Europe String

The hamam (also spelled as hammam in Arabic) is the steam bath variant in Turkey. It involves relaxing in a room where hot dry air is allowed to continuously flow to allow bathers to perspire freely. If you can take it, you can leave this warm room and head for the hot room where it is, obviously, even hotter.
You can also get a massage and a full body wash. And for a slow transition to the “normal conditions”, you get to relax at the cooling room.
This experience is something that you would not want to miss, should …read more

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Here are a few great pictures on Flickr, showcasing European hostels. It should give you an idea of how different each hostel’s condition is.

Hostel Celica – a former Yugoslavian prison – is cool, according to jpete.
Hopefully, there are improvements on the Dover Castle Hotel (an old picture from clarissa).
I am not surprised that the famous Flying Pig Hostel in Amstedam made it to Flickr, courtesy of Dave Knight.
The Circus Hostel in Berlin where Shamrock Tatoo stayed looks clean. Highly recommended.
Lizvang stayed at the Leinster Inn Hostel.
The Copenhagen hostel where gaijin4life stayed at looks like something out of a budget …read more

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Related Posts:

Free Bicycles in Paris
Geneva by Bike

And today, we’re going to bike around in Vienna, Austria. Nope, it’s that other country where they do NOT have Kangaroos.
Biking is the fastest and cheapest way to explore the cultural, economic and political center of Austria. Of course, walking is still the cheapest option but if your time is limited and/or you do not have the patience or energy to spend 10-20 minutes walking between every site, biking is your best bet.
Citybike Wien rents out bikes. Before you can rent a bike, you need to register and pay a …read more

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Yes, do follow Mother Goose’s advise when you visit another foreign country. Of course, you need not follow Mother Goose to the letter by buying a fat pig (besides, even if you are willing to buy one, it will probably be out of your budget range).
What will you get out of it?
A trip to the local market will expose you to the local culture. Imagine all that haggling going on between the sellers and the possible buyers. Think of all those goods — some of them may even be strange — that you would be seeing there. Check …read more

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You shall not kill.
The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
Support the families of accident victims.
Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating …read more

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If you want to communicate with the locals but do not have the moolah to learn the language and/or hire a translator, you can start practicing the skills you have learned while playing charades or…
you can buy Picture Talk: Global Communications at Your Fingertips.
“Wherever you are in the world, express your wishes by simply pointing to the relevant pictures. This is the instant translator, with over 500 pictures arranged thematically in eight categories useful for the traveller. There are separate pages for your own sketches, and notes are available at the back of the dictionary.”
Paying 4,94Euros for this book/visual aids …read more

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Barcelona’s Port Olimpic is a marina lined with bars, restaurants and discos. It’s one of the best places where you can find excellent seafood restaurants.
If your budget is limited, though, you may want to keep in mind the following:

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Lara has featured Europestring on Crunchy Mustard, an interesting site that talks about “a collection of all things absurd in life. Whether it’s about the really great piece of pizza we just ate, or the lovely state of world affairs, we have you covered.”
Thanks, Lara!
Go check out Crunchy Mustard, too.  It’s a beautifully designed site with tons of information which could probably help you get that next trivial pursuit crown.

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Flashbooking is an online directory of budget hotels and hostels which are mostly run by locals.
So the next time you plan to vagabond in Europe (or anywhere else in the world) and your budget is limited, add Flashbooking in your research for the cheapest accommodation.  You may find the best deal there.
And whether you book with them or not, you can print any of their Flashbooking Free Pocket City Guides to aide you in your travels.

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The Copenhagen Opera House is Denmark’s world class venue for opera and ballet. Currently, they are showing Matador, a musical by Peter Langdal and Bent Fabricius-Bjerre.
Interested?
The cheapest ticket costs around 90Dkr (ca. 12Euros).
No time to reserve? You can also head for the Box Office on the day of the performance to purchase one of the 15 standing stalls.
Want better seats without having to pay an arm and a leg? Head for the Box Office after 4pm for half-price tickets on the day of the performance. Matinee tickets (which is also cheaper) are available an hour …read more

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