There are hardly many travelers who would go somewhere further than city centre where their hotel is situated when on a short-term journey. And if location is a metropolis on top of everything else, such “outside” trips are sure to be put on hold till better occasions.
And vainly so because it is in residential districts where one can have a look at a foreign country with the eyes of its citizens which is far more educative than hurry-scurry tours around castles and squares.
Vesturbær, Reykjavík
Local citizens say that in their city everyone knows each other therefore if the capital is one huge village than its residential district Vesturbær is almost a commune where all dwellers are nearly cater-cousins. The district is distinctive for its open pool with thermal waters that operates year around. In evenings there is “full house” by its nosing because, while back-stroke swimming, not only one can see most beautiful starry sky but polar lights as well. Not far from there ocean swashes calmingly by comfortable beaches and a couple of cafés which serve great ice yoghurt. Several significant buildings at once are situated in the heart of the district: Landakotskirkja Catholic Church, designed by famous architect Guðjón Samúelsson, and campus of University of Iceland. Alongside religious people and students, cats caught fancy for this part of Vesturbær – there are thousands of them and nearly all of them with name-tagged collars. On notice boards most popular notices are on disappearance of this or that pet. “Aborigines” say that for many of them whole life passes in one district – there is everything one needs for comfortable existence so why go anywhere?Photo thebrokebackpacker.com
Staten Island, New York
If there is only New York in your trip to the United States with all its lights, skyscrapers and movie-like life but you very much feel like seeing classic “one-storey America” – Staten Island district is the best suitable place for it. Upper crusters from Manhattan, working men from Brooklin and dealers from Bronx often tease Staten Island inhabitants calling them as nearly as hayseeds. The thing is that this part of the city with its small houses, quiet life and oceans of vegetation doesn’t look like your ordinary metropolis. Many people there are actually engaged in farming within the limits of the Big Apple. Low population density together with natural conditions encourages that: the Island is perfectly washed with Hudson River. Local dwellers feel comfortable because their life is deliberate, there are no traffic jams and all blessings of civilization are just past the legendary Verrazano Bridge. The Ferry is believed to be the main landmark of the district; it connects Staten Island to Manhattan – the trip lasts for about half an hour and provides for a chance to enjoy wonderful views including those of the Statue of Liberty and the zoo that was opened as far back as in 1963.Photo kenlicata.net
Buenos Aires, Argentina
After a look around city centre we suggest all the tourists move to the south-east suburb of the city where Barracas, former working district, is situated. It got its name due to numerous barracks in which eager beavers lived when their main occupation was slaughterhouse. Later nearly entire factory production of the city moved there thus turning 19th century Barracas into industrial heart of Argentine capital. However when in late next century industrial productions wound down or were transferred from Buenos Aires at all, huge warehouse facilities didn’t remain empty for long – poor artists and students began moving to the neighborhood. They were followed by other citizens attracted by cheap accommodation and abundance of artists painting everything and anything. Thus galleries and art-spaces emerged instead of slaughterhouses and factories. Nowadays Barracas is a decent and safe residential district famous for football player Di Stefano being born there, Church of Santa Felicitas and neighborhoods that became sets for numerous movies including famous film South by Fernando Solanas.Photo fodors.com
Tokyo, Japan
The Greater Tokyo consists of huge number of district cities and suburbs – it isn’t just a metropolis, it is a separate country. Sometimes its citizens themselves cannot tell a district from a suburb – so urbanized it all got. In 20-minutes ride on commuter rail from the centre green Mitaka is located – perfect spot for picnics, walks with children and simply having a beer in one of numerous parks (“Kampai” exclamations can be heard every other second even on working days). This place can be briefly characterized with three words: sakura, pond, Miyazaki-land. Nature there is truly impressive – while boating and enjoying beauty and silence it is hard to believe that it is a capital with twenty millions of population. As to the great animator, as far back as in 2001 he created Studio Ghibli Museum that is much more often called Totoro Museum (it was the name of his animation film’s character) in the territory of district. Alongside a chance to see with your own eyes how the masterpieces were created, every willing person can attend the master’s study and have an eyeful of his pictures and sketches. Mitaka is both children’s and adults’ favorite spot and there is no better place in entire Tokyo for a romantic walk.Photo champ-magazine.com
Helsinki, Finland
Right past the bridge with jaw-breaking (for foreigners) name Pitkäsilta, Kallio, real working district proudly spreads out. As late as in 1970s it was notorious for they preferred tight-lipped yet specific people there and treated “aliens” from city centre suspiciously. But the latter ones kept coming anyway because in weather-beaten beerhouses alcohol cost peanuts in comparison to fine bars in Helsinki. Local public baths that occupied entire streets, attracted citizens from all over the city, too. There were so many of them in Kallio because nearly all of local housing built a century ago were condominiums so there were hardly many people who could boast of an apartment larger than 20 square meters and there simply were no baths or showers. All in all, some 15-20 years ago the only things they were doing in the district were working like dogs on factories, drinking beer and washing in baths. Everything changed when the Finns increased their living standards so much that there was no more need in domestic industry on such scale and workers began retraining for clerks and enterprises themselves shut down. First signals, that not only Kallio is becoming a different place but even a hipster one, were opening of a second hand shop and of a vegetarian café there. To the credit of locals, they realized that times changed and didn’t look at people who earn living with their heads rather than hands with jaundiced eye. And as time went on things got really mixed: former plant workers enjoy coffee in brand new establishments and new-coming intellectuals curiously master abandoned objects to turn them into clusters and cinemas. More to that, the district became so unanimous that the main holiday there is Korttelikeittiö, the day when locals gather in the street to cook food and treat each other – some kind of local festival. Second most popular event is litter pick. However, although they may gradually forget former atmosphere of Kallio, the place still preserves its spirit of liberty and over there no one is surprised if beer is ordered at 8 a.m. And cheap baths still operate.Photo instaphenomenons.me
Thanks largely to the UEFA European Football Championship that took place in 2016 in France, the whole world got interested in the distant and seemingly cold country of Iceland, since its footballers highlighted the tournament with several loud break-throughs, and thus promoted their homeland. In order to keep up with the trend, OUTLOOK decided to share the coolest fun facts about the country of elves and trolls, volcanoes and glaciers.
What is it that characterizes any nation without much words and long explanations? Dances, of course, because it is these movements, refined over centuries, that can tell a foreigner about other peoples much more than thick history books. If you carefully watch and feel the way people dance in different countries, their mind set will become much more comprehensible. And these aren’t mere words.
Often the Balkan countries are deemed to be something very close to us in terms of mentality, culture and traditions, that traveling there seems to be something second-rate, no match for a trip to Europe, or to some islands. However, today we would like to tell about magic Balkan cities that can compete with the much favoured tourist centres!
For sailors to round Cape Horn situated in the very South of Argentina is a success that equals to Everest ascent for alpinists. Rush under sails around “sailor’s graveyard” defying gigantesque waves and hurricane wind turned out a success for the first time on January, 29, 1616.
There’s hardly anything that compares to bright-starred sky and silence. It is the stars that OUTLOOK want to tell you about or more precisely about the places with the best view on them. In Europe it is recommended to go stargazing not to some place but to… Slovenia. Point is, this small country is one of the cleanest in the world and consequently isn’t that polluted with smog.
This mysterious eastern country can surprise even the most experienced tourist. We are convinced of this and will gladly tell you why. And let's start with the fact that tourism in today's Turkmenistan is a rather promising and dynamic economic sector.
Today in our review dedicated to the most interesting streets of the planet we are going to talk about Brivibas. The old city of Riga is truly magnificent and finely preserved part of Latvian capital. Verily here there are more tourists and less local citizens, however, 350-400 years ago around it there was nothing and city resembled inaccessible medieval fortress in semi-Scandinavian and semi-European style. All of its population could place here…
Each state has its own official symbols: flag, coat of arms and anthem. But in addition to the traditional "identification mark" there are symbols chosen by people, for instance, a favourite bird. It is about them OUTLOOK expands below. To register the people's love by document, in 1960 in Tokyo at the International Conference on the Protection of Birds was created the concept of "national bird".
A function of UNESCO World Heritage Committee is to work in the most careful manner year after year on studying objects that constitute outstanding culture civilizations and are unique in their origins. Under number 569 of an impressive list of the organization city of Gjirokastër, the one from the south of Albania, is located – it is it we are going to study today through the length and breadth.
Not every tourist will come to Japan. But Marina Belka, a fashion designer, did it, because the mysterious Land of the Rising Sun was her childhood dream. She shared with us her impressions of Tokyo and gave practical advice to future tourists.
In the world there are two Cartagenas. In both, their inhabitants speak Spanish, love bullfighting, and in the evenings they go to the beach to skip the mojito and breathe the salty wind. But only in one of them a rhythm of hot salsa, placers of emeralds and pearls can burst into a languid city walk, and bright, hot beauties can cross the road. And this is Colombia!
Countries often flaunt their natural beauties: they invite tourists allowing them to examine closely every detail of jewellery coined by the nature. Among beauties, there are some that are the most extravagantly bright, showy and bizarre, and sometimes even wild for our eyes. African Ethiopia grabbed one of the most beautiful accessories - Dallol volcano.
Few of us, while our favourite tea is steeping, are scrutinizing about the way this drink went through to get into our mug. Of course, stereotypically, we know that most likely it came from India or China, but in fact origin can vary. In the world there are about 30 countries which are very seriously engaged in tea business, and within this community a very clear hierarchy emerges, headed by the so-called Big Tea Seven.
It is dubbed the spot of Spain in the heart of Argentina. Founded by the Spanish conquerors and surrounded by beautiful nature with a mild warm climate, Salta attracted immigrants from many countries. Intensive mixture of European style and Latin volcanic character resulted into striking and unique new culture. The city is so beautiful, that people nicknamed it Salta la Linda - Salta the Beautiful.
When winds start wandering among those stone, caressing peaks of sand barchans and forcing down rare vegetationm entire space around gets filled with marvellous sounds. Herdsmen, who happen to spend nights in one of the most mysterious deserts of the globe, tell about drumrolls, enchanting sounds of flute and voices, murmuring something indistinguishable.
Each of us wants to escape rush of a city from time to time and lie low somewhere far from everything and anything. And it better be a place where one can listen to whisper of waves, feel light breeze and forever make friends with inimitably loud silence that muffles every disturbing thought…
We are proceeding with articles telling "history of one street" and today we will tell you about one of the most beautiful and cheerful streets of Buenos Aires, which is called Caminito. It is located in the famous area of La Boca founded in the 19th century by Italian immigrants.
To visit three countries over one day – it is possible if you are in Aachen. Situated amid Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, small student town took in features of medieval culture that reflected in its astonishing architecture. Yelena Buravtsova visited the town for it to win her heart with its off-beat monuments, streets paved with stone blocks, cozy cafés, one of a kind printed spice cake, museums and spectacular races.
Treehouses, dug-outs and secret shelters – all the things we used to build when children. Unfortunately, as we grow older, fantasy fades and most of us now live in uncomfortable grey “boxes”. However, there are people who have created dwellings of their dreams by themselves.
Even being adults, sometimes we are able to bring to life the children’s fantasies, see the stories from childish dreams, and embody what has seemed to be the fairytale. Have you ever dreamt of being in the whale’s chaps? Just imagine that you were swollen by the giant fish, and you were living there for a long time, looked at it inside, settled down there, swam and dived there?
Photo thebrokebackpacker.com
Photo kenlicata.net
Photo fodors.com
Photo champ-magazine.com
Photo instaphenomenons.me
