From the minute you step into the bright, shiny, neat and tidy, perfect curated aisles of the huge warehouse that is the Pinball Hall of Fame, if you’re anything like me and have a soft spot in your heart for nostalgia, you’ll have found your nerdy heaven.
If you’re looking for a peaceful day trip from Tokyo, Enoshima is the ticket. This tiny little island off the coast is one of the most serene and beautiful places I had the chance to visit on my last trip to Japan. It was so perfect and quaint it felt like a cartoon seaside village from a Miyazaki film. Hiking up and down the island you’ll be able to see stunning shrines, perfectly manicured parks, a secret garden, and if you’re VERY VERY lucky, a wonderful view of Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is known as the shy mountain so don’t expect to see anything but feel lucky if you do. The island itself is inaccessible to vehicles, making it an incredibly quiet location, and walking up the hills, sometimes the only sounds which can be heard the birds and wind through the trees.
While in California, we took a brief tour of LA’s historic downtown district. We were in town to see July Talk and decided to take the opportunity of being in downtown LA to see all the wonderful architecture that far too often, gets overlooked by beachy keen tourists.
Strahov Monastery in Prague and their illustrious shelves of parchment treasures, is a dream come true for any visitor. It is one of the greatest libraries of the world and well worth the effort of visiting if you come to Prague.
If you’re looking for the busiest, liveliest, brightest, craziest area to stay while visiting Tokyo, there is no other option for you other than Shinjuku. Shinjuku is home to the world’s biggest railways station, where more than two million passengers flow through their hallways each day. Just a taste of the immensity of this mini-city.
Visiting Tokyo in the wintertime is one of Japan’s best-kept secrets. So many people avoid travelling in the winter due to the cold but if you layer on those coats and scarves, you’ll be treated to a Japan which is sometimes only seen by locals and those few tourists who make the effort to brave the elements. Winters in Tokyo are meant for soaking in hot springs, visiting Mount Fuji on a clear day and best of all, eating delicious winter food! Dining in Tokyo can be had for as little as under $20 or as much as over $100. I’ve been sure to include various price points in this list so whether you’re looking for a cheap lunch or a luxurious dinner there is something for everyone!
High atop the rooftops of Prague, there is a secret pathway with one of the best views you can find across the entire city. This hidden gem is called ‘Petrin Hill’. Locals like to call it Peaceful Petrin and for good reason. From here you can look out not only across Prague itself but far off to the countryside as well. Compared to the packed streets of Old Town Prague, this park high above is so quiet, and sometimes you’ll be the only one walking its paths.
When I first visited Washington D.C. I thought it would be nothing more than plain white political powerhouses and generic American architecture. Boy was I wrong! I was shocked to see what a beautiful city this was. The central sightseeing portion of this city is extremely walkable so its easy to just wander around from place to place taking snapshots of the bright, bold and brilliant art and architecture which makes Washington such an incredible place to visit.
One way which I love to explore a city, especially for the first time, is through their works of art. Both historical and right up to modern day. Art teaches us about the culture of people who made it. What was important to them, what moved them, what inspired them? Even what shaped them.
Over the years, I stopped trying to see all the “top attractions” and instead started to explore smaller areas of the city. I stayed in one spot and dug in deep there. I stopped paying attention to the things that bothered me and instead focused on the beauty of what was around me. While I’m never a fan of avoiding certain touristy things just because they “popular”, there are definitely some things over-hyped parts of town. I’ve learned from exploring New York so many times what’s worth avoiding and what’s worth your attention, time and money.
Venice is a city which seems to dazzle everyone who enters. It glows. It sparkles. It surprises. But behind all that shimmer and shine, there are all those same dark corners and less than perfect experiences to be had. Avoid all the following things to ensure you have the best vacation in this magical floating city.
Salzburg being such a small city is the perfect place to explore on foot. Due to the fact that the city’s tourist popularity only took off in the late 19th century, the magnificent baroque architecture and the incredible natural environment was left preserved and without huge areas of modernization. This makes it a dream for photographers and Instagrammers alike. I’ve provided a google map to all the different locations and put them in an easy to follow sequence so you can actually use this guide as a walking tour as well as Instagram guide.
Salzburg is not only a historical and picturesque, baroque utopia, but it was also the setting for the classic film The Sound of Music. Any place deemed charming enough to be the backdrop for such an extraordinary film is undoubtedly worth your time. Getting the chance to see the actual locations where this quintessential movie was made is a treat for cinema lovers as well as music aficionados.