One Summer in Europe – the backpacking Europe podcast

episode #7 – Nice & the French Riviera

Posted on 11. Aug, 2009 by Ryan.

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After several rewarding stops in Spain, it is time to return to France as we head towards Italy. We stop in the legendary French Riviera, using Nice as a base to explore the coast both east and west.

The French Riviera has been a famous travel destination depicted in popular books and movies over the years, in fact it might be the original travel destination for Europeans since the concept of leisure travel began over a century ago. With glamorous cities like Cannes to the west and Monte Carlo to the east, and many seductive seaside towns sprinkled along the coast, fun in the sun is the order of the day.

We recommend staying in Nice for three nights and taking separate day trips to the west and to the east, no more than 30-40 minutes by train, to experience these places and taste the full flavor of the south of France.

On this episode, we welcome Dean to the show and we discuss:

• losing Melissa in Barcelona (hopefully we see her down the road:-))
• arriving in Nice and initial impressions of this sunny, inviting city
• avoiding this region in certain months of the year
• exploring Nice and the exciting Vieux Nice part of town
• heading west for a day trip to uber-rich Monte Carlo with a stop at the beach on the way back
• heading east for a day trip to glitzy Cannes, where we can walk in the steps of movies stars, with another beach stop in the harbor town of Antibes

TRANSPORT IN
RENFE (Spanish train system)
SNCF (French train system)

ACCOMMODATION
One Summer in Europe (Nice hostel and budget hotel search)

SIGHTSEEING
Vieux Nice (old town part of Nice)
Prince’s Palace of Monaco
Monte Carlo Casino
Cap d’Ail & Villefranche (beach towns between Nice and Monaco)
Cannes (and the famous film festival)
Antibes & Juan-les-Pins (beach towns between Nice and Cannes)
One Summer in Europe (other miscellaneous sightseeing activities)

TRANSPORT OUT
SNCF (French train system)
Trenitalia (Italian train system)

With the French Riviera under our belt, it’s finally time to enter Italy. Many people, if forced to pick the one country in the world with the most to offer the traveler, would not hesitate to pick Italy. Things always seem just a little better in Italy, and we’ll put that feeling to the test with our first stop in Florence, home of the Renaissance…

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episode #6 – Barcelona

Posted on 26. May, 2009 by Ryan.

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Coming from Madrid, after a detour around Andalucia, we make our move back east to the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast.

Barcelona has climbed into the upper echelon of desirable backpacking Europe destinations, ranking right after Paris and London and probably ahead of almost every other city. It’s easy to see why this is so, with its decidedly cool and stylish atmosphere and nearly perfect climate.

We recommend 3 days in Barcelona to fully experience its offerings, but be careful as it is not a cheap place to stay like most of the rest of Spain.

On this episode, we welcome Melissa back to the podcast, and we talk about:

• Barcelona fast becoming one of the most popular destinations in Europe the last two decades
• the vibrant and colorful mood of Barcelona that delights visitors
• as a very popular destination, the expensive nature of the city
• Melissa’s pickpocket experience departing the Hard Rock cafe, and the interesting reaction of the locals witnessing the event
• several interesting things to see and do in Barcelona (our favorite being La Sagrada Familia)
• the energetic Barcelona nightlife
• special focus and attention on traveling alone in Europe: keeping safe, being smart, and meeting people (you don’t need to travel with others to have a great experience in Europe, it is actually more liberating)

TRANSPORT IN
RENFE (Spanish rail system)
AVE (high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona)

ACCOMMODATION
One Summer in Europe (Barcelona hostel and budget hotel (”hostal”) search)

SIGHTSEEING
Las Ramblas (famous tree-lined street in heart of the city)
La Sagrada Familia (amazing church being built over 125+ years – official site)
Parc Guell (pleasant Gaudi-designed park overlooking the city)
Picasso Museum (lots of early work)
Montjuic (historic hill with many attractions, including 1992 Olympic sites)
Barcelona Aquarium (best aquarium for Mediterranean sealife in world)
One Summer in Europe (other miscellaneous sightseeing activities)

TRANSPORT OUT
RENFE (Spanish rail system)
SNCF (French rail system)

Time to finally leave Spain after a fantastic 2-week jaunt through this wonderful country, and now onward to France: Nice and the tres chic Cote d’Azur (French Riviera). It feels like a 007 movie every day of the week…

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episode #5 – Andalucia

Posted on 03. May, 2009 by Ryan.

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After a few days in the capital of Spain, it is time to leave Madrid and head deeper into Spain culturally and geographically: the region of Andalucia. We discover a wonderfully rich area full of exciting atmosphere and dramatic history that many people consider to be the most appealing part of Spain.

We highly recommend a 4-5 day journey through Cordoba, Sevilla, and Granada as a perfect side trip between Madrid and Barcelona. Many are in love with sensual Sevilla, but quite a few of us adore feisty and proud Granada even more.

On this episode, I talk about:

• getting rid of Melissa back in Madrid (just kidding, she’ll be back next show)
• why everybody should get beyond Madrid and Barcelona in Spain and consider visiting Andalucia
• background info on Andalucia, a region once part of historic Al-Andalus,  controlled for centuries by the Moors from Africa
• how Al-Andalus prospered as one of the most advanced and wealthiest parts of Europe, until the Christians gradually reclaimed territory over the centuries during the Reconquista
• spending a day in Cordoba, visiting the amazing Mezquita
• sampling the lively atmosphere of Sevilla, including the largest Gothic church on earth
• visiting Granada to see the mysterious and legendary palace fortress “Alhambra”, along with the still-present Moorish cultural influences
• other places in Andalucia to visit if you have more time/interest: Malaga, Cadiz, and Tarifa as well as British Gibraltar and Moroccan Tangier (1 hour ferry from Tarifa)

TRANSPORT IN
RENFE (Spanish rail system)
AVE (high-speed train Madrid to Cordoba and Sevilla)

ACCOMMODATION
Cordoba (One Summer in Europe hostel and budget hotel (”hostal”) search)
Sevilla (OSIE search)
Granada (OSIE search)

SIGHTSEEING
La Mezquita (extraordinary mosque/cathedral of Cordoba)
The famous patios of Cordoba
Cathedral of Seville (3rd largest in world, resting place of Chris Columbus)
Alcazar (old royal palace/gardens of Seville)
Alhambra (the treasure of Granada)
Capilla Real (resting place of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand & Isabella)
Teterias (Moorish tea rooms of Granada)
Tapas in Granada (free with a drink purchase!)
One Summer in Europe (other miscellaneous sightseeing activities in Andalucia)

TRANSPORT OUT
RENFE (Spanish rail system)

So after a wonderful detour through Andalucia for a few days, we stop our southernly advance and turn around to head back east toward Barcelona, another simply great city to visit on our one summer in Europe…Melissa time to get a move on!

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episode #4 – Madrid

Posted on 19. Apr, 2009 by Ryan.

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Our simulated backpacking Europe itinerary continues – after leaving Paris on a night train, we arrive 11 hours later far to the south in the capital of Spain, Madrid.

Cosmopolitan and alive with life and energy, Madrid has a lot of appeal for any European traveler. This is the center of Spain in a number of different ways, and is thus a wise place to start exploring this vibrant and popular country.

We recommend three days and two nights to get a good feeling for Madrid.

In this episode, Melissa and I talk about:

• arriving in Madrid and Melissa’s foggy memories of the city
• basic cultural and historic perspective on Madrid, from Spanish Empire up to present-day economic problems
• the most interesting things to see and do in Madrid
• our not-so-enthusiastic experience with bullfights
• the tasty and diverse food of Spain, a true movable feast
• dealing with the daily siesta in Madrid

We also discuss our top 5 festivals in Europe, including Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. I share my unforgettable story when I first ran with the bulls a few years back and how I was able to entertain 5000 people in the bullring, to my embarrassment and sore right buttocks.

Here are some recommended websites for Madrid based on our discussion (in rough order as we talked):

TRANSPORT IN
Elipsos TrenHotel (Paris-to-Madrid overnight train)

ACCOMMODATION
One Summer in Europe (Madrid hostel and budget hotel (“hostal”) search page)

SIGHTSEEING
Prado (famous art museum, one of best in world)
Reina Sofia (excellent art museum, featuring Guernica by Picasso)
Thyssen Museum (another recommend art museum)
Puerto del Sol (literal center of Spain and heart of Madrid)
Plaza Mayor (pretty square, lots of history here)
Palacio Real (Royal Palace)
Gran Via (famous and busy street in heart of city)
El Retiro (large and relaxing city park)
El Rastro (famous flea market, bargain city)
One Summer in Europe (other miscellaneous sightseeing activities)

TRANSPORT OUT
RENFE (Spanish rail system)
AVE (high-speed train Madrid to Seville)

Now that we’ve warmed up to Spain, it’s time to leave Madrid and take a small detour to our next destination, amazing Andalucia, before we head to Barcelona….come along!

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episode #3 – Paris

Posted on 23. Mar, 2009 by Ryan.

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We arrive on the European continent in perhaps the most enchanting city in the world, Paris. It may be an acquired taste for some travelers, but it is fairly easy to see why Paris is the favorite city of so many people from around the world. It’s an unmissable destination for your European adventure.

With countless sights and activities in Paris, we recommend five days and four nights there on our One Summer in Europe trip.

In this episode, Melissa and I discuss:

• arriving from Dublin and getting acclimated to Paris
• some basic facts on Paris and France
• overcoming the stereotype of the “rude French”
• avoiding theft, and my story on witnessing this on a Paris train
• daily cost of accommodation and sightseeing in Paris
• our respective top 5 things to see and do
• other interesting sights outside our top 5 selections
• where to go next and the experience of a night train

We also hear from our friend Tory, an American living and working in Paris, on her experience as a foreigner in the city. Finally, I speak with Katia on her perspective as a native French person and her advice to travelers to Paris.

Here are some relevent websites for Paris based on our discussion (in rough order as we talked):

TRANSPORT IN
Paris Beauvais Airport (how to get to Paris from there)
Paris Metro (subway system)

ACCOMMODATION
One Summer in Europe (Paris hostel and budget hotel search page)

SIGHTSEEING
Disneyland Paris (EuroDisney)
Champs-Élysées (the famous street in the heart of Paris)
Chateau de Versailles (official site)
Musee d’Orsay (official site)
Arc de Triomphe (Napoleon’s triumphal arch)
Eiffel Tower (official site)
Notre-Dame de Paris (official site)
Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens)
Sacre Couer-Montmartre
Sunset over the Seine in Summer
One Summer in Europe (other miscellaneous sightseeing activities)

TRANSPORT OUT
Elipsos TrenHotel (Paris-to-Madrid overnight train)

We find it nearly impossible to leave Paris but we pull ourselves away and head far south into Spain – first the capital Madrid!

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