London, I’m Coming Home (Qype does London)

London, I’m Coming Home
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 11th 2009

I’m sitting here at Hartsfield International Airport (ick) in Atlanta waiting for my flight back to Heathrow (double ick). Despite the prospect of an especially sinister case of jetlag and an ever increasing pile of work waiting to gang up on me across The Pond, I’m more than ready to return. Three weeks is a long time to be away. I miss my wife, my kitties, my daily routine and the city I call home.

Read the complete London, I’m Coming Home post at Qype does London.

Pub Quiz Winner! (Qype does London)

Pub Quiz Winner!
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 7th 2009



To be honest, this was my first pub quiz, something I’ve always associated with London. Maybe they used to have them back when I lived here, but I don’t remember ever hearing about pub quizzes then or on any past visits. Anyway, our team won ...

Read the complete Pub Quiz Winner! post at Qype does London.

I Like Bodean’s But … (Qype does London)

I Like Bodean’s But …
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 3rd 2009



Don’t get me wrong; I like BoDean’s (especially their wings). But they could learn a thing or twelve from world famous master of the pit, Big Bob Gibson. As I said in my last post ...

Read the complete I Like Bodean’s But … at Qype does London.

“London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee (Qype does London)

“London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 2nd 2009



Driving around Chattanooga, Tennessee the other day I happened upon the above pictured van advertising Tugboat “London Style” Fish & Chips. I thought all you folks back in the UK would get a kick out of it.

Read the complete “London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee post at Qype does London.

Berliner December

I spent the weekend in Berlin catching up with a good friend from grad school, and I have to say that visiting Berlin during the run up to Christmas is well worth considering. The city glows with equal parts urban cool and winter wonder and there are a gazillion and one things to do - Christmas-y or otherwise. April in Paris? New York in June? Sure! But don't count out a Berliner December.

This wasn't my first time in Berlin (and I sincerely hope it won't be my last!), but it was my first during December. With pretty winter lights strung along trees, streets, homes and shop windows, and Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets) scattered throughout the city (erm, sorry, I don't think Berliners scatter anything; strategically placed at optimal locations might be a better way to put it), the festive season was in full swing.

Of course, the highlight of the trip was getting to spend some quality time with my old classmate, but I loved munching and sipping my way through the markets and sampling all sorts of yummy German treats. It was also an opportunity to try out my new Nikon D700 (which moving to it from the D70s is like hopping from the driver's seat of a VW to a Porsche). I've still a ways to go climbing the learning curve to operate this camera but I'm pretty happy with my results so far. See what you think:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Can't see the above pics? Click here to view them on Flickr.

---

Read more about my weekend in Berlin ...

Berlin!
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
December 16th 2008



Our line of attack planned, we set out Saturday morning to do Berlin in grand style. A mix of the sobering (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and nearby Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism) with the delightfully festive (Christmas markets at Charlottenburg and Gendarmenmarkt) and the historic (Brandenburg Gate, the remnants of the Berlin Wall) made for a perfect weekend, with plenty of glüwein and würst and all sorts of yummies (I loved the seasonal grünkohl with ribs!!!) rounding out the tour.

Read the complete Berlin! post at Qype does London.

Book UK Airport Hotels with Airport-Hotels.co.uk

Every so often, I find myself with an upcoming flight taking off at the crack of dawn. When I’ve been able to spend the night before the flight at accommodations near the airport, it’s made those trips so much more relaxing than if I would have had to drag myself to the airport in the wee early morn feeling like a zombie.

Have you got a similar travel situation coming up? Consider booking a room at an airport hotel and cut down on any early morning stresses trying to make your airport.

A useful resource for booking your room near the airport is Airport-Hotels.co.uk, which lists every hotel available near every major airport in the UK. Whether situated within the airport perimeter (on-airport) and just a short walk to the airport terminal or off-airport and requiring a short transfer to the terminals, you’ll find the right hotel on Airport-Hotels.co.uk.

Airport-Hotels.co.uk compares relevant hotel prices from five leading hotel providers, including Holiday Extras, Superbreak, APH and FHR, helping to ensure you pay the lowest price for you room. With Airport-Hotels.co.uk, you can also choose to include dinner or breakfast, additional car parking or – of course – simply book a room. In addition to those features, Airport-hotels can be used to reserve hotel parking for up to fifteen days.

You also might want to keep Airport-Hotels.co.uk in mind to bypass any potential late night hassles associated with an upcoming flight arriving just in time for you to want to hit the sack. I’ve been in this situation a few times before too. And when I’ve been able to simply make it to a room quick and move on the next morning after a decent night’s sleep, I’ve gotten more out of my trip. Of course, should you have an upcoming business meeting near a UK airport, Airport-Hotels.co.uk is an obvious choice for booking as well.

Taking a Quick Look at Ferryonline.co.uk

Air travel annoyances and Eurostar hold-ups have me searching the web for alternate modes of to-n-fro. How about a ferry?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been travelling abroad as much this year as I would have liked. I reckon that, considering the shape of the economy these days, such is the case with a lot of folks. Fuel prices seem to be upping the costs of airfare – and budget airlines just add-on whatever surcharges they feel is necessary to ensure what looked like a cheap ticket is no longer a bargain.

Besides, air travel ain’t doing it for me anyway. I mean, even if I arrive at the airport hours before my flight, odds are I’m still in for some sort of unforeseen hassle and an almost endless wait in at least one winding queue of disgruntled travellers. Sometimes, as with the opening of Heathrow’s T5, the aggravations associated with air travel are enough to embarrass a whole nation! The last few times I’ve flown, the whole rigmarole left me wondering if the trips were worth the undo flight-related stress. Remember back in those pre-9/11 days when flights were cheap and you didn’t have to worry about how much toothpaste you had in your carry-on?

I’ve taken the Eurostar a couple of times this year as well and have to admit that I really love zipping through the Chunnel from St Pancras and shortly showing up in continental Europe. And, when I’ve been able to find a deal or book well in advance, I’ve found the fares to be exceptional value for money. However, with the Eurostar still operating an amended timetable following the “incident in the Channel Tunnel in September 2008,” this option is now a bit of a headache too.

So, ever-hankering to travel yet wanting to make the most of my money and time, I’ve been snooping around the web looking for alternative travel arrangements. One site I’ve come across in my research that appears to offer a valuable and reliable service (and has my brain buzzing with all sorts of potential travel exploits) is Ferryonline, which specialises in offering ferry tickets at low prices. Through Ferryonline, I could book ferries for any major European sea crossing. And check this out: for crossings where there are a number of operators, Ferryonline compares all the prices for me to see the cheapest price for the same route.

I’ve taken ferry trips before (loved ‘em) but only once in the UK and never anywhere to/from continental Europe. I’d be keen to try this method again some time in the near future and have no doubt that I’ll start my journey with a visit to Ferryonline first. The site provides the latest deals from all the leading ferry operators for both passenger and freight crossings, essentially providing folks with the option of booking any ferry journey in Europe from the comfort of their homes.

The hardest part will be figuring out where I’d like to go! Ireland, Holland, Spain, island hopping in Greece? Hmm … Whatever and wherever I decide, I’ll be sure to keep ya posted.

Return to Whitstable (Qype does London)

Return to Whitstable

Chris Osburn
Qype does London
September 15th 2008










Although it’s only some 60 miles from London, Whitstable seems like it’s a world away. The train trip’s scenic too. Whitstable’s train station is within walking distance of the town centre and beach - with the Pearl Fisher B&B essential equidistant between the station and the beach. I’m sure I’ll find myself back in Whitstable yet again. The delicious seafood and fresh salt air (all just a short jaunt away) are just too good.

Read the complete Whitstable post at Qype does London.

Awesome New Guidebook to the Big Island of Hawaii

If you’ve ever had even a passing conversation with me, I probably mentioned Hawaii … or was very likely wearing one of my many vintage made-in-Hawaii aloha shirts. I absolutely love Hawaii, wish I could spend more time there (like, at least half the year) and am borderline obsessive about virtually every aspect of Hawaiian and Polynesian life, culture, history and food.

Much of my love of the islands is the result of hanging out with my friend, Elizabeth Blish Hughes, a writer/editor who used to live in Hawaii. For years, Beth’s been an encyclopedic source of knowledge for any and all questions I’ve had about Hawaii. Her advice and understanding have helped me to make the most of my trips to Hawaii and to seek out and enjoy aspects of island living that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about. In particular, her tips really paid off when Emiana and I visited the Big Island of Hawaii for our honeymoon.

So I was really stoked when Beth informed me that her new guidebook, Hawaii's Big Island: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations), is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Emi and I have reserved our copy and I’m really hoping we’ll be able to fully use the book soon! Beth’s a fantastic writer, with local – off-the-beaten-path – knowledge of and deep love for Hawaii, its people and its many wonders. Mahalo Beth for sharing your expertise with the world!

You Know You're in New Jersey When ...

... there's a preset pizza button on the phone at your hotel!

More photos from the Jersey Shore at the tikichris photostream on Flickr.

Le Eurostar weekend (Qype does London)

Le Eurostar weekend
by Chris Osburn

Qype does London
August 3rd 2008










I’m sure the Eurostar has its share of imperfections (one time about a year ago, my Paris-London train was delayed for what seemed an excruciatingly long couple of hours), but for the most part I’ve had pleasant experiences zipping through the Chunnel. Taking the Eurostar to/from any of its destinations is certainly more civilized and a lot more logistically sensible than getting to/from any airports these days!

Read the complete Eurostar weekend post.

Beijing Olympics Site Arcitechture Videos

Here are a few short clips from early June of the Beijing Olympics site. The architecture is phenomenal. To say the least, it will be interesting to see how the Opening Ceremonies go.

Beijing Photos on Flickr

Okay, here's a link to some Beijing photos I uploaded to Flickr. If all goes as planned, I should have some more pics from my visit to China on Flickr soon.


Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008

Paris Graffiti (Juxtapoz)

Photos: French Street Art
Photography by Chris Osburn
Juxtapoz
Thursday, 24 July 2008









Our UK-based buddy Chris Osburn branched out and hit up France for a little vin and fromage and a lot of great street art.

See all the French Street Art photos.

Whitstable Weekend (Qype does London)

Whitstable Weekend
by Chris Osburn

Qype does London
July 14th 2008










While there, I was really blown away by the seafood. Whitstable is famous for its oysters and early into my stay I found out why: there’re delicious!

Click here for complete post.

Shanghai Graffiti Photos (Juxtapoz)

Photos: Graffiti in Shanghai, China
Chris Osburn, London Correspondent
Juxtapoz
Tuesday, 24 June 2008









Generally speaking, graffiti in Shanghai is an extremely rare sight. Buildings come and go at such a rapid pace that, even if an intrepid artist had touched up a particular wall, there's a good chance that said wall would have been demolished soon after ... The exception to this rule is Moganshan Road, where you can hardly take a step without spotting some graff. The area around Moganshan Road is Shanghai's art district where, luckily, the art isn't just confined to the galleries and shops.

Click here for complete post and all the photos.

Photographing China (PhotoBox)

Photographing China
Chris Osburn, PhotoBox blogger
PhotoBox
June 24th, 2008










A recent three week trip to China (mostly for fun but with a little business thrown in for good measure) provided an overabundance of photo opportunities and a range of fascinating experiences to impart with readers of the PhotoBox blog. With the Olympics soon to commence in Beijing and unprecedented economic growth stimulating a building boom the likes of which the world has never seen, the difficulty wasn’t deciding when to snap a photo but having the wherewithal to put the camera away at all!

Click here for complete post

Expat Perspective - Chris in Freiburg - Mom's Visit

Welcome to the latest instalment of Expat Perspective, a series of posts by guest writers who come from X but are living long term in Y. Here's the latest post from Chris Mavergames, an American librarian who's recently settled into family life in Southern Germany.

Recently, my mother, who is 67, came for a visit. She's been to Freiburg, a city nestled in the heart of the Südschwarzwald (southern Black Forest) region of Germany - last year right after our son Arvo was born. But, I'm always interested in what she finds interesting about where we live. For example, nearly all German dwellings have rolladen on the windows, a type of rolling shutter that lowers to completely cover the window rendering the room pitch black if you like. I've become used to them and forgot that we don't have those in America and they are quite helpful for mid-day naps, especially for an 18-month old!

My mother also enjoyed the "Radler" drink very much as she's not a big drinker. A Radler, also know as Shandy (UK) or panaché (France) is a mixture of pils beer and zitronenlimonade or German style, sparkling lemonade - like Sprite but more natural. And what goes well with a cool
beverage? Football, or soccer if you prefer, of course! I was surprised by my mother's enthusiasm for the Euro 2008 championships currently underway in the host countries of Switzlerland and Austria.

Overall, I think my mother quite enjoyed her visit here. Sadly, she had to return to America before the Euro 2008 final coming up next weekend. Perhaps she can catch it on ESPN in America, though she'll have to mix her own Radler!

Shanghai Photos on Flickr

I finally got a few of my pics from Shanghai up on Flickr, and I hope to upload more from my time in China soon. Click here to check out some of my Shanghai pics.



Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008

Emiana's China Photos on Flickr

How does she do it? I'm still Photoshoppin' around with my pics from our trip to China and my better half, Emiana, has already posted a whole China set on Flickr. In fact, she's already been contacted by a Chinese blogger who posted one of her pics as part of a fulue.com post about the similarities of cinnamon and the Beijing Olympic torch. Neat.

Click here to view Emiana's China set on Flickr.

Photography by Emiana © 2008