country, with its rolling golden fields that made it the bread basket of the Roman Empire, is still so undeveloped that it doesn’t take much to imagine a Roman legion appearing over a distant hill.
Tunisia today is a rather extraordinary mix of European, African, Middle Eastern, and Berber culture. Conservative and modern culture happily coexist; you’ll often see female members of the same family wearing completely different things—one covered and wearing a headscarf, another with tight pants and cleavage showing. It seems that, far more than many of their neighbors, Tunisians have the luxury of choice.
Flanked by two volatile neighbors, Libya and Algeria, separated from Europe by the Mediterranean and the rest of Africa by the Sahara, Tunisia is a unique North African oasis. It is safe and tourist-friendly. Outside of the resorts there are surprisingly few tourists, so unlike Morocco, you’re not constantly hassled by hawkers. You will be approached by Tunisians, who are an open, friendly, relaxed, and hospitable people; but don’t worry—they mostly just want to chat. Their natural kindness often means that asking a local for directions results in being escorted a few blocks
If you get some time to head out of northern Tunisia, Ben Stubbs of the Brisbane Times suggests you get underneath the Berber culture in the troglodyte subterranean homes of Matmata, which reminded him of The Flintstones. Try staying at Hotel Marhala (tel. (216)75-240-015), where you can get a comfortable bed that is literally six feet under. Oh…and don’t forget to pop down the road to Hotel Sidi Driss, you might recognize it as the place Luke Skywalker drank his blue milkshake. + www.tourismtunisia.com.
Where to Eat in Greece
Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver’s magazine, Jamie, recommends Skiathos as the Greek island where all good gastronomes should go to indulge. Try staying in the tranquil guesthouse by Kolios Beach (tel. + (30)24270-49287; website: www.kolioshouse.gr). For fresh fish and live music, visit Bakaliko in Ammoudia (tel. + (30)24270-24024). For slow-cooked stews and spanakopita, try Anatoli Taverna in Kalivia (tel. + (30)24270-21907). And for a classic family restaurant with sea views and a good wine list, relax at Taverna Agnadio in Vigles (tel. + (30)24270-22016).