EFVblog is a new blog from Durant and Cheryl Imboden's Europe for Visitors, a trip-planning site that's read by 3 to 4 million travelers from 200+ countries every year. In this blog, we'll publish news from European tourist offices and other sources, point you to new or updated articles on our site, and post random items that are interesting, useful, or fun.
2010.03.12
A pub tram in Helsinki
ABOVE: Take the tram and enjoy a tipple. INSET BELOW: A beer drinker's view of another tram along the streetcar line.
Visit Finland sent us this news release, which we liked so much that we're publishing it in full:
Who said drinking on public transport is forbidden? SpåraKOFF, the world’s only pub tram, has been offering Helsinki sightseeing rides to thirsty customers every summer since 1995. Starting in May, you can again hop on, sit back, enjoy a cold drink and take in the highlights of the Finnish capital. What better way to get the feel of the city than sitting in this moving pub with a cold beer in front of you?
A tram converted into a classical style pub with interior decor of mahogany, brass and velvet, SpåraKOFF is truly one of a kind. The tram carried regular public passengers for 35 years, without a liquor license, before starting a new life as a pub tram in the spring of 1995. The name SpåraKOFF is coined from a Helsinki slang word for tram, “spåra”, and from the name of the oldest industrially operating brewery in the Nordic countries, Sinebrychoff.
The whole tour around the city takes about an hour. SpåraKOFF is an excellent way for summer visitors to experience Helsinki since the route passes many of Helsinki's main sights: the Central Railway Station, Linnanmäki Amusement Park, the Olympic Stadium, Finlandia Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, the Market Square and Helsinki Cathedral. The video screens inside show you how the sights look from the driver’s perspective.
You can hop on and off without a reservation at five different tram stops in the center of Helsinki. Your on board crew consists of the driver, as well as a waiter or waitress serving you beer, cider and soft drinks. There are approximately 30 seats.
Regular traffic in 2010 begins in early May and runs until the end of August. The pub tram is on the move five days a week, Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 2pm to 9pm. The fare is 8 euros for adults and 4 euros for children under 12 years old. Drinks are charged separately.
For more information about tourism in Finland, visit www.visitfinland.com.
Photos: Visit Finland.
2010.03.06
Bambú: A lesbian resort hotel in Andalucia
ABOVE: Bambú is down the road from Iznate, the Anadalucian "white village" in the photo. INSET BELOW: Sue and Cath, Bambú's owners, take a break by the pool.
We recently received an e-mail from Catherine Potter, a British expat who--with her partner Susanne--has opened Bambú, a small self-catering resort hotel for lesbians in an Andalucian village about 30 minutes from Malagá. With Cath's permission, we're sharing her story for the benefit of women readers who may be interested in an alternative to the usual package-holiday locales along Spain's southern coast:
"After years of participating wholeheartedly in the rat-race, raising children, seeing them off to university and contemplating another 20 odd years of ploughing the same 9-5 furrow, the opportunity to escape seemed too good to miss.
"Susanne and I had embarked on the adventure of acquiring a holiday villa in Spain some 7 years earlier (and it truly was an adventure...but that’s another story!). Our villa was a place to enjoy holidays with the kids but never a home. But we always loved Spain. Not the costas, where the Brits and other northern Europeans enjoy their annual two weeks in the cultural no-go-zone of a package holiday. But the real Spain. And yet just as close to the airport and beaches as any of the package destinations.
"Iznate is a charming quintessentially Andalucian white village. The locals expect us to learn Spanish and not the reverse. It’s not as sophisticated as Britain, that is if our rat-racey lives can truly be called sophisticated. Their main occupation is farming--traditionally raisins, used to make a divine brew called Malaga Dulce. Increasingly the land is being turned over to avocados and mangos--perhaps things are getting a little more sophisticated!--but it’s still farming all the same.
"The seaside towns around here are a million miles away from Marbella or Torremolinos. They don't appear in any package-holiday brochure. These places are where the Spanish come on holiday. And boy, do they know how to enjoy themselves! It all seems to revolve around eating!
"Andalucia doesn’t just have amazing weather (all year round). It is also blessed with stunning scenery--mountain range after mountain range, tailing off into the sea. It is drop dead beautiful. And then there is the culture, the history.
"This place was seriously important in the history of Europe, Christianity, Islam and even Judaism. Living here, being able to imbibe the history of Andalucia is intoxicating. Andalucia's four great cities are right up there in the ranks of all the great cities of Europe. Seville’s Alcazar and Giralda are stunning. Cordoba was once the largest city in Europe and a hotbed for scholarship, noted for its tolerance across all religious groups. Granada, the last stand of the Moors, is home to the most celebrated Muslim palace in the world. And Malaga City has its share of delights, with its Roman Ampitheatre, Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, not to mention its more recent claim to fame as the birthplace of Picasso.
"So we got the bug--Andalucia became a home from home--and when the kids flew the nest that was it. But how to make a living in Spain when one’s lingo is far from fluent? You've got to create your own way in life. Enter Bambú!
"We fell in love with the place as soon as we saw it. The moment we returned to the UK our house went up for sale. Bambú is perfectly proportioned and situated for a small hotel. We now live at what was our holiday home in Iznate and commute the 10-minute drive to Bambú on the outskirts of the next village along, Benamocarra.
"Prior to bringing up the children we regularly used to take our holidays in lesbian establishments--in Key West (yes, we loved Pearl's or Rainbow House as it was then) and at many places throughout the UK. It engenders such a sense of freedom and relaxation that a mainstream hotel never can, however 'gay-friendly' it might be.
"We had a vision for our lesbian oasis and in pretty much every respect Bambú fitted the bill. Prior to its new life as a lesbian centre for relaxation and sun-worshipping, Bambú was a large but simple finca--indeed, apparently some years ago it doubled as the hostelry where all the local farmers stopped by for lunch.
"We knew we needed seclusion--if we were to create a lesbian oasis, it had to be away from prying eyes. And Bambú’s nearest neighbour is ½ km away. But don’t get me wrong--this is not some place for debauchery. It is a respectable establishment where our guests can feel fully at ease to be themselves--nothing more!
"We knew the location and its views had to be sublime--and with 360-degree views from the Montes de Malaga to the Sierra Tejeda to the coast at Torre del Mar, the panorama from Bambú is simply breathtaking.
"Having always enjoyed self-catering holidays ourselves, we wanted to offer not just bedrooms but fully self-contained suites for our guests. The finca that was to become Bambú was perfect for such a transformation. We managed to create seven generous double or twin suites from reorganising the interior of the finca--each with its own kitchen, bathroom, front door and outside seating area.
"The exterior of Bambú was perfect too, with spacious terraces around much of the finca. There was plenty of room for a large pool, communal areas, a central bar and barbecue, and many private corners. And so, after many months of a stressful and occasionally nightmarish renovation project, Bambú was born...exactly as we had envisaged.
"We have always been fairly exacting and demanding customers when it has come to the holidays we have taken.We expect style, quality, good housekeeping, accessibility and a great location. And we have made the same demands of ourselves in developing and running Bambú.
"One day we’ll write a novel about the whole experience...but right now we just want to share it with you. Calling all lesbians, from near and far, come and enjoy this little paradise we have created.We have only just opened, and 2010 is Bambú's inaugural year. Come help us christen Bambú. One day we hope to be as famous as Pearl's! Isn’t it about time we Europeans started to learn to enjoy ourselves as much as our American sisters? Exclusively lesbian hotels are the future--places where we can truly relax and be ourselves. Come share it with us."
For more information about Bambú, visit Sue and Cath's Web site at www.bambu-resort.com.
Photos: Bambú Resort.
2010.02.27
Climb a "via ferrata" in the Dolomites
ABOVE: A climber in the Dolomites enjoys a spectacular view.
Dolomite Mountains, an adventure-travel company based in the province of Belluno, Italy, is offering a unique mountaineering experience for anyone in good shape who has a head for heights: Clients can climb a "via ferrata," or "iron road," in the rugged Dolomites of Northern Italy.
Here's more information, courtesy of Dolomite Mountains:
"A via ferrata is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities. It is a different way of enjoying the sheer magnificence of the awesome Dolomite environment--travelers will be stopped in their tracks by amazing views and mountain situations.
"Many via ferratas were originally built to aid movements of alpine military units during the First World War, and now (although they also exist in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland) they represent one of the major attractions in the Dolomites. They are, in effect, a range of protected routes, comprised of fixed cables, ladders and even gorge-spanning bridges, which aid ascent to places normally reserved for expert rock climbers. Routes are graded according to difficulty.
"Via ferrata climbing is suitable for anyone not afraid of heights who wants to experience the Dolomites in a different way. Cables and ladders aid even the non-expert climbers to do beautiful via ferratas. There are many ferratas of different difficulties so everyone can do what suits best.
"Probably the most unusual via ferrata in the eastern part of the Dolomites is VF Lagazuoi Tunnels. Fighting for control of Mount Lagazuoi in World War I, Austrian and Italian troops built a series of tunnels through the mountains. The aim of each side was to tunnel close to the enemy and detonate explosives to destroy their fortifications. Some of the tunnels have been restored, with a via ferrata following the route of one of these. It is now possible to descend into the mountain by following the VF Lagazuoi Tunnels route."
What to expect during your climb:
"'We supply simple mountaineering equipment such as a harness, helmet, some rope and a few karabiners,' says Agustina Lagos Marmol, founder of Dolomite Mountains. 'Your guide will teach you how to use the equipment and give you hints on climbing techniques in complete security. Trips are adapted to clients' abilities, and our local guides will show not only the beauty of the mountains but the history of the area though the via ferrata as they were built during WWI.'"
About climbing in the Dolomites:
"Around 1850, English mountaineers began to appear in the Ladin valleys. Their journeys took them several days on foot and their destinations were the imposing rock faces and peaks of the Dolomites. From 1870 onwards, train connections and large hotels attracted the nobility who, without exerting themselves too much, could restore themselves with the pure mountain air and the alpenglow.
"The inhabitants of the Dolomite valleys found themselves at the service of the guests in various ways: as hotel personnel, as mountain guides, and in other roles. Some of them soon started their own businesses and, around 1900, began to teach new winter sports to their guests.
"After 1945, tourism became the most important business sector in the Dolomites. Today, the Dolomites are famous for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, daily excursions, climbing and Base Jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn. Free climbing has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle Die Vajoletturme."
To learn more about Dolomite Mountains and the unique adventures they offer, visit http://dolomitemountains.com. (If you'd prefer to reach Dolomite Mountains by telephone, you'll find Italian and North American phone numbers on the Web site's "Contact" page.)
Photos: Dolomite Mountains.
