| May 13, 2013 |
| Spotlight Destination: Bergen, Norway |
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| Our guide recruitment manager Colin has been working very hard of late to find ToursByLocals the right guides in Norway. Last week he introduced our team to one of his recruits: Kai Ove, a long-time resident of Bergen, Norway. |
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If you’ve never been to Bergen, you’re going to want to go after reading about it.
Surrounded by seven hills and seven fjords, Bergen’s setting alone makes it a lovely city. Throw in a thousand-year old protected harbour, thriving cultural life and UNESCO World Heritage status, and you have one of the most stunning cities in Scandinavia.
Let’s start with the setting: Bergen is surrounded by one of the world's most spectacular tourist attractions, the Norwegian Fjords. The city is situated between the longest fjord Sognefjord to the north of Bergen and the beautiful Hardangerfjord in the south. Click on the image above for a sense of the majesty these fjords impart.
The city of Bergen is rich in history, having welcomed visitors for more than 900 years. Bryggen, the historic district, has become a symbol of Norwegian cultural heritage and has gained a place on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The old Hanseatic wharf is architecturally unique and its row of timber-framed buildings is perhaps one of the most familiar images in all of Norway. Although 61 of Bryggen's buildings are preserved and protected, they are not a museum. The district’s spectacular wooden architecture shelters a living community of shops and offices, artists' studios, crafts-people's workshops and restaurants. It’s a delightful place to wander.
In the evenings, the city's cultural offerings are rich and varied: Bergen has one of the world’s oldest symphony orchestras, Norway's first national theatre, a host of international festivals, plus the country’s best choirs, jazz musicians and opera singers.
Kai Ove leads walking tours of the city of Bergen, and day-long tours farther afield. If you’ve got just a day at the port in Bergen, we suggest taking advantage of Kai and his car to explore the incredible natural beauty of Western Norway’s fjords. |
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| May 9, 2013 |
| Portland Oregon: the random (but important!) stuff you need to know before your visit |
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| We have a new guide in the Pacific Northwest! Scott is a long-time resident of Portland, Oregon, a city that’s popping up on more and more travelers’ radars these days. Its vibrant downtown, pretty residential neighborhoods, local cafes and brewpubs share space with many friendly (and caffeinated!) characters. Scott’s here to tell you about a few things you should keep in mind when you visit his hometown. |
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Weather. Yes it has been known to rain in Portland. Sometimes it can rain for what seems like months on end. However, the Portland climate from May through mid-October is pretty much the best there is in the U.S. The summer daytime temperatures here are beyond pleasant, mostly between 75-85 degrees. NEWS FLASH: For anyone that comes here from the East Coast or the Mid-West or pretty much anywhere east of the Rockies take note: we have NO HUMIDITY ISSUES here! If it is 75 degrees or even it is 90 degrees when you visit, it’s a comfortable heat and you do not have to take a shower four times a day.
Umbrellas. As a general rule, Portlanders do not carry or use umbrellas. What falls out of the sky here during the winter months is not like you are used to in Florida or Ohio. We call it drizzle, and you have to be out in drizzle a very long time to get wet. If you do choose to use an umbrella, you will be immediately spotted as being "not from here" and subject to curious looks and (good-natured!) pointing.
Coffee. Portland is the second most caffeinated city in the country, second only to our archrival from the north (that would be Seattle, the home of Starbucks). Portlanders spend on average $33 per month on coffee for every man, women, and child. This means two things for the visitor to Portland: 1.Most everyone you meet in Portland will be wide awake and very, very friendly (see talking to strangers below). 2. If you do get that stray summer shower discussed in the weather section above, you can always find a coffee shop to duck into for a few minutes.
Talking to strangers. Portlanders do it. In many places around the world, and in some US cities, it is not cool, and maybe even considered rude, to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. That does not seem to be the case here: Portlanders are not shy about talking to strangers. If it makes you feel uncomfortable to have someone on the street say “Hi” or ask you where you bought your shoes, or offer you directions when you didn’t even ask, this might not be the best place for you.
Beer. You like beer? We do too. Portland is the undisputed king of the microbrewer with over forty breweries inside the city limits alone. Enough said on that subject.
Tonya Harding. Back in the day (the 1990's) Portland had a bad girl resident living amongst us named Tonya. She was a world-class figure skater and it seems she and her entourage would do anything to win her sport. Anything including putting a hit on her competition. Literally. In a practice session before the 1994 Olympics, her husband and his band of merry men took a collapsible police baton and whacked Nancy Kerrigan, her main competitor, on the knee. It was an apparent attempt to break her leg and put her out of the competition, but in the end the knee didn’t break, the bad people got caught, the Olympics went on, and Nancy Kerrigan took home a silver medal while our hometown girl finished a disappointing eighth. I only mention this unfortunate event because this incident is, and always will be, a continued embarrassment to our fair city and if you were to bring it up to the wrong person here, you might get yourself whacked.
Scott operates weekend walking tours in his lovely city, where you will always be given “The Rest of the Story” in regards to Portland, its history and the people who call this place home. You can reach Scott and schedule your own private Portland walking tour through his guide profile page. |
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| May 7, 2013 |
| Special Places: Edinburgh's Holyrood Park |
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| Do you have a favourite place in your city or town – someplace that always bring you a sense of peace or joy when you visit it? Our Edinburgh guide Peter took some time to tell us about a special spot in his city that brings locals and visitors together in their admiration for Scottish nature and history: Holyrood Park. |
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My first adventure into the park and Arthur’s Seat was at just 18 months old. My mother took me to the top, and ever since it has been my favourite place in a city that offers many exciting, original and fascinating places. Originally a royal park for hunting, it has also been known as the King’s Park or Queen’s Park depending who was on the throne; today it is generally called Holyrood Park. As I child, teenager and adult I have explored, walked, run and played football in it and have never tired of the place as it changes with the seasons.
The name “Arthur’s Seat” is one of the mysteries of the park, not generally thought to be anything to do with the heroic king, but it has been suggested that it may derive from a Gaelic phrase Ard-na-Said or "Height of the Arrows." It sits majestically at a height of 800 feet on a dormant volcano, surrounded by a microcosm of the Scottish Highlands in the heart of a city! The park still has the evidence of early dwellers from the stone and bronze ages, and within its ground is the ruin of the 12th century Abbey of Holyrood and next to it the British monarch's B&B! (The Palace of Holyrood House, which is the official Scottish residence of the Monarch.)
Legend tells us that King David went hunting on a religious day and was charged by a stag; to save himself he held up a holy rood (a crucifix) between the stag’s antlers and it ran away. In a dream that night he was told to build a monastery in thanks for his life. The result of this was the Abbey of the Holy Rood, built in 1128, which was attended by St Augustine monks, also known as canons. They walked up the road to Edinburgh which subsequently became known as the Cannons Gait. (Gait is the old Scots word for “way” or “walk”.) A burgh was established and today it is known by the anglicised name of Cannongate.
To walk round the park it is 3.1 miles or 5 km. It has 3 lochs: two manmade (St Margaret's and Dunsapie) created by Queen Victoria's husband Albert, and the other, Duddingston, is a bird sanctuary and a place of scientific significance. Over the centuries the park has been a place of joy, sadness, murder, suicide, romance, freedom and yet another mystery: in 1836 five boys schoolboys discovered a cave on the high slopes of the summit. Inside were two rows of tiny coffins 3 or 4 inches in height, 17 in all, each containing a carefully carved wooden figure dressed in funeral clothes. There is no clear explanation as to what they were for, but some suggest it was to do with black magic: what do you think?
Today the park is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. For me it will always be a joy: I believe that to have such natural beauty in the middle of the city is something truly special.
If you’d like to explore the wilds of Holyrood Park and other parts of Edinburgh with someone who can make the city's history come alive, consider getting in touch with Peter for a private Edinburgh tour. |
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