City I did not scratch the surface of: Vienna, Austria
For less than two days in Vienna, you can only see so much. The 'culture capital of Europe' has much more to offer than even the sights I hastily breezed through. The opera, theater, and music scenes are some of the best in the world. I place this in the list of cities I need to visit again (once I have more money).
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| There was a lot I did not see of Vienna |
City I did not appreciate in Spain: Valencia
Las Fallas is the best time to see Valencia in its most lively state. Still, it was nearly impossible to appreciate and tour the city with the influx of tourists. The museums and beach are highly regarded. Also, I should have found some more authentic paella (though all I ate in Valencia was paella).
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| The crowds of Las Fallas made it hard to appreciate the city |
Best city for a day trip: Lyon, France
Visiting with my friend, we only had a total of 24 hours for a full tour before a return to Geneva. Luckily, Lyon was perfect to enjoy for that time span. The city features the right amount of culture, history, and modern traits to satisfy every niche. The hostel attendant offered the best walking tour route, which kept us interested for half the day. Being in France, we had some of the best food of the whole trip.
Cheapest country: Poland
When your currency is 4:1 to the euro, the exchange rate is rather in your favor. Things were cheap in Poland, but never lacking either. For 200 euro, I got all of my lodging, food, transportation, and entertainment for 4 days. Try doing that over two cities in any one country.
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| Free walking tours, free vodka... |
Best Airport: Vienna International Airport
I was not thinking the Vienna International Airport would be my favorite after landing in the snow and de-boarding to the tarmac. Still, the airport was clean and modern. Additionally, I give Vienna points for the best airport security. Friendly airport attendants greeted you in a choice of languages to assist the security process. The only downside was the confusing airport layout, which did help in separating the volume of people (making the security that much easier).
Honorable Mention: Chopin Airport (Warsaw)
The first airport with the best security, before finding the Vienna airport. Vienna wins out because all of the polish security attendants were wearing ugly green military uniforms.
Honorable Mention: Madrid Barajas (International terminal specifically)
Terminal 4 of the Madrid airport wins the "Weirdest terminal design" award. Completely modern and borderline futuristic, it was my first and last image of Madrid. I did fly into the airport once in between, my return flight from Vienna.
Best bus ride(s): ESN Barcelona trip
I admit, I'm a sucker for large double-decker buses. One of these beauties was our designated hauler for the Barcelona trip with 60 ESN students. The bus proved surprisingly comfortable for the 8 hour ride from and to Madrid. The only problem was that it lacked a working bathroom, so stops were necessary. Our driver was also awesome for navigating the curvy Barcelona hillside roads without hitting anything (though we did come pretty close at times).
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| I'm on a bus! |
Best hostel: (Tie) Hostel Escala Luna (Salamanca) and Greg and Tom's Party Hostel (Krakow, Poland)
These hostels were my two favorite and hard to separate.
Escala Luna was the nicest hostel of my travels. Single room, tv, wifi, private full bath, closet, heater, plus included towels and toiletries. At 24 euro a night, not the worst deal for a very central location. Lacked on the social atmosphere, but I was impressed by the facilities for my first trip in Spain. This pick was a initially slight risk; the reviews on HostelWorld were not the best.
Greg and Tom's offered good amenities, modern toilets, free breakfast and free dinner. 99 PLN is only around 30 euro for two nights. Let us not forget the nightly bar hopping around Krakow. The staff and guests were all nice.
Best night club: Kapital (Madrid)
Seven floors of non-stop partying. As one of the first clubs I visited, the staircases almost went on forever with each floor offering a different vibe for thousands of clubbers. The music was never bad, yet never the best. Still, this was my most visited club and remains a staple of the Madrid party scene.
Honorable Mention: Razz (Barcelona)
Winner of "Best music at a nightclub" award, this club was wide and spacious. Music type, good ol traditional Euro drum and bass. Later in the evening, a live stage unfolded before many a mesmerized patron (including myself) for a live rock concert. How cool is that!
Honorable Mention: Es Paradis (Ibiza)
What would a best night club list be without at least one Ibiza entry. Our trip took us here twice, first for the foam party and then the water party. With many small platforms, you could lose yourself in a maze of walkways. The upper balcony level gave you a view of the whole club (and a place to get away of the all consuming foam).
Best beach: La Concha (San Sebastian)
Easily regarded as on of the top 5 beaches in Spain, La Concha (Sea Shell, in Spanish), is the front patio for the historic district of San Sebastian. In the mornings with low tide, beach soccer tournaments are organized for children. With higher tide, the water engulfs more of the gradually curved beach. Without commercial traffic, the water in the bay is pristine with views of the local rock formations. Perfect place for afternoon jogs in the sand followed by some beach football.
Honorable Mention: Barceloneta (Barcelona)
Even for the first good day of weather in March, the Barceloneta beach had a following of surfers and general beach goers. Easy to walk around, people watching on the boardwalk is very enjoyable.
Most interesting city: Barcelona
So good, I had to go there twice. Barcelona only plays second fiddle to Madrid by government representation. From a global perspective, it is the more recognized city. Barcelona is the place where even other Europeans visit for an exotic vacation. What Barcelona lacks in traditional Spanish culture it makes up by providing a little of everything else. The most architecturally significant city in the world, while not featuring the historic plazas and grand palaces of Madrid, is adorned with works by Gaudi and contemporary skyscrapers. Weeks are necessary to appreciate the diversity of attractions. From museums (including the Picasso museum and Institute of Catalan art), churches (Cathedral of Barcelona and Sagrada Familia), football (FC Barcelona), parks (Park Guell), and the Olympic city, Barcelona has it all. In my opinion, the city's greatest asset is the Mediterranean sea, allowing greater tourist access and relaxing beaches.
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| Hard to imagine any city having more to offer. |
Stay tuned for the third and final part of my recap!
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