Globe Corner Blogs

Bradt Mini Guide Tallinn

I was searching for cheapish, but interesting ways to get from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Stockholm, Sweden this summer, and Kayak pointed me to Estonia Air. I was immediately intrigued by the idea of going to Tallinn for a stop-over, and so I booked the ticket. I anxiously spent the last few days in Dubrovnik getting ready to go to a new city, getting a new stamp in my passport, and getting in the mode of being a tourist again.

After a quick three hour flight, I found myself a bit shocked to be in Estonia. After leaving the hot Adriatic sun, I found myself tearing through my suitcase for my sweater and kicking myself for not packing a least one pair of tights. The weather here is much cooler than I expected, and it has been raining for the better part of the weekend. But I did profit from a few breaks in the rain to explore the Old City of Tallinn. I can’t quite put my finger on Tallinn. It looks familiar, and yet every time I hear the language it seems so exotic and foreign at the same time. The town itself, it seems to me, is a hodgepodge of different styles. Some squares remind me of Polish towns I have visited and buildings remind me of Northern Germany, Scandinavia, and Russia.  But there is something intriguing about the core of the Old City. The streets are a maze, and if you can navigate around the hordes of cruise ship tourist groups, there are interesting shops and cafes tucked away in every corner. Continue Reading »

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina--photo by Lisa

So, I decided to tear myself away from Dubrovnik and make the trip to Sarajevo. I absolutely adore Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of those unforgettable cities that always leaves a lasting impression. Unfortunately, a lot of the attention seems to be on the recent history and the siege of Sarajevo, as almost all visitors are quite curious about what happened. The city is still visibly scarred, but it wears its scars with a bit of elegance. Every year it seems like there are new renovations and construction around the city. The Old Town is inviting with its leisurely pace and seems to be like a smaller Istanbul, but on Valium. The Turkish influence is quite profound, and it seems worlds apart from the Dalmatian coast, even though it is only a six hour bus ride away. Just a block away from the Old Town, you seem to step into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and then a few blocks down the street you step into the days of Communism. (I am not the biggest fan of the architecture of this area, but it is there.) Sarajevo seems to be gaining more interest as a tourist destination and even has an eco-tourism agency. Check out the slightly expensive, but wonderful, Green Visions if you want to go hiking or whitewater rafting. But when chatting with fellow travelers in the Balkans, we seem to unanimously agree that we love Sarajevo. Continue Reading »

Tuna at Tsukiji market

As almost anyone will tell you, the Tsukiji fish market is a must for your first, jet-lagged morning in Tokyo. The subway starts running around 5:30am, so by 6:00 we were surprisingly awake and already weaving through endless rows of oysters, sea urchins, crabs, and various other sea creatures I had never even heard of. We were lucky to catch the tail-end of the tuna auction, watching successful bidders haul off fish more than twice their size–we later observed the enormous fish being halved and quartered into manageable chunks with a chain saw. We also stopped to admire an old man slicing eels from head to tail in one smooth motion, the fish still wriggling as he nailed them down. I must say I have never been more impressed by a market (and I am a fan of markets in general). Perhaps most impressive is that the innumerable heaps of seafood will be gone in just a couple hours, bought up by wholesalers and restaurants–the market will be completely empty by 1pm. And while tourists are a common sight at Tsukiji, the market is not a show for visitors (unlike, say, the floating market near Bangkok); if anything, bewildered foreigners are a nuisance, always barely avoiding getting run over by the little motor-powered fish-transporting carts. Continue Reading »

Boston BikeMap by Rubel BikeMaps

Each day I bike a very modest distance to work: a straight shot down Mt. Auburn Street - no turns and few stops. Thanks to recently installed city bike racks, nine times out of ten I can “park” directly outside the store’s door, and there’s even a bike lane on our block to ease my transition from street to sidewalk. In short, no fuss, no muss.

So, while I admittedly do not have use for a bike map on a daily basis, I still find Boston’s BikeMap, published by Rubel BikeMaps, to be a useful and remarkably well researched guide to biking in and around Boston (i.e. Brookline, Watertown, Somerville, Lexington, and more).

Here’s a brief list of features I’ve found to be particularly handy:

- All area bike shops are starred in red on the map and then indexed with addresses and phone numbers.

- Contour lines based on USGS topographic maps show hilly areas (aka, areas to avoid when already tired).

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Montenegro Has A Fjord!--photo by Lisa

I am constantly asked why I am trying to speak Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian. Most people assume that I have some relative that came from the area and I am trying to reconnect with my heritage. There is always some confusion when I explain that my grandparents were from Norway and being Norwegian and having black hair are not mutually exclusive properties. Most of the my fellow students have Croatian or Bosnian background and I must admit sometimes I get a bit jealous when they reminisce about growing up with the foods, playing Tamburi (folk music), visiting various cousins in the area, and all the colorful swear words that they learned from some uncle.

Then I always begin to feel a bit guilty about neglecting my “homeland.” I am a bad Norwegian.

I speak a total of ten Norwegian words and none of them are swear words. I have never met any of my cousins, nor have I visited the small, isolated village where Grandpa was born. I hate lutefisk and I have never successfully made krumkake.
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Lake Rescue, Vermont--photo by Jess

For better or worse, I’ve spent a good hunk of time touring the New England region in the past couple months. I’ve taken the train to coastal Connecticut, the commuter rail to the North Shore of Boston, the train to New York City, and I’ve driven to southern Vermont, northern New Jersey, and Hartford, Conn. For lack of more exotic travel dispatches, here is some advice on traveling not-so-far from home:

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Women Travelers by Christel Mouchard

I have only had one “major” problem while traveling by myself. This happened way back in 1998, when I was working as a teacher in Romania. During my two week Easter vacation my sister and I went on a “sister-bonding” trip through Scandinavia. After dumping her off at the airport, I just wanted to get home and relax. Against my better judgment and multiple warnings from my surprisingly travel-savvy 5th graders to “NEVER EVER TAKE THE NIGHT TRAIN FROM BUDAPEST TO TIMISOARA!!!” I decided to go ahead and take the dreaded night train to Romania. The whole thing was a disaster. Once I got to the train station I was unable to buy a ticket for the “Romanian” portion of my trip, due to local bureaucratic peculiarities that were (and still are) baffling to me. I finally decided that I was going to take a chance and try to buy a ticket from the conductor once I crossed that border, and started to settle into my compartment. While stashing my luggage in the overhead compartment, I was suddenly relieved of my purse by a charming Hungarian petty thief. I channeled my inner Powerpuff Girl, chased the guy down, grabbed my purse back, screamed Romanian obscenities that made no sense whatsoever coming from a girl, momentarily incapacitated him, and made my way back down the corridor to a chorus of “bravos” from all of the Hungarian men that witnessed the event, but didn’t bother to help me. As I sunk into my seat, a large majority of these men surrounded me, pinched my cheeks, told me to be careful, asked why I wasn’t married, and persistently tried to sell me their watches.

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Okay, so some people blog about things of greater consequence — vacations or…beer — but unfortunately I lead a relatively boring life, so here are some of the places in Boston to get that ultimate cheap street food: the humble burrito. This is more for the newcomer or visitor to Boston than a resident, so I will not be listing any of the national chains (eat local folks). A further note, if you’re from the West Coast or elsewhere you may have the idea that Mexican food on the East Coast is terrible, which might or might not be true, you’re just going to have to deal either way. Also be warned, these are my picks, no one else’s.

1) El Pelon: El Pelon Taqueria, 92 Peterborough St. (between Jersey and Kilmarnock Sts.), in the Fenway is one of my all-time favorite burrito places outside of the West Coast or Southwest. Nothing is better on a summer afternoon than hitting up El Pelon before heading over to Fenway Park to watch the Sox. Lines can be long, especially on game days, but they move fast, and if you move faster you can snag a seat. Very good salsa and fresh ingredients. I’ve been told the fish tacos are very good, and they’re on my list for next time. Pelon has the added benefit of being significantly cheaper (and more filling) than anything comparable you’ll find inside the Park or on the nearby Yawkey Way, so you have more cash for beer and peanuts.

2) Anna’s Taqueria: Anna’s, at various locations throughout the city, is right behind Fenway Park on the list of places I consider my church.

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Being a procrastinator, it is very odd for me to start thinking about packing my suitcase more than a month in advance of my departure. I typically pack at the last minute, having perfected my method of loading my clothes directly into my suitcase from the dryer. However, I am flying myriad budget airlines in Europe, and due to their luggage requirements, I can only take 20 kg with me! Usually this is not a problem, however my itinerary is a little “scattered.” Continue Reading »

If you are traveling to a country that requires a visa, I highly recommend using A. Briggs Passport and Visa Expeditors in Washington, D.C. For a $55 fee, A. Briggs will do all the necessary legwork for you (and for $95 they will get your visa as quickly as the consulate will issue it). I have gotten three Russia visas and a Tajik visa through A. Briggs, and every time the service has been courteous and prompt. Continue Reading »