Some people go to markets to buy groceries. I go to markets to eat. That's why when I landed at the Borough Market
in London this Saturday, hair blowing in the wind and stomach rumbling
for all to hear, I knew was in heaven. Everywhere I looked, scattered
amid the rows and rows of vegetables and iridescent spreads of raw meat
and fish, there were food vendors. Food vendors offering everything a
hungry stomach could crave.
First, I hastily headed to the
German deli vendor, where the lad and the lady behind the stall busily
flipped sausages and topped buns with generous heaps of sauerkraut. The
smell was amazing and for a little under four pounds I bought myself
what could be the master of all New York City hot dogs, grilled to a
crisp, resting on a bed of sauerkraut and soft bun and smothered in
ketchup.
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It’s cold out there… no one can argue that. Whether that’s a good thing
or not depends on who you ask. While some curse the cold, heading south
the minute December rolls around, others embrace it, strapping on snow
pants and hitting the slopes at the first sign of snow. Yet still
others, particularly those that grew up in the Netherlands, flat of
welcome the cold winter. Why? Because as the frost piles up, so do the
odds that Holland’s national winter celebration, the Eleven Cities
Tour, will occur.
It doesn’t happen every year, but when
conditions are cold enough, the Eleven Cities Tour (known locally as
Elfstedentocht) attracts millions out into the cold to witness
Holland’s favorite winter sport: speed skating. The legendary marathon
runs over 125 miles of frozen rivers and canals through eleven cities
of the rural, Friesland province.
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Waiting at the airport is never fun, but unlike most who waste away
their hours due to delays, I have arrived. Instead, I’ve got about 8
hours before the rest of my friends arrive at Vancouver International
Airport and we head up to Whistler Blackcomb for what has become an
annual rite of snow and partying.
The journey from Vancouver to
Whistler, approximately 2 hours, might be one of the most beautiful
drives in North America. Years of construction have yielded British
Columbia a picturesque stretch of road along the coastline called the
Sea to Sky Highway. To the west is the expanse of the Pacific Ocean and
to the east steep, rocky cliffs of indigenous pine.
Days at the ‘best ski resort in North America’
should undoubtedly be spent flying down the mountain, but it’s not
always that easy. Deciding which of the two peaks, Whistler or
Blackcomb, to explore is a tough question… even the fastest of riders
can’t cover the expansive terrain in a day here. Luckily, the
Inter-peak Gondola (built for Olympic tourists and currently in
operation) can take you from one peak to the other in the most
comfortable of walking shoes, not to mention a view that can’t be beat.
For those looking for a challenge and an equally unique experience, the
Blackcomb Glacier is the place to go.
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From our resident Bondi beach bum, Carlyn,
comes your go to guide on Sydney's best beaches. What gives Carlyn
particular expertise on Sydney’s beach bummin' culture is her role at Noah's Bondi Backpackers hostel, a backpackers paradise sitting on the city's most iconic break.
The other day, a few of my friends and I decided the 40 degree
weather--that's Celsius, folks--presented the perfect opportunity for a
little beach time. But although over the past few days we've become
Bondi Beach's newest resident beach bums, which my drastic change in
skin color and my poor companions' lobster-red backs will prove, we
decided perhaps it was time to explore some new waters...literally.
Since starting work in Bondi, I've been told by pretty much everyone
I've met that the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is a must-see and do.
The cliff views are stunning, the beaches exquisitely refreshing, and
the walk itself just overall quite fulfilling. So, armed with our beach
towels, "swimmers," and copious amounts of sunscreen (and aloe vera for
the first degree burns) we set off from Bondi, south towards Coogee
Beach.
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