BeTraveler

A citytrip normally only lasts a couple of days. So you should try to get the best deals in such a short time. Here are some personal tips & tricks for a succesful visit to London.

Things you MUST see in London

1. Westminster Cathedral
The Roman-Catholic Westminster Cathedral is less famous than Wesminster Abbey, but it is definitely a must. The architecture is byzantine and you can find wonderful mosaics. (www.westminster-cathedral.org.uk)

2. Leadenhall Market
A wonderful markethall that houses boutiques, delicatesse shops and pubs.(www.leadenhallmarket.co.uk)

3. Inns of Courts
The four British law courts form a huge campus with squares, parcs and gardens. Don't forget to pay a visit to Sir John Soane's Museum (www.soane.org) and Temple Church (www.templechurch.com).

4. Covent Garden
This used to be the old vegetable and fruit market of Central London, but now it is situated in one of the most lively regions in London. You can do your shopping, relax on a terrace or just enjoy the streetlife. (www.coventgarden-market.co.uk)

5. The Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a wonderfully rich but not very well-known artmuseum. It exhibits a beautiful range of furniture, china, weaponry, sculptures and paintings, including work by Frans Hals and Fragonard. (www.wallacecollection.org)

Things to avoid in London

1. Cheap Hotels
Stay away from hotels that are too cheap: you won't get good service, the rooms will be small and dirty, and the famous English Breakfast will disappoint you. Especially in areas like Kensington, South Kensington and Mayfair the hotels can be dodgy. It is true that prices in London are more expensive than in most other cities, but if you do some research you might find some good value for money.

2. Asian Fastfood
Londen, and especially Chinatown, offer many Asian fastfood restaurants where you can get an all-you-can-eat buffet. The hygiene has improved over the years, but the quality of the food not. Luckily not all Asian restaurants suffer from the same problem, so look out for those that offer set meals at reasonable prices.

3. madame Tussauds
Some travelers put this on the list of 'must see' attractions, but we feel Madame Tussauds is simply overrated.
Maybe children like to have their picture taken with David Beckham and the Hulk, but paying 22,50 pounds or 27 euros) and waiting for hours in the queue, is not our idea of fun.

4. Bustours
Avoid the hop-on hop-off busses in London. They offer sightseeing tours but are shamelessly overpriced and give dismal information. No, it's much better to pay 3,50 pounds (4,10 euros) for a day ticket on the London Public Transport, which gives free use of all busses and metros in London for a day. Take Route 11 and sit on the top of the double-decker. You will see all the sights!

At BeTraveler we have been once to Miami, and the culinary adventures where plentiful and surprising.

As you might expect from a city that has districts called Little Havana and Little Haiti, there's no shortage of hearty Cuban and Caribbean cuisine in Miami, but the city's elaborate mix of immigrants has also resulted in some fascinating culinary fusions.

The real deal: Cafe Cubano at Versailles.

"Floribbean" cooking mixes elements of traditional Caribbean cookery with modern techniques and an emphasis on fresh produce, while the style known as "Nuevo Latino" revisits classic recipes from all over Latin America, using choicer cuts of meats, healthier ingredients and an added an North American sensibility.

There's nothing "nuevo" about Versailles Restaurant (3555 SW. Eighth Street), which, in spite of the French allusions of its name, serves reassuringly traditional Cuban dishes. This Little Havana institution specializes in cheap hearty staples like "moros" (black beans and rice) and "vaca frita" (shredded fried beef with a garlic seasoning), but the real draw is people-watching in the heart of the Cuban exile community, as the émigrés reminisce about the old country.

The Versailles bakery next door does great empanadas, fruit juices and Cuban coffee, which is an entirely different beast from the regular American filter variety. Café cubano, or "cafecito," is like a sweet espresso and is served in tiny, potent shots. Add a splash of steamed milk to get a delicious "cortadito." Outside Little Havana, David's Café (1058 Collins Avenue) in South Beach knows how to whip up a mean "café con leche."

As with so many things in Miami, when it comes to fine dining, South Beach is the place to be. If you like to eat in the company of the glitterati and you've got the bank balance to back you up, take your meat-loving self to Prime One Twelve (112 Ocean Drive). It may be just a steakhouse, but this is the kind of steakhouse favored by A-list celebs. A filet mignon will set you back $52, and you'll love all 12 juicy ounces of it, while a dessert of fried Oreos is diet-wreckingly good.

Elsewhere in South Beach, Lincoln Road is home to some very chic eateries, many of which get away with charging ridiculous prices for very ordinary fare. Fortunately, there's Sushi Samba Dromo (600 Lincoln Rd), with its seafood-based fusion of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine. Think sashimi flavored with exotic fruits and you'll be on the right track. Kind of... For sushi of the more traditional kind, try Nobu at the Shores Club hotel (1901 Collins Ave, Miami Beach), which also does excellent tempura and teriyaki.

Joe's Stone Crab (11 Washington Ave) is another South Beach favorite. Joe's doesn't take reservations and there are huge queues for its legendary crab, but if you've got better things to do than queue for two hours for your supper, you can always grab a takeout from the counter next door.

If you want to impress that special someone, there's nowhere better than Casa Tua (1700 James Avenue). This secluded, romantic hideaway has superb Italian food and is suitably expensive.

Vegetarians are well catered for at the Lost and Found Saloon (185 NW 36th Street) in the Wynwood neighborhood, a relaxed but stylish option for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gourmet Carrot (959 West Avenue, Miami Beach) is another good spot for veggies, or anyone with a hankering for a deliciously healthy smoothie.

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Traveling by train is my greatest pleasure. It always has been like that. And just listen to the lyrics of this song by the Nits, it takes me back to those interRail days...

THE TRAIN

Once on a cold grey morning
I was walking home alone
The traffic light in the falling rain
The unanswered phone
I was so sad and lonely
On a lonesome avenue
So sad and lonely
What could I do

Once I opened a drawer
In a room of a strange hotel
I saw a photograph of you
You looked so sad and lonely
On a lonesome avenue
So sad and lonely
What could I do

Once in a railway station
In the city where I live
The windows were like mirrors
In this train
'Hey, what you're doing
With your life'

Have you ever been to the Dutch Mountains? Maybe you think they don't exist, but I live right next to them. On the border between Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands lies the highest point of the Netherlands : The Vaalserberg, 322 metres high.

IN THE DUTCH MOUNTAINS

I was born in the valley of bricks
Where the river runs high
Above the rooftops
I was waiting for the cars
Coming home late at night
From the Dutch mountains

I was standing in the valley of rock
Up to my belly in an early fog
I was looking for the road
To a green painted house
In the Dutch mountains

In the Dutch mountains
Mountains

I met a woman in the valley of stone
She was painting roses
On the walls of her home
And the moon is a coin
With the head of the queen
Of the Dutch mountains

I lost a button of my shirt today
It fell on the ground and
It was rolling away
Like a trail leading me back
To the Dutch mountains

I met a miller on the back of a cow
He was looking for the wind
But he didn't know how
I said follow the cloud
That looks like a sheep
In the Dutch mountains

In the Dutch mountains
Mountains
Buildings

In South-West Germany, not far from Trier, lies the wonderful village of Traben-Trarbach. Famous as a wine region and a great place to go trekking, this town also offers another remarkable point of interest: one of the largest fortifications ever build: The Mont Royal Fortress.

In support of her range of fortifications and the domination of the
Rhineland, France built the Mont Royal fortress in 1687.

Under the supervision of the famous Vauban it was, at times, built by,
up to 8.000 enforced labourers. Millions of French public funds and
German compulsory reparations were spent. With a diameter of 5 kilometres it covered the whole of the plateau with the main fortress extending over a length of 1,6 kilometres and width of 750 metres, bordered by the left bank of the Moselle all around the peninsula. The main keep with an area of 123 acres and a height of 200 metres, formed the very heart of the whole fortress and was surrounded by a main wall of 2,92 kilometres in length and 30 metres in height with 5 bastions and 3 fortified towers. In additon 3 ramparts, 5 outer walls, moats with inner walls (the so-called curtain-walls), outer works, galeries and various other stoneworks protected this fortified town. South of it there was the "Große Königliche Hauptquartier" (Grand Royal Headquarters), a fortified camp and operations centre for the Rhenish troops; with a citizenry of its own, stables for 3000 horses and barracks for 12.000 men.

Under its governor, the Earl of Montal, this gigantic works had a combat complement of 14 regiments with 8.450 men, 155 heavy ordnances
and enormous supplies, e.g. 504.000 gallons of wine. The whole installation was twice as powerful as its supporting fortresses of Saarlouis, Luxembourg and Rhinefels together.

In the long run, however, France was not able to maintain such an unrealistically expensive fortress, 100 kilometres inland of the militarized Rhineland, against a startled Europe.

The Netherlands and England alike tried to negotiate for Mont Royal
undemolished. France, however, was reluctant to let her adversaries
have her model fortification and prefered to have it dismantled after the Peace of Ryswick in 1698.

In The Thirties of this century, the local historian Ernst Willen Spies Ph.D., supervised and conducted excavations on Mont Royal by means of original plans from archives in Paris. A local history association was formed in 1930 which enthusiastically aimed at excavating the fortifications and opening up this unique attraction for tourism. The main excavations were performed during the years 1929-1937. Without exception they were merely intended for tourism. During the war years from 1939-1945, time once more spread the veil of oblivion over the ruins causing further decay. More important tasks were to be done in the post-war period. It was not until the Sixties that a flourishing tourism brought this unique site in the West of Germany back into promenance and recently steps have been taken to make Mont Royal accessible to tourism again.