Hastings - the fishing town

It was time for a romantic break, the coast was the destination and heading in the Southerly direction was the intention. Storms had been battering Britain for weeks, we new whichever coastal town we were heading to that it would be cold, wet and potentially bleak.

We chose Hastings, I had last visited in 1993 and my only memories were the ruins of the castle and the pebble beach. We booked bed and breakfast at Alexander's Guest House with a sea view for a respectable £70 just 10 days prior - so we expected Hastimgs to be reasonably quiet.

On the drive down we stopped at Bodium Castle, we were aware it would be closed between the Christmas and New Year break and I was concerned that this detour would be a waste of time. Fortunately the parking gates were wide open and the skies cleared long enough for us to enjoy a walk around the mote marvelling this historic building, the beauty of the surrounding landscape was accentuated by the flooded plains and burst banks of the river. Families hopped across muddy pastures and dog walkers enjoyed the relative peace. The cold soon bit at our cheeks so we headed for the 30 minute remaining drive to Hastings.

Hastings old town is small but perfectly formed. Historic small buildings line the narrow street as you pass trinket stores, vintage shops, fish restaurants, quaint cafés, old pubs and antique hordes. Climb to the East Hill for the castle ruins (closed over Christmas) and enjoy the roof top views overlooking the sea and fisherman's quarter, the roofs covered in vibrant green moss. 

We spent our time dipping in and out of pubs and enjoying fish and steak, the quiet weekend between Christmas and New Year was a perfect time to visit, a romantic time - the cold, the wet, the wind all added to the magic in this historic town as dusk set in at 4pm and the town was lit by amber lighting. 

After another stroll along the promenade, a coffee stop we then headed back home, stopping at Ashford Designer Outlet along the way. We will return to Hastings in the summer to enjoy some Lobster!

Revisiting Greenwich Market

It's my favourite market in London and it's set in a quiet town, with a fantastic park - with views of the city. It leads up to an old London village overlooking London town. This is Greenwich.

There's always to much to see, the stalls are fascinating with entrepreneurs trying their hand at selling their quality products. The food market is always bustling. I never really usually eat here, but today I gave in. It was much needed, as I tucked in to a tasty burrito.

We stopped at a traditional Greenwich pub for a couple of pints of lager, and a packet of crisps, as we sat and watched people, gossiping about the people around us.

This time we also explore the Maritime Museum which was free entry, it's definitely fun for kids. Or stop at the Cutty Sark.

Walk through the Park, visit the Observatory, and enjoy some real British bangers, as a snack

Want something Gay? Go to The Prince of Greenwich, and sometimes you will find that the Rose & Crown can get pretty gay, as it was previously a gay pub, but now it is more mixed.

Remember to Check out Greenwich Market when you're in London.

Lisbon, Portugal - gay guy hanging out in the city: I love you Lisbon

Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon - I love you Lisbon!.

I didn't know what to expect before I made plans to go to Lisbon. Okay, I lie, I had started to develop some expectations. My friend and business partner, Flavio, has lived in Lisbon for many years - raving about it all the time. My university housemate was also living there for a few months, and perhaps her silence by email and Skype was enough of indication to know there was more to Lisbon than meets the eye.

Transport

Prices during the summer were extortionate, EasyJet was the best deal all round, however at nearly £200 I knew I had to leave it until the kids returned to school, at which point October proved the best time to visit at just £100. The return flights on a Sunday are pretty late, so I booked space at AirParks for the car - and plus petrol, only worked out a few pounds more than going by train - and much quicker.

Lisbon Airport is connected by the developing metro station, and took me to Rato within 45 minutes.  Just West of the City, Rato is just a 40 minute walk to the centre, and easily accessible by the Tram number 28. Plus its spitting distance from the main gay scene. It's not long before you're in Bairro Alto to start your night, and then head to gay Rato and crawl home.

Exploring
Tram, Metro, Bus, Taxi and by foot. Lisbon isn't that big and you can really get around on foot, but be fit - as there will be a lot of hills to climb and its all on cobbled streets. When the cobbles get warm, their smoothness becomes slippery and you can find yourself slipping down the roads.

Visit the National Art Museum, walk along the river front and head to Centrale.  It's that simple.

You will however, get lost in Bairro Alto and surrounding areas, as the streets have no shape and order to them. So whether you have a printed map or a SatNav, I assure you, you will have navigational issues!

Food & Drink
It's so cheap! Whoop! Seriously! Look forward to that.

An average meal in the evening: expect to pay about €12 - 15.
This included for me, Grilled Sea Bass, Chips, Salad, 2 glasses of wine, beer, coffee

An average lunch: expect to pay €3 - 7
If you just want a basic sandwich, or opt for the famous Portuguese cheese and ham toastie, with a drink/coffee, this will set you back just €4.

I generally had breakfast at my friends apartment, simple bread, yoghurt and coffee to kick start the day.

You need plenty of water with you while exploring the city. It's pretty much always nice in Lisbon. It gets cold November - March but certainly nothing like Germany or the UK. In Middle of October the temperature was 28 degrees and blue skies for all days.

SuperBock - the most served beer. It's simple and easy to drink, but nothing to get excited about - but of course I did, since this was my first taster! Love discovering new beer!

Chapito - head to this multi-use venue. There is a restaurant overlooking Lisbon, with an exquisite sunset! We enjoyed a few beers and Green wine here. But the food looked excellent and there seemed to be no complaints from the diners. During the day you can find circus acts here who are practicsing, and it's apparently used by other groups of local people.

Traditional Portuguese Restaurant/ (cafe to the British).
Perhaps the best place to get food. They are small and squeeze a lot of people into the space, but the food is incredibly well priced, it's quick and very good!

Discovering the Gay Area
Don't do this by day. Do it by night, it is much easier to figure out where the bars are. It's all incredibly discreet during the day. The bars don't tend to open until 9/10pm, so have patience. Find out more in my Gay Guy Guide. Main bars include Les Marais, Woolf, Trump, Bar 106, Tres, Lux

Visit a Flea Market
I was told the flea market is open pretty much every day until 4pm. We arrived about 1.30pm to discover a large flea market. Some of the items were extraordinary, and probably could fetch a good price, and some items demonstrated the desperation of the poor. Portugal is suffering financially, and its residents are pretty poor.

Belem
Spend an afternoon in Belem. Here you can explore Jerónimos Monastery, its a real beautiful building!
Grab yourself a Custard Tart while here, it is worth the 15- 20 minute queue wait. Also, enjoy some ice-cream, the flavours are brilliant!






Costing
Flights - £100
Accommodation: Double room hostel €70 for 2 nights

Gay Skiing - The rainbow winter sports: Gay Snow Happening, Solden, 22 - 29 March 2014

It's coming for its 16th year, Gay Snow Happening in Solden from 22 - 29 March 2014.

The programme gets more packed every year and the hype escalates, one of the most exciting events in the gay winter calendar and I hope that I can take part soon. there is nothing better than a gay ski week to drown the misery of winter. The parties on the slopes, the late night dancing sessions and curing your hangovers in the bitter cold snow, the heavy warm food and the friendly socialable gays that attend.

Gay Snow Happening has hundreds of gays from all across Europe and beyond to enjoy Austria's top resorts. As the organisers say "Among the most entertaining attractions ranks the jovial Hut Evening at Annemarie’s Hühnersteign: after dinner the quaint mountain hut turns into a unique music and dance temple just perfect for unlimited party fun until the small hours. In Sölden's bar, pubs and restaurants several great events and cosmopolitan programs are scheduled at night – top DJs and the "Forever Tel Aviv" party series organizing also the farewell evening together with Cologne's  SEXY Mega Party."

Every day is packed with parties, and while you might be wrapped up during the day, you can be sure to enjoy the warmth by night. There are also some new additions, including the new restaurant with a rooftop terrace and excellent Alpine Cuisine menu of fresh local products and Austrian wine. . It's the highest restaurant so you can be sure to enjoy spectacular scenic views.

Enjoy a good old gay ski week with skiing, snowboarding, parties, gays and much much more!

For more details:
www.gaysnowhappening.com
www.soelden.com

www.facebook.com/gaysnowhappening

Images:
image 1 -

©	TomOnTour.com
Fotograf	Thomas Bömkes

image 2

©	Ötztal Tourismus
Fotograf	Frank Störbrauck

image 3
Bergbahnen Sölden©

India - a world of contradictions

I'm full of contradictions - I know it! I like to travel to discover new places, but really there's no place like home. I love to wonder and enter my own world but I love to be surrounded by people and entertain. I'd like to make a simple life but I make it more complex. I like to get up early but I love my bed! 

So really India should have felt like home - instead it mirrored the realities of my own contradictions and the challenges they bring.

Poor - rich

India is one of the BRIC countries, growing faster than most with huge investment. New areas of cities are owned by the rich ad powerful building huge complexes. The middle class enjoys Shopping Malls, cinemas and international cuisine. Side by side leaving among the poor, manual laborers, homeless, people living in shantytowns; One earning a couple of dollars an hour, another struggling to earn that in a day - let alone the mega wealthy.

 

Apparent in every part of the world, but here it's even evident in the social classes and interaction between these groups. It accentuates the split, the gap and the distance that is seen at home - it makes you shudder. Not even the homeless have access to clean water or toilets. 

Trust 

Trust is misplaced here. Someone you know talks of trust, and someone you meet on the street talks of trust. The word is miss-used and potentially misunderstood – especially for a British traveler. It is thrown around like it’s a commodity, and it does soon become a monetary factor. Trust is rarely used in Britain, it’s a term that’s implied by conclusion not as a matter of fact.

Money

It makes the world go round. But in India it is a factor that’s essential but loses it’s value with every word you utter. Haggling is the norm, and frustration becomes the cause. The contradiction is – you can buy products cheaper in the UK than you can in India if your haggling skills are not up to scratch. I can assure you that many items I bought could have been purchased at the same or less than in the UK, especially small trinkets like magnets, postcards and posters.

Transport

The world is your oyster in India, you can take a train, a car, a taxi, a helicopter taxi, an auto-rickshaw or a poor man can pull you along like you are the cart and he is the horse. But you get nowhere fast. You spend more time negotiating the fare for the journey than you do actually travelling.

Food

India is renowned for its food, either you will end up with Delhi Belly/Kolkata Splutter or you will dine in the finest of restaurants (actually even then there’s no guarantee) but try actually spotting restaurants, or at least somewhere you’re will to allow your stomach to be abused by. Unfortuantely I found I was eating the same thing day in day out, and only if I had travelled with someone else could I have had diversity!

 

These are just a few areas I can refer to – but it gives you an idea of the epic differences between Europe and India.

Enjoy your trip as best as possible. But I can certainly say, India is interesting, even if it is not my cup of Green Tea!

New York City vs London: by an American and a Brit

I visited my friend in New York City at the weekend, I was complaining about certain things that didn't work so well here compared to my home City of London. Well, then she started complaining about London.

So we decided to write a list - Who is BEST at what?

NYC vs LDN

Polite and friendly - NYC wins.
Whether walking down the street with a map upside down or looking aimlessly around a Subway station, New Yorkans will offer help and a conversation. We both agreed that most Londoners will ignore you, largely because of the begging culture.

Currency value -New York


Ok, this is a bit selfish, but money in New York does seem to go further, especially with the British pound.

Dollars cs notes - London
We prefer the colourful notes of London, but I like the pound and my friend who is a waitress prefers the One Dollar note. But really, why need such a huge wallet?

Cash vs card - Londn
It seems people mostly pay by cash, I hate cash, and they have NO chip'n'Pin. Isn't signing so old school now?

Smoking - London
NYC has segregated zones outside, yes even outside, especially bars and restaurants. I bet London follows soon, but still more freedom in the UK.

Subway/underground - London
Proper maps, easy to read signs, frequent announcements, train times, staff on the platform - that's London, remove all that for NYC.

Food value -NYC
You definitely get a lot for your money. Though I am unsure how healthy some of the portions are

Food health - London/ NYC

Maybe it's because I know what I am eating. My friend disagreed!

Drink value - NYC
It's all about the free-pour, and cocktails

Talking bars - London
Try finding bars and pubs where you can talk in, NYC you'll find few and far between. All hail the London Pub.

Bars - NYC
Want somewhere chic and cool...head to the NYC

Gay Bar proximity - London
So I like my Soho and Vauxhall Village, and Shoreditch, but apart from West Village, I feel I am wandering aimlessly for bars in NYC

Taxi -NYC

Cheaper - it is simply cheaper! Oh and quicker, no traffic.

City Views - London
The River Thames offers spectaclar views and the different shape buildings of the city add to its uniqueness. NYC is all a bit samey.

Fit guys - NYC/ London
I am sure NYC wins, my friend reckons London.

Diverse dress sense - London

NYC plays it all a little safe, and my friend agrees

Coffee - London


Buy one cup of decent coffee, not countless refills of cheap coffee - NO THANKS

Newark airport vs Heathrow Terminal 5 - London
This was a tough one, but right now Terminal 5 wins, though on my way out I didn't like the new terminal.

Queues/lines - London
London knows how to queue properly.

If you have more to add, or disagree with any of the both, I would love to hear from you.

Vietnam - welcomed to a home of a local for lunch, Ninh Binh

Cycling or motorbiking can truly get you to the heart and soul of Vietnam. Cities have modernised and adopted many international and cosmopolitan attitudes but the countryside of any country will show you how people really live.

35km from the centre of Ninh Binh we're welcomed for lunch with a local farming family to enjoy a traditional meal. 5 days into the trip and every meal has been Vietnamese and delivered with enthusiasm with each chop stick load delivering a brilliant pang in the mouth and settling easy the stomach.

So to ensure you see what has been enjoyed check out the collection of photos from the traditional wooden house (built in 1963 before recently building a much larger place by brick).

The meal consisted of:
- spring rolls
- BBQ fish
- stewed pork
- sweet and sour beef and pineapple
- rice
- steamed vegetables
- watermelon

Why I dislike (hate) airports

Airports are today the biggest hurdle to getting to any foreign and global destination, it's the one thing that fills me with dread and anxiety. From the moment I wake to make that journey to the airport my heart beats at a random beat, hands become moist and I constantly check the clock to ensure I have plenty of time.

The point at which you finish packing and zip that bag to dropping it on your hotel bed is the worst for any trip. But let's look at the scenrio we are placed in: