Tag: museum

Open post
The south of Antwerp, Belgium

A weekend away in Antwerp

Antwerp is not exactly one of the European “bucket list” cities. It’s rather an astonishing miracle that so far it managed to stay off the beaten track. Considering it’s so close to Amsterdam (1hr by an international train) and has an interesting blend of cultures. Influences from Holland and France are visible on every corner. People speak Dutch, enjoy French cuisine and stroll through art deco streets that could very easily go for some Parisian alleys. Except the crowds are missing. We visited the city on a weekend with a magical weather. Naturally we expected massive waves of tourists rolling from one bar to another tasting their way around Antwerp numerous beer hot spots. That did not happen. The city surprised us with many inviting tables outside charming cafes, restaurants and bars. All had seats still available but were not unpleasingly empty either. After all who wants to sit in a deserted bar, right? 🙂 Good ones are never empty and Antwerp has quite many really good ones.

Antwerp is not as overwhelming with activities as Paris or Amsterdam which makes it a perfect getaway for a weekend. There is enough to see and experience to feel active and satisfied. At the same time it’s not as big as not to find time to enjoy some of the local specialties in many exquisite restaurants, bars and cafes.

Central station

Like most of the people coming to the city we arrived by train at the Central Station. There is only one word that could explain how this rail station is and it’s GRAND. Couple of floors of trails, iron and glass hall both very long and very tall left us speechless. After all Antwerp is not a massive city that would need such an extravaganza. But we never complain about something being too pretty or too big, right?

The station opened in 1905 and it has been through some hard times. It was damaged during World War II and it even got to a point of almost being demolished mid-century. Happily it came back to life in 1986 with a restoration of the roof and facades. Nowadays it’s a pretty important hub in international trains and it’s very easily accessible from Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels.

The Little Island

One of the two of our favorite areas in the city. It’s a bit of a detour from the city center but it’s well worth it. The name could suggest that you need a boat to get there but it’s not an actual island. Maybe that’s why it’s called Little Island?

Nevertheless the oldest port area of Antwerp is surrounded by water, warehouses, hangers, cobblestones and of course… boats. This very hip area is just emerging. Stunning restaurants, cafes and bars peak out from the ground like mushrooms after rain. That’s where all the creativity is and where we spent most of our time.

To understand the present, it’s good to look at the past. That’s exactly what the Red Star Line Museum does in a very interesting, vibrant way. For many that’s where their journey to the better future started. The journey to the US. Between 1873 and 1935 more than two million people passed through here. The museum is not a typical, boring, spitting-out- facts- in- micro- letters type of experience. Instead it’s full of personal stories of individuals that decided to leave Europe. Why did they do it? And most importantly how, what was their journey like? We were utterly impressed by how strenuous, pricey and difficult it was to get to the Promised Land. Not only did the people have to be in perfect health, have a good skill and a bit of money. They had to be prepared to go through a lot and leave everything and everyone behind. But that should be a completely separate post. Long story short, we definitely recommend a visit to the Red Star Line Museum.

Going deeper into the Little Island we discovered a peculiar building that literally blends the old and the new together. At the bottom there is the old fire station that creates a base for a hyper-modern diamond-like structure at the top. We were not able to explore the building from the inside or see the view it offers from its terrace but we heard it is actually possible. Although it’s not really a museum but a Port Authority base, there is an option to visit it on a guided tour.

There might be many viewing spots on the Little Island but one stands above them all, literally… It’s the viewing terrace of the MAS museum. The best spot to admire the panorama of the city at sunset is actually free. We didn’t have enough time to visit the museum itself as it’s massive and would take several hours to get a vague idea of all the collections spread on 10 floors…. Instead we just admired the views from the top floor as well as from all the other floors. Curved glass walls make the scenery that much more interesting.

As beer lovers we would be sinners coming to Antwerp and leaving without trying what some of the brewers made here. After all Belgium is famous for so many of the worlds best, most loved beers. And so we gave few of the local jewels a try in some of the bars in the center. That’s how we came across Seef. This very local, tiny brewery was born few years ago from a recipe found in an old shoe box. It brings the old, traditional flavors of Antwerp beer back to life. The very heart of the operation is obviously in the hippest part of the city, The Little Island…. We couldn’t miss it. Well I probably could but Jandirk wouldn't be too happy. The bar/brewery is situated in a hangar and has this start up, hipster vibe. Old photo booth, tables and all that surrounded by beer tanks makes the atmosphere truly special. Here you can taste not only the traditional Antwerp Seef but also lager, dubbel, dark beer and seasonal brews. After tasting few of those we are pretty sure Seef is going to be the next thing in the very near future 🙂

Wondering around the Little Island we came around the Felix Warehouse which used to be a storage place for cheese, grains, coffee and other goodies. Now it’s an architectural pearl where hopefully in the near future there will be... something 🙂 for now it remains a gorgeous place to see and photograph.

P.S. While enjoying our time on the Little Island we also discovered quite few nice places to feed our tummies. We would definitely recommend Story Urban which had the best sandwiches, coffee and amazing interior. Very cosy! For a stop on a sunny day we would recommend restaurant Roest which serves not bad food, accompanied by a selection of beers and an amazing view on the MAS museum.

The southern part of the city

Walking away from the old town on Nationalestraat and then into Volkstraat it’s another world. On every corner there is a mouth-watering restaurant inviting you in with terraces, smells and tempting looks. We loved Fiskebar for their scrumptious fish and Wijnbistro Patine for their romantic place to sip away wine... or beer. We admired every piece of brick in that part of the city. I especially enjoyed the amazing architecture, all the houses were different yet stylishly combined together. I could picture myself spending a weekend or half of a lifetime sipping wine on one of those balconies with a book and Jandirk by my side.

When exploring the southern alleys we came across a bizarre building contrasting with the rest of a rather traditional surrounding. By locals it’s called “butterfly palace”. What it really is, is a bit more down to earth. This futuristic Palace of Justice was created by the same man that designed the Centre Pompidou in Paris and is as adventurous. Six massive, glass wings tower above the roof ending sharply high in the sky. We couldn’t hide our disappointment when we found out we couldn’t see it from the inside.

The other side of the river

Some wise man once said that the journey is more important than the destination. It couldn’t be more accurate referring to the other side of Scheldt river. It does offer a lovely spot for a picnic or just a calm afternoon with spectacular views on the city but… we were stunned by our trip to get there. We passed the river underneath it in a tunnel (Sint Annatunnel) from the 30’. These 572 meters are covered with white tiles and end on both sides with wooden escalators that look literally out of this century. This one of a kind experience happens to also be free.

The old town

By now you might be wondering why I haven’t mentioned the old town of Antwerp. As much as it’s a beautiful part of the city, full of restaurants, music and life, there is nothing unique about it. It could very well be a neighborhood in Paris or Brussels. Nevertheless it’s the most prominent, famous part that is hard to miss simply because… it’s in the middle of it all.

In a short stroll through the old town we would recommend going to Grote Markt square where with a bit of luck there will be a beautiful market. Otherwise with lovely weather the surrounding bars’ terraces are more than inviting.

Going to Belgium it’s hard to escape the love that the locals have for beer. Some of them are considered the best in the world and the definitely deserve it. Selection of brews for every occasion, season and taste can be found in Paters Vaetje It’s a tiny, traditional bar with quite a view on the cathedral.

For a bit of culture we would recommend Rubens’ house. After all he was one of the very few painters that were recognized, even cherished already during their life. He reached success that many could not even dream about. At the peak of his fame he was getting so many orders that he didn’t even paint the whole masterpiece himself… rather putting the final touches. Seed of a modern day production. The mansion in Antwerp was his home for many years, something that he loved and perfected and it shows.

p.s. for best Belgium waffle head to Desire de Lille. Make sure to go there with an empty stomach, they won’t let you go hungry. And you can’t possible visit Belgium without eating a Belgium waffle!!!

How to get to Antwerp?

The easiest way to get here from Holland is just by train. It takes a bit more than an hour from Amsterdam and tickets are not really expensive, especially when booked in advance. Timetables and prices here.

How to visit the city?

Antwerp is not a big city so many of the sights can be easily seen on foot. If you plan to see everything with not much time or you don’t want to walk that much a bike would be great. There are city bikes available literally everywhere so it’s very easy to get a bike go to a certain place, leave it, enjoy the spot and pick another one to head to the next destination.

Setting up an account for the bike is really easy. You just install the Velo Antwerp App and proceed with the instructions at any of the bike stations. We paid 4 Euros for 24 hrs each. If you use the bikes longer than 30 minutes you have to pay 0.50 euro per half an hour. From 90 minutes it's 5 euro's. Make sure to leave it at one of the stations on time. You can even immediately pick another bike at the same station. In the app you can easily see where and how many bicycles are available.

Where to stay?

There is a great selection of great hotels, Airbnb's and hostels in Antwerp. We chose for Hotel Indigo simply because we love their style. They always try to make the hotel really hip, stunning and local. I absolutely loved the design of the rooms and common areas and if that wasn’t enough we got a great view on the Central Station…. Which is maybe a 2 min walk away.

 

Kaohsiung- the street art capital of Taiwan

Kaohsiung was never on our list of places to visit on Taiwan. We thought there was nothing to see there.

Frankly we ended up picking it when our Airbnb in Tainan got canceled and we couldn’t find any better solution. Kaohsiung was close and cheap enough to be our base to explore Tainan on a day trip basis. The street art and city itself captivated us so much that we ended up staying there every single day…

The Pier-2 art district

I often don’t enjoy twisted modern art galleries. Sometimes they really go too far and conceptual for me. But I love how modern art can be applied into forgotten spaces and bring them back to life, keeping the old vibe and soul at the same time.

That’s exactly why I loved the Pier-2 art district. Situated next to Kaohsiung Port it had all the potential to be useful and beautiful at the same time. Yet it was abandoned for years. Thankfully art came its way and nowadays it’s as vibrant and lovely as it can be.

The neighborhood is divided in 3 areas. Penglai area in the north has the Taiwan Railway museum, exhibition warehouses and a park with steel sculptures…  The park is mostly an oasis of piece except for those unlucky moments when a whole bus of a school excursion unloads.

The central area (Dayong area) has exhibition warehouses, a cinema and a bookstore with beautiful cards and artistic souvenirs from Taiwan. Inside the shop there is also a charming café.

The southern part of the neighborhood (Dayi area) is where all the hungry souls and bellies should go. And that’s where we spend most of our time, mostly window-shopping.

Stunning cafes are combined with art galleries and restaurants, something for the spirit and body at the same time. Except for hip places to eat there is a very colorful flower shop that has the most jaw dropping floral compositions.

Just around the corner there are a few very cool shops, one of which is a fair trade shop with local arts and crafts from all over the world. This one especially has beautiful jewelry, wooden kitchen stuff and piles of things that I just wished I could buy.

All 3 areas are full of murals, sculptures and little art work so we kept our eyes open at all time. We especially loved the 3D train station mural, dogs’ sculptures hanging off the wall and a whale watching over the whole street. As weird as they all sound, they are just terrific!

Cijin Island

We naively thought the word “island” and “ferry” would scare people away from going there. As soon as we saw the massive crowds in the port, we knew we were wrong. After few minutes when we reached our destination a whole flood of people went straight to… the streets of the food market. Leaving the rest of the area deserted. And there is quite a lot to discover.

First we went for a small walk up a mountain to admire views over the city and a small lighthouse. It didn’t take our breath away but we didn’t expect that in Cijin.

Until we strolled along the beach side and found Cijin Seashore Park, calm park just by the beach with beautiful street art. At that point I was wondering how come Kaohsiung was not on every “must see” list of Taiwan.

The Dome of Light

The Dome of Light is the largest glass work in the world and it’s hidden right in the heart of Formosa Boulevard metro station. 4500 glass panels form a massive 30 meter in diameter dome…

I read on Wikipedia that it would be offered as venues for weddings. I can’t possible imagine how it would be possible with metro passengers crossing it all the time and quite poor light. That said, it did not stop quite a few newlyweds from taking their wedding shot over there.

Naoshima- the power of art

Naoshima could have been one of those lonely, sad, grey places. In the 50s and 60s it was booming and there were 8000 people on the island. All thanks to a Mitsubishi factory which was and still is the biggest employer in there. Sounds like a beginning of a science fiction movie but the machines really did take work of many of the locals, leaving the island to a certain death with the drastically declining population. Many left in search of a job, education and better life. With only 3000 people Naoshima was disappearing when art came…

Benesse Holdings, a big Japanese company was searching for a home for their big collection of art. They wanted it to help the locals and they decided that Naoshima would be a perfect place to do it. Art would bring tourism to the island, tourism would bring jobs and jobs would bring people back.

Now the island is a must see for every art lover coming to Japan.

The first thing we spotted while entering the harbor on this small island was the red pumpkin with polka dots. I was contemplating its beauty from the deck when we reached the port and tourists started to flow out of the boat, running to the pumpkin. Everything to take an “alone” picture with it or because they were afraid it might get eaten if they waited any longer… 🙂

The beauty of Naoshima is also in its size, it’s a really small island perfect for a day trip on a bike. So straight from the ferry we went to rent a bike and hit the road. First we went to where it all started in 1992 so to the Benesse House Museum. Although it was the first one to be build, it struck us with the harmony and beauty of already a well developed concept. The exhibition of modern art was unbelievable and it included a massive ant house made of colorful sand and divided into flags of the world. Ants were building tunnels that would eventually make a flag collapse and colors to mix beyond recognition.

As much as we loved the museum we were a bit disappointed we couldn’t see the Oval, the most famous part of the building. At least the most famous looking at all the pictures and posters promoting it. In fact only the lucky ones with willingness to spend “a bit more” get a chance to see it. It’s part of the hotel.

Except for the “mother museum” there are also two more in the area Lee Ufan Museum and Chichu Art Museum. All three of them follow the theme of art in harmony with nature and they are rather small and in our humble opinion a bit overpriced. 1030 yen (around 10 dollars for Benesse House) for a visit that takes maybe an hour including ohhh and ahhh and me trying to take a picture from every angle possible is a bit too much in my opinion. Even for an admirable concept of helping a dying island with its population.

Cycling down to the beach we saw many open-air art works. But none of them was as impressive as “Pumpkin”, yellow sister of the one we saw by the port. This one was more peaceful, situated on the edge of a concrete pier that otherwise wouldn’t be a pretty sight. Sitting nearby on the beach we were admiring the Instagram-queue created by the Japanese tourists. Every one of them was waiting patiently in a line for their chance to get a lonely shot with the famous pumpkin. Only the kids didn’t seem to understand the laws of social media photography and were constantly interrupting the photo sessions with short sessions of pure fun.

Art has a unique way of giving new life to old and neglected things. That’s what happened with empty houses in Honmura area. Through the Art House Project lifeless spaces were converted into works of art and got the local community even closer to beauty. Ando Museum tights it all together with a background story of the island and the architect who stands behind the majority of the transition of that God forsaken place.

For me there was a certain cherry on the cake on our way back to the ferry. “I love yu” bath is a great example that modern art can be far from serious. The building screams “fun” with all of its colorful tiles, crazy t-shirts and palm trees in front of it. We were tempted to go in but unfortunately we didn’t have towels or eagerness to strip so we only sneak peaked through the door…

Just before going to Naoshima when I was doing a bit of a research of what was there to see I realized that it’s not the only island included in the Benesse Project. It has expanded on two more islands nearby with similar stories and some extraordinary museums. Unfortunately time and availability was not on our side with that one and we couldn’t visit Teshima and Inujima. Maybe it’s for the best, one more motive to come back 🙂

Handful of practical info:

  1. To get to Naoshima we took a ferry from Takamastu Port (slow ferry takes 50 minutes and costs 520 yen so around 5 dollars one way, speed boat takes half the time but costs more than double the price- 1220 yen so around 12 dollars). The other way to get to the island is to take a ferry from Uno Port which can take you either to Miyanoura Port or to the other side of the island- Honmura Port.
  2. The only way to get to Teshima is to get a ferry from Naoshima which is not very frequent. That very same ferry follows later on to Inujima. To see all 3 of the islands requires a bit of extra planning…
  3. The best way to see Naoshima is to rent a bike, it costs only 300 yen (around 3 dollars) for a whole day and it’s cheaper than bringing your own on the ferry. For the lazy, there is a bus option 🙂
  4. Naoshima is not a paradise for travelers on a shoe-string. Chichu Museum costs 2060 yen (around 20 dollars) and Lee Ufan and Benesse House cost 1030 yen each (around 10 dollars). To visit one of the Art Houses it’s 410 yen (around 4 dollars) but there is also a joined ticket to visit all 6 of them and it’s “only” 1030 yen (around 10 dollars). To finish off Ando museum is another 510 yen (around 5 dollars). Adding bike rental, ferry fare and maybe something to eat and you know you have to love art deeply to pay for all that 🙂
  5. There are many restaurants on the island as well as a few grocery stores and a 7 eleven so there is no way to die out of hunger 🙂

Open post
Sigirya, Sri Lanka

How much does it cost to travel in Sri Lanka? Our budget and tips

Coming from Oman Sri Lanka was a breath of fresh air to our pockets. Almost everything was cheap and for those who want to lower their standards even further and get cozy with rats it can be even cheaper 🙂

On Sri Lanka we spend a total of 1311 euro over 29 days. So that makes almost 23 euros per day per person.

So let´s break it down:)

Where did we go?

Starting from Colombo we travelled along the coast stopping in charming villages and towns down to Mirissa. After seeing whales we started going more north to enjoy some tea in Ella, the famous train from Ella to Kandy and finally the cultural triangle. For the last few days of our stay on Sri Lanka we chilled out on the coast close by Colombo.

How did we travel?

We wish we could say "safe" but honestly the buses in Sri Lanka were really scary especially along the south coast. Whenever we could we tried to take a train rather than the bus. But on the positive side the transportation of all kind was really cheap and offered really breathtaking views over tea plantations, rice fields, lakes, seaside and whatever you could imagine. Many times we saw elephants from buses and not only passing the temples.

For the famous train passing through tea plantation we paid 800 LKR (around 5 euro)... for both of us. And that was a 7 hour train so probably the most expensive that you can get. It was 3rd class but it was comfortable and we were sitting without a problem.

Buses are a bit more expensive, probably because you pay for the adrenaline shot that you get in there… So a short ride from Kandy to Dambulla costed us 200 LKR (1.2 euro) for us both.

Tuk tuks are obviously the most expensive option except for a private car with a driver of course. They require quite a bit of bargaining skills and patience. Within a city or just outside for a short ride we would pay maybe around 120 LKR (around 75 cents).

In Colombo and surrounding areas along the coast we used UBER which turned out to be cheaper than local tuk tuks. For that price we were expecting a Flintstone-like vehicle but to our surprise we were always picked up by a car.

Overall on transportation we spend a total of 77 euros.

Where did we stay?

Accommodation was the biggest part of our spending and cost us 557 euro. That said we slept in really few shabby places and we treated ourselves with nicer places to sleep twice. We even rented an apartment which was ridiculously cheap.

Only 4 nights we spent in dormitories not even because we were open to spend extra on private rooms but actually because private rooms were often cheaper than two beds in dorms. For 3000 LKR (around 19 euro) we already had a nice double room with a private bathroom in most cases. For just additional 1000 LKR we stayed in a charming, little cottage with a private terrace overlooking a green, lushy tea region. Rowinrich Cottages was definitely our favorite accommodation where we stayed just for 5 nights. We wanted to stay there forever 😀

Another treat was an Airbnb apartment in Mount Lavinia for 30 USD. It was worth every dollar of that price. We had our own kitchen where JD could cook his amazing curries, great, spacious living room, aircon in the bedroom and a stunning, huge terrace with plenty of trees and plants of many kinds.

What did we eat?

On food and eating out we spent a combined 514 euros. The prices of restaurants on Sri Lanka were surprisingly high. In some places especially along the coast we couldn’t find anything that wouldn’t cost us a day in a bathroom, for under 10 euros per plate. Thankfully in many spots we had a kitchen so we just cooked ourselves buying a lot of vegetables, seafood and occasionally meat. Whenever we cooked we were definitely not saving on ingredients of any kind and still it was mostly cheaper than eating out. The only delicious and really economic restaurant was Matey’s hut in Ella where we ate every day. Everything there was prepared fresh with love and passion. Prices were very low and we were leaving happy, full and ready for any adventure for 1000-1500 LKR for both of us (6-9 euros).

Along the coast we went to a few hip restaurants and bars and generally for both of us we would pay around 2500-3000 LKR (16-19 euros).

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

On tourism we spend 147 euros. In general entrances to museums, temples and sights were cheap or free BUT in the cultural triangle the prices are just insane. For seeing Sigiriya Rock we paid 9000 LKR (56 euros) for both of us which is just a ridiculous price considering that you’re only visiting ruins on top and bottom of a rock which don't resemble more than few walls…. Honestly we were not even impressed. Well maybe we were stunned by the crowds but that’s it. It would have been a nice trip for 10 dollars but it’s not worth the whole price we paid.

Polonnaruwa ruins which also belong to the cultural triangle cost us 7500 LKR (for both, 47 euros) so also overpriced in our opinion. But those were at least pretty extensive and included many ruins and temples. It was also not that crowded in the morning.

Whale watching tour was surprisingly cheap and we paid just 4000 LKR for the two of us. We were sharing a boat with probably around 30 Chinese people which at times was challenging. All of them were running around from one side of the boat to the other trying to get the best shot of the whales. The boat was swinging like crazy but no one seemed to care except for us.

Many other sights were pretty cheap and our favorite was a temple carved in a rock in Dambulla (free of charge).

Where did the rest of our money go?

Most of our 16 additional euros we spend on mobile internet. For 649 LKR (around 4 euros) we bought a simcard from Dialog together with 4GB data during the day and 5GB data throughout the night time. We put some additional money on the phone to be able to call and text and honestly it was a great investment. The mobile internet was just great and came in very handy in so many situations especially that in some places where we stayed the internet was not really that good or sometimes even non-existent.

Our tips to save money on Sri Lanka

  1. Bargain, bargain, bargain!! On Sri Lanka prices are very negotiable. So before you rent a tuk tuk, a room or anything try to set the best price possible.
  2. Take UBER. In Colombo and nearby towns you can get better prices by just requesting an uber than you would get bargaining with a tuk tuk driver. And you will be picked up by a normal car:)
  3. Know the way! If you’re taking a tuk tuk make sure that the driver realizes that you know the way. We found that if you actually show on the map point A and B and tell them the amount of kilometers, you get a better, more honest price.
  4. Train! Trains are generally cheaper and safer than buses so whenever you can try to use them.
  5. Volunteer! Although we didn’t try it we met quite a few people volunteering via Workaway. It’s mostly volunteering in hostels and guesthouses but if you’re on a tight budget you can save on accommodation and food.
  6. Check out double rooms! In many cases we paid less for a double room than we would for two beds in a dorm.
  7. Check out the seasons! Sri Lanka has two monsoon season so it’s advisable to check them out before you go. We really wanted to see the whales so we went there in January which is also the peak of the high season. I’m sure that later on it would have been much cheaper.
  8. Share! Costs or taxis and tours are often calculated per car so if you’re with more people it’s way cheaper.

P.S. Exchange rate used for the overall budget 1 EURO = 159 LKR