Letchworth Garden City

Letchworth Garden City, işim gereği toplantılara gittiğim, büyük bir retail firmasının IT bölümünün olduğu bir küçük kasaba. Bu kasaba 1900′lerde ilk Garden City yani bahçeli şehir oluşumuna ev sahibi olmuş. Daha sonra İngiltere’de sürekli buna benzer Garden City yani bahçeli şehirler konumlanmış.

Şehir özellikle yaşlıların ağırlıkla yaşadığı küçük ama sempatik bir kasaba. Bir nevi kendinizi Londra’dan sonra “Truman Şov” şehrine gelmiş gibi hissediyorsunuz. Hep aynı taksiciler tren istasyonunda bekliyor. Restoranlar benzer kişiler tarafından kullanılıyor.

Şehirde bahçeli evlerin olduğu bölümleri de bir sonraki gidişimde çekeceğim ancak bu sefer sadece şehirde gezme fırsatı bulabildim. İki , üç banka bolca fast food dükkanı ve enteresan bir şekilde dört adet kuaför bulunmakta.

Şehrin küçük alışveriş merkezinde ise aradığınız herşeyi Londra’nın neredeyse üçte biri fiyatına almanız mümkün. Şehrin ana caddelerinde ikinci el çok güzel kitap dükkanları var ve toplam 6 Pound’a çok büyük premium sayılan ikinci dünya savaşı, Lady Diana’nın hayatı ve Sovyetler Birliginden bir fotoğraf albümü almayı başardım. Taşıması çok zor oldu

Buraya Kings Cross tren istasyonundan gidiş geliş 20 GBPye trenle ulaşabilirsiniz.

From Wikipedia
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town’s name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the area and build a Quaker community.They very quickly discovered the soil to be chalky and of poor agricultural value.

The Garden City was founded in 1903 by Ebenezer Howard, was one of the first new towns, and is the world’s first Garden City designed to incorporate elements of the country, alongside city life. Its development inspired another Garden City project at Welwyn Garden City.


Valuable Links
http://www.letchworthgc.com/
http://www.letchworthgardencity.net/http://www.letchworth.com/

Londra Notting Hill – London Notting Hill

Londra‘nın en meşhur ve bohem bölgesi Notting Hill, Kensington Bahçelerine  yakın Londra‘nın batısında bir bölge. Çok kosmopolit biryaşam alanı. En çok karnavalı ve Julia Roberts ve Hugh Grant’in baş rollerini oynadığı aynı isimli 1999 yapımı filmi ile meşhur. Moda, yemek, Victoria tarzı teras ve bahçeli evleri görülmeye değer. 1820′lerden beri alternatif  kültürler ve insanların yaşadığı bir yer olarak hep bilinmekte.
London‘s most famous and bohemian area is Nothing Hill which is close to Kensington Gardens in the western side of London. It is a highly cosmopolitan region. Nothing Hill is quite famous for its carnival and the movie shot in 1999 and starred by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The fashion, the meals and the Victorian-style houses with terrace and gardens are worth seeing. Since the 1820s, it has been considered to be a place where alternative cultures and people have been coexisting.

Bir kaç ana bölgeden oluşan Notting Hill‘de en önemli gezilmesi ve görülmesi gereken alan ve sokaklar şöyle:
Nothing Hill consists of a few main districts. Here is the list of the most important and worthwhile districts to visit;
Ladbroke Grove bölgenin kuzeyinde Kensal Green alanına yakın. Notting Hill Gate Londra‘nın Oxford caddesinin uzantısıa kadar gelen ana giriş. Ama burada kapıdan eser kalmamış 19.yy’da kaldırılmış.
Ladbroke Grove is in the North side of Nothing Hill and close to the Kensal Green region. Nothing Hill Gate is the main entrance that lies to the Oxford Street. However, it no longer exists as it was demolished in 19th century.



Portobello Road denen yokuş aşağı cadde ise cumartesi günü ikinci el dükkanların ve tezgahların açıldığı Electric Brassierre ve harika kafelerin bulunduğu sokak. Burada haftasonu kapkaç ve yankesicilere dikkat. Westbourne Grovekeza ticaretlerin yapıldığı modanın takip edildiği bölgesi.
Portobello Road is a street going downhill. In this street, second-hand shops and benches open on Saturday. Moreover, there are wonderful cafes and Electric Brassierre in Portobello Road.  Let me warn you, though. At weekends, you need to watch over for pickpockets. Westbourne Grove is a region where fashion is closely followed, and people do a roaring trade.



Neler yaptık dersem daha öncede gittiğim bölgeyi sokak sokak gezdik.  Bir gün önce Ottolenghi‘de yemek yedik. Evan’s Cycle’dan ben enerji barlarımı aldım her zamanki gibi. Sokakları arşınlarken dükkanlara baktık. Özellikle ekolojik ürünler ve sağlıklı beslenme çok meşhur bu bölgede. Portobello sokağında ise el sanatları ve hediyelik süs eşyaları son derece talep edilmekte.
To summarize what we did there, we wandered in the streets of the area I had been once before. We had diner in Ottolenghi the day before. As usual, I got my energy bars from Evan’s and Cycle. While we were strolling in the streets we were looking into the shops, as well. Especially, Ecological products and healthy nutrition are very influential in the region. In the Portobello street, handicrafts, souverniors and ornaments are highly on demand.
Tags: İngiltere Gezisi, England Trip, Londra İngitere,  London England, Londra Notting Hill, London Notting Hill

Renting a Cottage

United Kingdom as a country is a great heaven for resting and having a great holiday. Various type of Hotels, bed and breakfast type accommodation, Camping, Caravan camping and Hostels are some of the important type of spending holidays in this beautiful country. However, this time I would like to give information about a different, quaint, quiet and romantic opportunity. Renting a Cottage !

Cottage as a terminology is said to be a vacation or summer house in many languages. The term especially comes from East Canada, Scandinavia and  Russia. (in Finnish mökki; in Estonian suvila; in Swedish stuga; in Norwegian hytte; in Russian (dacha)) On the other hand in America, this type of house or accommodation is calles a “cabin” or “chalet”

After the 13th Century, the term “cottage” started to be used in English. This might came from old French or German. A small residence concept started emerging around 17th century. That this word spread widely and used since than. In early times most of the cottages were small  and quite unpleasant due to the poverty during those times. Than country life started to be more attractive and cottages started to become more and more exciting for living. The values of cottages gone up since than. People started seeking out cottages for vacation or as permanent residences.

Normally, Cottages in the UK are built from various materials like stone, wood, or wattle and daub. The designs are different depending on the region and country as well as the weather.  Some of them are tiled or thatched. Some cottages have their roof  with shingles.

With small gardens, fresh flowers, Cottages give a pleasant and warm atmosphere to the people who rent, live or let the property.  It can be seen as a holiday home but renting a cottage for a mid or long period of time is also very popular these days. Expats, professionals, writers, artists and retired people often rent long term cottages to have quiet and relax time outside the busy atmosphere of crowded capitals and large cities. People often let their own cottage for period of time too. Experience in the cottage hire industry is crucial.

Modern cottages do not have farm but some do. The main idea of cottages is to be simple. Many of them designed to be rustic. Some of the main features are hand-carved wood work, plank floors and stylish chimneys.
Having a cottage holiday with your small children or youngsters are also very educative and exciting.  if the cottages are close to beach you can enjoy fishing, sea sports and fun.  For example the cottages around Cotswolds have wonderful walking paths for long walks and surrounded by lavender fields.  Children will also learn about the fauna, wildflowers, insects and animal life.
Many cottage homes are furnished with antiques and wooden furniture. Oak or Cherry wood tables and chairs are popular. Reading is the most important thing during your stay. That’s why Sofa beds and rocking chairs are quite popular. Pine and rattan are used in some stylish cottages.
Here are some pictures and articles about the Cotswolds villages that have magnificent cottages:

• http://www.geziyorum.net/oxfordshire-gloustourshire/
• http://www.geziyorum.net/chipping-camden/
• http://www.geziyorum.net/stow-on-the-wold/
• http://www.geziyorum.net/bourton-on-the-water/
• http://www.geziyorum.net/broadway/

23 Nisan Londra Tatili

23 Nisan tatiliniz için plan yapmaya henüz başlamadıysanız benim de önerilerime bir göz atın. Tiyatrolar, sergiler, yeni restoranlar, parklar ve çocuklu aileler için harika alternatifleri sizin için derledik.

Yazı: Sedef Tok – Fotoğraflar: Emre Tok

23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk bayramı olduğundan listeme onlarla başlamak istiyorum. Çocuk ile seyahati pek tercih etmeyen, hatta mümkün olduğunca kaçınan bir toplum olduğumuzdan, sizlere çocuklarınızı oyalayan ,oyalarken de eğiten ve eğlendiren aktiviteler yazacağım. Türk Hava Yolları ve diğer havayollarının bu döneme uygun promosyonları her daim bulunmakta. Uçak Biletlerinizi hemen şimdiden alın ve tatilinizi planlayın.
Müzeler ile başlayalım :

V/A Museum of Childhood
Dünyanın en iyi koleksiyonlarından bir tanesine sahip olan müze, aynı zamanda haftasonları çocuklar için aktiviteler düzenliyor. Her yaştan oyuncak severin ziyaret etmesi gereken bir yer, çocuklar, yetişkinler ve koleksiyonerler için bilgi erişimi son derece kolay ve eğlendirici.
Natural History Museum
Sadece çocuklar değil, herkesin ziyaret etmesi gereken bir müze. Doğayı ve dünyamızı en mükemmel şekilde anlatan başka bir yer olmasa gerek.

Science Museum
Benim hiç ilgimi çekmesede geleceğin küçük bilim insanlarının ve mühendislerinin rüyalarını süsleyecektir.
National Gallery
Londra’nın hiç süphrsiz en muhteşem galerilerinden bir tanesi, çocukların zihni görsel olarak resimlerle açılsın diyorsanız mutlaka gezin. Gentile Bellini nin yaptığı Fatih portresini de görebilirsiniz.

Diğer önerilerim ise Battersea Park Children’s Zoo ve Sealife London Aquarium
Londra tiyatrolar ve müzikaller diyarı. Hemen her gece oyunlar dolup taşıyor. Önceden biletinizi almanızı tavsiye ederim. Hem çocuklu hem çocuksuz bir çok oyun ve müzikal sahneleniyor.

Matilda the Musical, The Lion King, NoFit State Circus Bianco bunlardan bazıları.
Londra yeşil parkları ile insane huzur veriyor. Hyde Park, Green Park, Richmond Park, Primrose hill park, Hampstead Heath, Regents park sadece bazları. Güneşli bir günde parkta yapacağınız kısa bir yürüyüş huzur verecektir. Hyde, Richmond, Battersea parklarında at binmek ve ders almak mümkün.

Çocuksuz veya büyük çocuklu tail için ise, ilk önce Peter and Alice isimli oyuna bilet bulmaya bakın. Neden mi? Çünkü sahnede Judi Dench var. Noel Coward tiyatrosunda sahnalenen oyuna biletler hızla tükeniyor, benden uyarması. Diğer favori tiyatrolarım ise Almedia, Donmarware house, Old Vic, Young Vic, New Diorma ve Royal Court Tiyatroları.
Sadlers Well, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre da ise harika konserler, oyunlar, bale, dans ve sergileri yakalayabilirsiniz.

• Royal Academy of Art, Manet sergisi
• Courthauld Gallery Becoming Picasso
• British Museum  Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum
• National Portrait Gallery Man Ray Portraits gezebileceğiniz sergilerden bazıları.

Yeme içmenin çok çeşitli olduğu ve her etnik mutfağın bulunduğu şehirde, neredeyse her hafta bir yer açılıyor. Son zamanlarda Latin Amerika mutfağı öne çıkmakta. Benim ise her daim tercihim Japon ve Akdeniz mutfağından yana, gastro pubları da unutmamak gerek.
Restoranlar

1. 10 Greek street (Rezervasyon yok 1 saat önce gidin, kapıya adınızı yazdırın)
2. Barrafina (İspanyol tapas) (Rezervasyon yok 1 saat önce gidin içeride kapıda sıra bekleyin)
3. Zucca  (2 hafta önce reservasyon lazım)
4. Fifteen (Jamie Oliver restoranı)
5. Boca di lupo (İtalyan ucuz keyifli ve barına rezervasyon öneririm)
6. Spuntino (İspanyol tapas) (rezervasyon yok 1 saat önce gidip sıraya girin)
7. Polpetto Rezervasyon yok)
8. Mishkin (Rezervasyon var, Jewish type delicatessen ve salted beef)

Kahve ve Dondurma

1. Kipferl En iyi Avusturya kahvesi ve tatlılari, Londra Angel Tube station yanı)
2. Gelupo. Londra’nın en iyi dondurmasi.
3. Flatwhite Londra’nın en iyi 2-3 kahvecisinden biri
4. Pirinci Bakery Sohoda kahvaltı ve öglen için güzel bir İtalyan Bakery, Fiyatlar çok ucuz
5. Borough Market önünde Monmouth Kahve.

Gezilecek yerler

1. Notting hill Bölgesi-Beach Babylon blanket isimli bistro ya da Electric Diner-Brasserie de kahvaltı Otto lenghi`den take away alıp tatli yemek, Montgomery barda kokteyl içmek aksam
2. Liverpool istasyonu ve Shoreditch – Bricklane çevresi.
3. Islington ve Angel bölgeleri
4. Sloane ve Kings road. Harrods, Knighsbridge vs giderseniz soluklanmak için yakın bölge.
5. Dogu Londra’da Bethnal Green caddesi ve arka paralelindeki cadde. ALBION café

PUB
Publar için ideal saat 18:30-20:45

1. Chelsea`de ANGLE SEA ARMS
2. Sloane square metrosunun cikisinda sağda COLBERT ve BOTANIST
3. Anchor and Hope (en iyi gastro Pub)
4. Pimlico road`de ORANGE
5. Holborn da Great Queen Street  Rezervasyon var. Gastro pub.

Malum Londra’yı daha önce ziyaret etmiş olanlar genelde merkez ya da doğu Londra tarafını tercih ediyorlar. Ben ise kuzeyde Primrosehill, Hampstead tarflarında da gezmenizi öneriyorum. Yemyeşil alanlar, park ve muhteşem gastro pubların bulunduğu kuzey bölgesinde bir çok ünlü oturuyor. Bir başka bölge ise Islıngton tarafı. Gündüz High Street de gezip, kendinizi güzel bir pub da yemek yerken bulabilirsiniz.

Hamburg’s legendary nightlife: strip clubs, & more

I knew two things about Hamburg before I visited:

1. It’s the home to Germany’s publishing & advertising agencies and therefore very creative
2. There’s something called the Reeperbahn which is dirty but also fun

I’ve heard countless stories about Hamburg’s legendary Reeperbahn but without seeing it for myself, it was hard to imagine what it actually is all about. Turns out that it’s a healthy mix of exactly what I was expecting plus a few nice surprises. While several blocks along the Reeperbahn were pretty much as I imagined: drunk revelers from abroad and at home talking loudly, getting in fist-fights and sexualizing just about everything in sight, there were plenty of surrounding streets that were pleasantly surprising.

What’s the Reeperbahn?

Well, basically it’s a street in the St. Pauli neighborhood of Hamburg. Hamburg has a loooong history and used to be a walled city, and the Reeperbahn was the street just outside one of the gates to the city. It was here where Hamburg’s sailors got to enjoy a bit of companionship. But it was also where the city’s rope-makers worked to produce the many ropes needed for the port city. (Reeperbahn actually translates to “rope walk”.)

Today the Reeperbahn is the heart of Hamburg’s Red Light District. There are a concentrated amount of strip clubs and sex cinemas (sex kinos) plus a healthy spattering of sex shops. Herbertstrasse is probably the Reeperbahn’s most famous street as it’s a one-block road barricated by wooden panels. I didn’t venture down Herbertstrasse myself but apparently it’s similar to Amsterdam’s Red Light District. This is the street that’s famous for not allowing women to walk through. Word on the street (heh) is that if women walked down Herberstrasse, it’d be unsafe because of the prostitutes vying for attention.

 

Gay nightlife in Hamburg

Hamburg’s LGBT scene seems to be scattered between the downtown St. George neighborhood and Talstrasse which runs perpendicular to the Reeperbahn. I only visited St. George during the day; the area is home to Germany’s most famous gay shopping chain store, Bruno’s and a few popular cafes and bars. On Talstrasse, the focus was definitely on SEX…and dancing. And pizza.

Hamburg’s gayborhood for nightlife is unquestionably centered along Talstrasse. From posh clubs like 3 Zimmer Wohnung to sex kinos and sex shops, Talstrasse seems to cover the full gamut. There’s also a late-night pizzeria (Pauli Pizza) to satiate more nutritious cravings. You can read more about the gay nightlife in Hamburg on my other blog.

Grosse Freiheit and a bit of Beatles history

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the street that ends (or begins) with Beatles-Platz, is also the one full of music and rock clubs. But like everything else along the Reeperbahn, there’s a healthy dose of sexuality added to the mix—this time in the form of Olivia Jones Bar. Oliva Jones is Germany’s most famous drag queen and her legendary bar & club is right on Grosse Freiheit. It’s across the street from the even more legendary Grosse Freiheit 36—one of Hamburg’s most famous music clubs, with a heavy emphasis on punk & rock.

The street is crowded with party-revelers all year long because even on a cold winter night when I visited, people were drinking out on the street. There’s a second smaller memorial to Hamburg’s influence on rock music on the wall next to Star Club. This music venue hosted legendary music acts from The Beatles to Ray Charles during much of the 1960s.

Where the young and trendy hang out

I think my favorite area along the Reeperbahn’s Red Light District was Hamburger Berg. Running parallel to Talstrasse it’s the street where you find more of the “hipster” bars. Pool tables and kicker (foosball) were in many of the bar windows, with indie music and boys in suspenders. My guess is that these bars are fairly interchangeable — I only went into one called Bambi, but with nearly 20 different bars on less than half a block, this is a street that could keep you going all night long.

Hamburg’s nightlife is fairly notorious among Germans but it was much better than I was expecting. Maybe it’s my middle-class Americana seeping through, but when I hear “Red Light District,” that’s usually not on the top of my travel radar. But in Hamburg, plenty of locals seem to be downright proud of the Reeperbahn’s lascivious (and fun!) atmosphere.

Have you ever partied in Hamburg? What was your impression of the Reeperbahn?

Where I’m At: Four months in Ho Chi Minh City

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City last November with a three month visa, half wondering if my nomadic ways would keep me in a city for that long. Turns out I ended up extending my stay to four months, which is the longest I have been in one place for years (perhaps I am becoming a slomad?)


[Slowing down in hectic Ho Chi Minh City]

The digital nomad community
Much of the reason I have stayed here so long has been for the entrepreneur community that is based here. I have been living in a area of District 1 that has a cluster of short term rentals, and not a day goes by when I don’t bump into someone I know in this neighbourhood.

The cafes
One of the big attractions of living in Saigon is the number of cafes that are here. I usually work half of the day at home and the other half in a cafe, most of which have good wifi. If I like I can always find someone to work with which breaks up the solitary days that comes with being self-employed. There is a co-working space here, but I find I prefer working in cafes and then going back home when I need to be most productive.

The food
I have been eating Vietnamese food nearly every day here and I haven’t tired of it. You could have a different type of soup every night for a month, such is the variety. At lunch there are the cơm tấm (broken rice) restaurants, which – as the name suggests – serves broken rice with a selection of dishes, usually grilled pork, fish, and a number of other side dishes. Each restaurant has their own side dish specialties so it has been fun to try out the different lunch places.


[Bánh canh cua]

I have been fortunate to have a friend here who is a street food expert. Jodi seemingly has a sixth sense for finding street food vendors and she was even recommending places for me to eat at before she had arrived. I would not have known about half of the places here if it wasn’t for her enthusiasm for trying everything there is to eat.


[Soup o clock with Dan and Jodi (photo by legalnomads).]

I have so many more posts to publish on Ho Chi Minh City, which I shall publish throughout the year on this nonlinear travel blog.

The Year Ahead
Tomorrow I fly to Bangkok for what will be the beginning of another busy year of travel, punctuated with some breaks in new destinations. From Bangkok I will be flying to Jakarta and exploring some lesser visited places in Java. From Java I make my way back to Malaysia, then to Bangkok, and onward to London. I will have a few weeks in Europe before making my way to Toronto for the TBEX travel blog conference. After a couple of weeks back in the US I will be making my first trip to Central America, starting in Belize. This takes me up to mid june and from there I have kept my plans open.

I’m sad to be leaving Saigon but I suspect I will be back here later in the year. I have new countries to visit and old friends to meet, and after all that perhaps I will once again be unpacking my bags in Ho Chi Minh City for an extended stay.

[Street Art] Wired rabbit – Bangkok, Thailand

Written by James Clark on April 12, 2013 · 5 Comments

Wander around Thailand (or most places in SE Asia) and you will notice a tangled mess of utility wires hanging above in a seemingly haphazard manner. Despite the messy appearance, the power and internet service works.
I found this wall in Bangkok which has brilliantly blended street art with the dangling wires.