Lost In A Grid - Barcelona

The Catalan capital of Barcelona is one of the best cities to visit, vibrant, modern, exciting and sexy.

It's not really a super size city and getting around is very easy with an excellent public transportation system of metro, buses and bike network.

Barcelona streets follow a grid which has existed since the Romans ruled, but knowing which direction is what can be rather confusing since all roads appear the same. Exiting a shop, or a bar may mean not knowing what is east or west, north or south. There are no distinct landmarks to point you in the right direction unless your near an open area or familiar tourist attractions.

It's easy to lose your orientation, especially after having a few lethal and strong cocktails of a night out. It can feel like your lost in a maze as simple as a grid.

On Board Five-Star Chef for First Class Food, Etihad Airlines

First Class in-flight meals on Etihad—the Abu Dhabi-based airline—are now being prepared by a qualified chef. One person is dedicated to cooking, preparing and plating the meals served in the front of the plane.

Etihad announced the hiring of 110 restaurant-caliber chefs to fly back and forth from Abu Dhabi to a handful of cities while preparing the menu for the Diamond Class cabin. The chefs will also be responsible for contributing to the evolution of the menu and meal choices both in-flight and on the ground in the each of the airline's lounges. Each chef will need at least 6 years experience in a 5-star restaurant to be welcomed aboard, and there are even some Michelin-starred restaurants that have lost their chef to the airline.

Each aircraft is catered with the fixings to create dishes, just as a chef would do on the ground. Fresh meats, pre-chopped vegetables, spices, sauces and pre-cooked items are available to personalize the menu for passengers. Etihad has even provided the kitchen tools, like whisks and foamers, to jazz up each plate for max "ooo ahhh" reaction.

The complete overhaul of their first class menu, now named "Mazoon Grille," gives premium passengers plenty of options, based on 5 portions of chicken, beef, lamb or seafood. Variety comes in the form of 4 sauces and another 4 sides, allowing passengers to customize their dining experience. The new menu, a Taste of Arabia, has 6 smaller portions, all with distinct Arab flavors.

All of these changes are coming in early 2012 and will begin with flights to London, Paris, Sydney and Melbourne, eventually expanding to the rest of the flights that have Diamond Class service.

Sources: 
Etihad Airway's First Class Chefs take flight
First Class Food from a Five-Star, Onboard Chef? It's Coming to Etihad.

Yotels and Sleepboxes

Your traveling long haul and have a long stop over before your next flight, hanging around in the terminal is not the most comfortable ways of spending your time, though a new option is available in New York, London and Amsterdam where you can rent a room by the hour.

Yotels offers modern compact rooms with free WiFi, showers, flat screen TV's and workstations with multi power points, available for a minimum of a 4 hour booking. This is a great alternative to just hanging around, and a good alternative to checking in at a full feature hotel. Best of all, the location are usually within the airport terminal.



A newer option called SleepBox is soon to become reality in Moscow airport, which if proves popular could be expanded into other markets. Intended primarily to enable a person to sleep or relax in a private space away from crowds. Compact cabins with a bed only, no shower or bathroom.

SleepBox website states the opportunity to have boxes that can accommodate 1 to 3 people, each unit with heat insulation, attached centralized ventilation system with air conditioning. Possible locations of airports, rail stations, hostels and even offices. This could be a new trend for travel in the future.

Azores Tourism Advertising Boost

Is the Azores about to have its moment in the travel world?

The Azores is about to go through a huge European advertising campaign promoting tourism in the region. A footnote in the ad indicates 'construir o futuro', meaning 'building for the future'.

In the last 20 years there have been significant infrastructure development on the the islands with improved roads and highways, along with  a new airport in Ponta Delgada and new routes for its regional airline SATA with direct flights from London, Boston, Toronto, Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Nuremberg, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm,  Helsinki, and code share and routes from Poland and eastern Europe.

The Azores 'Feel Alive' ad and website Visit Azores promotes eco-tourism and natural beauty in the region such as hiking, whale watching, and traditions of the island. It boasts 120 geological sites to explore on the 9 islands isolated in the middle of the Atlantic.

Tourism has always focused on mainland Portugal and offshore island of Madeira, but this indicates a new focus and push for the autonomous region of the Azores.

These islands offer new options for the off-beat traveler who aims to avoid mainstream destinations and explore a part of the world few know about, though it remains a place reserved for outdoor adventure seekers and explorers.

Visit my pages on Azores, São Miguel, Ponta Delgada, and Achada for photos and videos of the region.

Air Rail Link - Toronto Pearson Airport Responds

After a recent post about poor transport links between the Toronto airport, I'm glad to report that there are confirmed plans to finally bridge the city and the airport, as Toronto Pearson Airport responds.

New services will be introduced to move people more easily and comfortably to and from the airport. Toronto Pearson has been identified as an important Mobility Hub by Metrolinx, the Province’s regional transportation authority, in its recently approved Regional Transportation Plan.

The proposed Air Rail Link (ARL) from Toronto Pearson would provide efficient and dependable access between downtown Toronto and the Airport, where it would connect into the LINK Train Station currently at Terminal 1.

The Air Rail Link is an operating division of Metrolinx. When complete, the ARL will provide a premium express rail shuttle service between Union Station and Pearson Airport. In February 2011, Metrolinx directed the purchase of 12 convertible Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) to be used for the ARL service. (I believe a greener alternative could have been selected)

The ARL will be an important link for business people and travellers and will be ready for the 2015 Pan American Games.

Nude-In San Francisco

It is not illegal to be nude in San Francisco, in fact the city claims it is okay to be naked. Though a proposed law may mean that nudists will have to carry a towel to sit on.

On Saturday September 24 2011, nudists gathered at the top of the Castro District to protest and show people 'nude is not lewd'. Approximately 20 to 30 people took part in the peaceful event.

Fish Bar - Toronto

It's not often you go somewhere that really changes your perspective of what food should be, but my recent visit to Fish Bar on Ossington Avenue in Toronto really has left an impressive dent to my taste buds.

Where the main ingredient is exclusively fish and fresh, new combinations of ingredients brings news bursts of flavours to bland tastes, the calamari is simply the best, perfectly seasoned, mussels and tomato that make each really stand on it's own and oysters from east to western coasts of Canada with distinctive tastes and unusual combinations of sauces and spice.

I'm won over by Fish Bar, truly unique in that it breaks from tradition and serves us new combos and tastes. What makes it more enjoyable is the fact meals are made to share, like tapas, so trying a variety if dishes with friends makes the experience something special.

Fish Bar is a classic example if how a restaurant has chosen one element and specialised the flavour and experience. If your in Toronto I have to say, for a great fish experience, Fish Bar delivers.