Posts under ‘Europe’

Oktoberfest in Munich Germany is all about beer, swine and fun but one tent dares to be different it serves smoked herrings. These tasty morsels are cooked in large charcoal grills outside the pavilion as they would smell it out. You can smell these fish a mile off- well not quite but they do have a distinctive strong odour. Hundreds are served every hour on a platter with salad, pate, bread and other German specialties. Read the rest of this entry »

The Hofbrauhaus Beir or HB as it is fondly known is probably the best known of Munich’s beers. Hofbrauhas’ beer brewing tradition dates back to 1589 when some chamberlains and council members decided to build their own brewery. The first beer they brewed was a brown ale which was simply called “brown”. Today the Hofbrauhaus products are available all around the world. Read the rest of this entry »

You can travel the world looking for the best schnitzel but you would be wasting your time unless you go straight to Austria and find Schnitelwelt. They have the juiciest schnitzels you have ever tasted. Schnitzelwelt appeared to be a chain and can be found in about 6 locations throughout Austria, they are a bit like KFC or McDonalds only they sell schnitzels. There are quiet a few varieties to choose including Beef, Pork, Chicken Vegetable and Surschnitzel, which is a sour pork fillet and Fisch (which I believe is fish). The meal is served quiet simply on a plate with some chips and some dips. The restaurants are also licensed so you can get a nice cold Austrian beer and they have great donuts for desert- that’s if you can fit one in. My suggestion is go the meal deal, schnitzel, beer and donut, or if you are real hungry try a trio of schnitzel. The tasty treat pictured above was from the Villach store. Read the rest of this entry »

The Heineken museum is one of Amsterdam’s premier attractions and well worth a visit whether you enjoy a cold beer or not. The self guided tour is great value it costs about 10 Euros and takes you on more than a journey of beer manufacturing its more a journey of the history of Amsterdam and the brewery. There are plenty of displays and quiet a few interactive areas, you can DJ in your own nightclub, you can go for a horse and buggy ride on a simulator or play some great electronic toys in the bar room. The highlight of course is the beer, and you are treated to some complementary beer in two of the special bars in the museum. When exiting the bar you are in for a surprise too, with a special gift reminding you of your visit. Don’t forget to bring some coin for the gift shop there are some great products to purchase including t-shirts, bottle openers and stubby holders. Read the rest of this entry »

This 747 Jumbo jet is on display at the Technik Museum in Speyer which is about an hours drive from Stuttgart. It part of one of a few great automotive and aeronautic museums found throughout Germany. The 747 is the real thing it is a Lufthansa aircraft which has been decommissioned. You can climb the stairs and inspect the whole plane including the cargo hold which is quiet interesting. The museum has hundreds of other displays including submarines, trains, planes, cars, boats you name it- if it moves they will have one. There is also a IMax theatre, a really good cafe which serves good food and drinks including some of the regions best beer and wine and of course a gift shop which has got some great things to purchase. Read the rest of this entry »

If your ever looking for a great meal in London head to the nearest pub and order a pint and a toad in the hole- you wont be disappointed. This has got to be the best pub meal ever. Don’t be alarmed your not in France so its not a frog, its a magnificent dish with some sausages, onion and mash potato served in a crispy vol au vant like basket covered in rich brown gravy. You will love it- and for only a few quid it is a bargain. Washed down with a few pints of refreshing lager you have had a great lunch. Read the rest of this entry »

St Marks Square in Venice would have to have the biggest flock of pigeons anywhere in the world, there are what appears to be millions. These flying rats are everywhere, and to make things worse they are encouraged by people feeding them. Fortunately most of the buildings in the area have been covered in fine wire to stop the birds nesting and destroying the historic buildings but its hard to walk too far without stepping on a bird or their waste. They are very game and not afraid of people so it’s relatively easy to get a good photograph of these colourful pests. Read the rest of this entry »

If your traveling around Venice and looking for some cheap and fancy gifts for the folk back home, you can’t go past Venetian Glass. Now some of the cheaper stuff is Chinese imports but who’s going to know its all pretty flash. You can pick up some lovely pieces for only a few euros- remember to bargain you can save heaps. Some of the more expensive and exclusive stuff can cost thousands of dollars, but its pretty easy to find something at an affordable price. Keep away from the main tourist areas when shopping you can do better in some of the back lanes and if you are interested in glass its well worth a quick ferry ride across to Murano which is about 20 minutes away. Just about the whole village makes or sells glass ware. Read the rest of this entry »

No holiday to London would be complete with out a ride on the London Eye it is truly breathtaking. This monstrous observation wheel is 135 meters high, the biggest in the world- although Singapore is building a larger one and knowing how Japan loves Ferris wheels, they probably won’t be too far behind.

The attraction isn’t cheap but it is well worth the time and money, they say an average of 10,000 visitors travel on it a day.

If you are lucky enough to be in London on a clear day you will see close to 40 kilometers but even if it is cloudy you will get a great view of the city, Big Ben and other popular London landmarks.

It’s best to get there early to avoid the rush at the ticket box. The ride takes about 30 minutes to do the one circle. The capsules are all glassed in and very comfortable, there are 32 in total and they each hold about 20 people. Security is paramount and inspectors check the capsule after each trip and there are restrictions on some items being taken onto the ride.

The wheel is an amazing engineering feat, the amount of steel in the structure is amazing, it is claimed there is over 2100 tones of weight in the structure, which travels 26cm per second around the 424m circumference. Read the rest of this entry »

Stuttgart yard-brew make this delicious beer, Herren Pils it is has a fresh crisp taste and is very popular around the Stuttgart area of Germany. The brewery makes beer using the Bavarian purity law which forbids nasty preservatives and chemical additives to the beer. Read the rest of this entry »