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Mare Magnum
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Barcelona, Spain
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This place was Great
visited 1997
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The port of Barcelona is huge. Probably the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, it is only fair that they also have the biggest buildings in the port. The aquarium is big, and very good. The new shopping/entertainment center next door is also huge. Huge arcade hall. Huge shopping mall. Huge terrace. Miniature golf in the middle of the roof. Nightclubs and bars surrounding it. Outstanding concept. Something for everyone. This is a good place for post-game analysis...
posted Mar 7, 2005
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National Anthem Karaoke
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Malmo, Sweden
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This place was Great
visited 2002
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It's my first Swedish Top League hockey game. In fact, I think I share that experience with all the members of our little group. Maybe the Finn has done it before. Probably not the German or the Swiss. Definitely not the Belgian. The arrangement is professional. Starts off with the national anthem of Sweden. Just in case, the lyrics are on a little TV screen in the ceiling. National anthem karaoke...For whom? Fair enough though, Swedish hockey fans probably know the Russian/Soviet national anthem better, it's been more frequently played...or why not the Canadian...? Anyway, the game starts. It's not a very good game. 7-0 in the favor of the hometeam - MIF Redhawks, against Timrå. Money in the bank...But not very exciting. Afterwards we get to meet one of the away players. Number 4 in Timrå. According to him, the whole team was infected by a virus. Excuses...GO MIF!!!
posted Mar 7, 2005
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The Medina Guide Trick
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Susah, Tunisia
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This place was Average
visited 1989
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The trick is probably as old as the city. The young local guy luring tourists, acting friendly at first, then more or less forcing the tourists to pay him for the "service"...He approaches us, with the story that he works at our hotel as a bus boy. That may or may not be true, more probably not. He then acts like he's very happy to see us. He offers to show us around town, take us to places we wouldn't see otherwise. That part is true. We would most likely never see the very narrow backstreets he's taking us to. And then, conveniently, we bump into some friends of his. That's when the tour is over, and he demands that we pay him for the tour. We don't want to pay. He reaches down my pocket for money, and grabs some $5 or so. Fortunately he seems satisfied with that. No point in resisting, I'm 16, still a rookie at travelling. Learning the "hard" (although it could have been much worse, I must admit) way never to trust strangers...
posted Mar 7, 2005
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In The Ghetto
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Warsaw, Poland
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This place was Average
visited Apr 2003
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Warsaw is really not a ghetto. They used to have one, maybe was it here the expression was introduced during WWII. In fact, Warsaw fulfils most of the requirements for a modern European city. A well-functioning, punctual public transportation system. A clean, safe city center, where McDonalds’s and KFC's are mixed with the more traditional stores. A nice old town, castles, parks, etc. Friendly people everywhere, willing to help the lost foreigner. A huge building in the middle of the center with a scenic view over the city, a gift from uncle Stalin. The city has however missed out on one thing that would make it attractive for foreign visitors: It's not adapted for foreign visitors. For people with limited knowledge of the Polish language, simple tasks such as buying a train ticket or a simple meal could turn into serious adventures. The very helpful guys at the Tourist information at the Central Station could very well turn out to be your best friends in the city, writing little notes with "this guy wants a 3-day subway pass" or "this guy wants to make a phone call". The population seems to be in a transition period, where for a number of reasons the people show a large reluctance to learn and speak German, and have not yet realized the advantages of speaking English. Just give it a few years though, until our beloved European continent has integrated into one...
posted Mar 7, 2005
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Sweet Child Of Malmo
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Malmo, Sweden
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This place was Great
visited 2001
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Karaoke sections of nightclubs are like gambling tables; for outcasts. People who don't dance, or are tired of dancing, and several other reasons. This girl doesn't seem like an outcast though. On the contrary, she knows exactly what she's doing. Up until this point the song had been good, even very good. This very performance was an eye-opener though. It made me realize that "Sweet Child Of Mine" is one of the greatest rock songs ever written. Lyrics are good. Singing is good. Melody is good. But the intro! Slash's guitar intro! This girl is a professional singer. She knows the song, and she pulls it off. Few people can. "Where do we go now...?"
posted Mar 7, 2005
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