Travel & Culture> Walled Cities of Europe

Image: A view of Girona from the City Wall

Image by: Malouette





Text by: Tanya Munshi

Planning a theme for your Europe trip? Maybe you could plan a trip to the famous European walled cities. Here are some of the best European walled cities that travel guides recommend.

The Walled City of Catalonia, Girona, Spain – Girona is worth a visit. This city is interesting with a confluence of several cultures of Christians, Jews and Arabs. Originally a Roman empire, Girona gradually evolved as a medieval centre in the later years. Girona is known for its amazing architecture and gems.

The Walls of Girona had been destroyed and re-constructed in the 19th century. The passeig de la Muralla or the Walled Walk is open between 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. The Passeig Arqueologic, is another wall walk on the outside of the town walls, that gives you a view of the old city lined with flowers and cypress trees.

It only takes about an hour to reach Girona and is situated to the north of Barcelona, in the Catalonia region. With limited options for boarding and lodging, it is advisable that you visit Girona with prior bookings.
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The Walled City of Rhodes, Greece – The city of Rome, is draped by medieval walls of seven gates, a moat and castle. Also known as Rodos, this is a walled city situated on the coast of the island of Rhodes. The Knights of Saint John had taken shelter inside the Rhodes Walls in 1309 when they were exiled from the Holy Land.
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Carcassonne France Walled City – Probably the only place, where you can find 6th, 7th and 8th century walls. A beautiful medieval hilltop town, Caracassonne is situated near the canal du midi that has been entered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. A small town, Carcassonne is situated south of Paris bordering Cathar County. A river, castle ruins, and the lit up La Cite at night makes this a memorable experience.
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Avila - Walled City in Castile-Leon, Spain – A day trip from Madrid to Avila is enough to visit one of the best persevered walled cities in Spain. The Walls of Avila date back to the 11th century and has been declared as a World Heritage Site. Here, apart from the Walls of Avila, you can also visit the Cathedral and Museum and the Monastery of Santo Tamas de Avila. You can hop on to a train that runs 24 hours from Chamartin Station in Madrid to Avila.
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The Walled City of Luca, Italy – Luca is a cozy town enveloped by 16th century walls that you can walk around. In the town of Luca, you can also cycle or walk along the three mile stretch of these historic walls.

Food & Travel> Waffles, Frites and Belgium

Image: Melt-in-the-mouth waffles

Image by: Belgian Chocolate

Text by: Tanya Munshi


History has played a significant role in influencing the food habits in Belgium. German, French and Latin cultures have a dominant presence in their food habits. Over the years, the natives came across a wide range of people from all across Europe. Through several experiments they evolved their own food habits and style. With just five percent of agricultural population, Belgium produces over 165 different kinds’ food products, including cheeses. Follow the Eurail map and land up in Belgium to feast on the delicious cuisines!

While visiting Belgium try out the Frites (French fries) and Flemish beef stew. Sea food, especially mussels is a favorite, along with beer, waffles and chocolates. Don’t miss the carbonnades flamandes which is the traditional Belgium beef stew with beer.

Characterized by the medieval cooking style, Belgium cuisine incorporates a lot of dry fruits, almonds, herbs, spices, mustard and vinegar. The endive herb dishes such as gratin or in soup, are a must try.

More popularly known as the white gold, endive was first introduced in Paris in 1872. Today this herb is cultivated in Belgium, in a variety of patches, be it in the fields or in kitchen gardens.
During your trip to Belgium, try the Waterzooi which is a fish or a chicken stew, flavored with butter, cream and egg yolk and lots of veggies that makes this a wholesome meal.

Roasted chestnuts, waffles and frites are popular road side food! During a window shopping spree, pick up paper cones full of frites garnished with mayonnaise or a flavored sauce. Did we miss the waffles? The waffles taste divine, especially when they melt in your mouth. Take a lazy stroll while the aroma of roasted chestnuts adds to the ambience of gorgeous Belgium.

Note: Rail Pass and Rail Europe both have online booking for cheap point to point and select eurail passes.

Travel & Culture> Markets of Europe

Image: Temple Bar at night
Image by: Infomatique

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Traveling to Europe involves sight seeing, experimenting with different kinds of cuisines, shopping and much more. The best way to feel the pulse of a country, city or town is to go to a local market place (not a supermarket or a mall) and watch the lives of the locals go by. You can window shop, munch on a fruit, taste an exotic local dish, buy some souvenirs, take lots of photographs and add them to your memories.
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1. Belfast, Northern Ireland, St. George Market at Oxford Street:

Voted as one of the best UK markets in 2004, this market has around 248 stalls. From meat, seafood, fresh veggies and beautiful flowers, there are stalls dedicated to antique items, clothes and jewellery as well. The first Saturday of every month has a live cookery performance by one of the best chefs in town at noon.

2. Birmingham, West Midlands, England Wellsbourne Market (Avon):

It’s a huge market, mostly open on Saturdays and bank holidays. It has almost everything from books, cards, camping gear, clothes, shoes and electronics. Bargaining here is highly recommended. Situated on an airfield, Wellsbourne Market can get very windy and uncomfortable when it starts raining.
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Antique Fairs: If you’re interested in antique items, then this is a place to visit.
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Rag Market: Want to pick up toiletries, camping gear, herbs and spices, branded make up, CDs, designer clothes or maybe even second hand clothes, then drop by at the Rag Market. Open on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, look around before you buy.

3. Cardiff, Wales, Queen Street:

Cardiff has been rated as one of the top five shopping cities in the UK. At Queen Street you can pick up branded watches, designer clothes, cameras etc.

4. Dublin, Ireland, Temple Bar:

To the south of the River Liffey, Temple Bar is situated in central Dublin in Ireland. With narrow cobbled streets, Temple Bar is a popular hangout for tourists for its zippy nightlife.

5. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Flowermarket Amsterdam:

A place for souvenirs and beautiful flowers, Flowermarket is situated in the city centre of Amsterdam. It is recommended that you buy flower bulbs with certification only, if you wish to bring back home. Summer is the time when the Flowermarket is full of vibrant colors. This is a popular place where everyone comes to buy their Christmas tree. The market is open on all days, Monday to Saturday 9:00 am to 5:30 pm and Sundays 11:00 am to 5:30 pm.

6. Barcelona, Spain, La Boqueria:

A food lover’s paradise, La Boqueria is one stop destination to buy veggies, fruits, meat and fish. This market is frequently visited by the best chefs in town. If you want to do something different, then take a walk down La Boqueria and have a good time tasting food and filling your tummy.
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Las Ramblas: A part of the wide pedestrian avenues, Las Rambla de les Flors is one of the 5 Ramblas. If you’re visiting Barcelona, it would be a crime to not make a trip to Las Ramblas. You can pick up something you like, or simply stick to window shopping and watch the ‘living statues’, flower shops and pet shops.

7. Berlin, Germany, Tiergarten Fleamarket:

One of he most colorful and the biggest markets of Berlin, the Tiergarten Fleamarket is mainly open on weekends and bank holidays. This market is divided into two sections. The first part has shops sporting antique items, clothes, furniture etc. while the second part is full of artisans of all kinds. It is advisable to go early to get the best bargains on antiques. But if you’re only interested in looking around, then pay a visit during the peak hours of 1:00 pm and enjoy the energy of the market place.

8. Paris, France, Marche aux puces de Saint-Quenn:

A fun place to shop and get good deals on branded and second hand clothes, old radios, antiques and what not. There are two more main flea markets in Paris – Porte de St-Quenn and Porte de Clignancourt. The puces de Saint Quenn is a home to second hand mattresses, old junk and the like. The shops are open on Saturdays and Sundays, on Mondays most of the shops are closed. Sundays are the busiest days of the week and it is also very crowded.

9. Vienna, Austria, Meinl am Graben:

Famous for coffee and the quality of food, Meinl am Graben is also home to an amazing stock of wine. By midnight, the Wine Cellar is transformed into an up market wine bar. Here different kinds of wines are offered for tasting every fortnight. From the wide range of wines, you can pick the ones that fit your budget. You can also whet your appetite at the sushi bar, health cafes, or a coffee shop that sells Viennese coffee, made from Meinl coffee beans. This is slightly an up market area, but worth a visit to get the real essence of Vienna.
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Published in Eurailing.com, on June 18, 2007
Link: http://www.eurailing.com/category/Travel-Guides/Markets-of-Europe/