Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Travel

Europe will be buzzing with Euro 2012

Going to Europe this June? If so, get ready to be caught up in Euro 2012 fever. The UEFA European Championship (Euro, for short) happens every four years, and it’s the biggest soccer event in Europe after the World Cup. Obviously soccer is huge in Europe, and the Euro championship pits 16 national teams against each other to compete for the ultimate honor. It’s a huge deal. People go nuts for it.

Euro 2012 kicks off on June 8 and lasts three weeks, with the Final played on July 1. The host countries are Poland and the Ukraine, but the whole continent will be buzzing. Lots of EF College Break trip destinations are competing (Greece, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, France, England), so get ready. It’s a blast watching games, seeing the locals going crazy, feeling the national pride, soaking in the festive atmosphere. And if you’re lucky enough to be in the country that wins the whole thing, well that’ll take the life-long memories to a whole new level.

I’ve experienced big international sporting events while abroad, and there’s nothing quite like it. I was living in Prague during the World Cup, watching tons of games at the beer gardens and pubs around the city. I will never forget being at a beer garden for the semi-final between Italy and Germany, when a table full of Italians sitting next to us went completely bonkers after Italy’s go-ahead goal late in the game. Weirdly, I also remember there was a big spider at the bottom of my beer. (It’s funny the things that stick with you.)

Photo: Radio Nederland Wereldomroep via Flickr (CC)

Berlin's newly re-opened Stasi Museum

Anyone going on a trip to Berlin this summer? There’s a museum that just re-opened that might be worth checking out. It’s the former headquarters of the East German secret police (known as the Stasi). It’s called the Stasi Museum.

Inside you see the rooms and offices of the Communist-era East German secret police. Everything looks just as it would have looked, with old phones and typewriters and surveillance equipment and such. It's all sort of creepy, but definitely interesting and atmospheric. The museum includes the office of Erich Mielke, who was the East German Minister of State Security and head of the secret police.

This article about the museum’s re-opening is kind of interesting too. It talks about how a lot of the old East German Communist-era merchandise has become sort of kitschy and trendy around Berlin. Tourists and others buy flags and hats and other memorabilia, which is somewhat unsettling to those who lived through those difficult times.

In any event, the new Stasi Museum is not trivializing anything. It’s the real deal. If you’re into this sort of thing, it could be a good bonus after the more famous Checkpoint Charlie Museum (which is included on the EF College Break trips that go to Berlin).

Photo: melomania-music notes via Flickr (CC)

The world's best hats

Everyone loves Top 10 lists (not to mention Top 5, Top 15, etc.). They’re all over the internet. I enjoyed this one I just came upon: it’s a list of the Top 15 hats from around the world.

I never wear a hat (I look weird in hats), but I can appreciate when someone wears a hat well. Also, a country-specific hat is a great souvenir to bring home from a trip abroad. They remind you of your visit, and they provide a physical connection to the culture you experienced. They also keep your head warm.

My personal favorites from the article’s Top 15:

Bowler: This is a great hat. Very classic and British. I like it. I could never pull this one off in a million years.

Beret: Berets are unique because they can be worn very seriously (military) or very un-seriously (mime). I could probably get away with wearing a beret. People would know I was joking.

Fez: I like the fez. I like the way it looks, and I like the name. The fez is named after a Moroccan town called Fes, though the hat originated in Greece (before becoming popular all over the Ottoman Empire). You can’t go wrong with a hat that has no brim.

One hat that was noticeably left off the list was the famous bearskin hat of the royal guards at Buckingham Palace (see photo below). That is another of my favorite world hats. I recommend picking one up if you go to London.

Anyone have any favorite hats from around the world?

Photo: Defence Images via Flickr (CC)

Getting a haircut abroad—yay or nay?

Of all the things you can do when traveling in a new country, getting a haircut isn’t usually near the top of the list. But I came across an article about the coolest barber in Hong Kong, and it got me thinking about haircuts abroad.

Has anyone ever gotten a haircut while traveling? For many, I imagine, this would be a great (though temporary) souvenir. Come home with a stylish Parisian haircut, for example, and sit back as all your friends and family shower you with compliments (or make fun of you, depending on how it goes and how often you get stylish haircuts).

I thought it might be fun to look at cuts from around the world, so below are links to hairstyles from countries visited on EF College Break trips. Actually, I couldn't find good links to hairstyles from around the world, so I just googled “[country] hairstyles women” and “[country] hairstyles men” to see what happens:

French hairstyles for women and men.

Italian hairstyles for women and men.

British hairstyles for women and men.

Greek hairstyles for women and men.

Japanese hairstyles for women and men.

Australian hairstyles for women and men.

South African hairstyles for women and men.

As for the Hong Kong barber shop, I’ll let the article do the talking, but the main point is that expert barbers from Shanghai flocked to Hong Kong back in the 1970s. Shanghai has long been considered the most cosmopolitan city in China, and the barber shop tradition was big among Shanghainese transplants living in Hong Kong. Today this kind of barber shop/salon has become retro and hip—you can go there yourself and get a great cut for just about $10 USD.

Photo via Flickr

A year to honor food in Brussels

I don’t often write about Brussels in this blog (except when I want to talk about my favorite statue the Mannekin-Pis), but it turns out that 2012 is the year of Brusselicious. The year-long event aims to show the world that the Belgian capital is a true gourmet destination.

It all kicked off a couple days ago, when more than 600 Belgian chefs threw their chef’s hats up in the air at the same time (setting a world record actually). From there, the year will feature all kinds of events, everything from food-related films to a gastronomy festival to a five-star restaurant suspended in the sky from a giant crane.

Even though the Brusselicious organizers specifically say the point of the event is to show that Belgium food culture is about more than just Belgian waffles, I would like to focus on Belgian waffles. Because they’re delicious, and because they’re classic, and because there are a number of EF College Break trips that stop for lunch in Brussels on the way between Paris and Amsterdam. If you have time for one lunch in Brussels, I say get a waffle.

I also want to talk about Belgian french fries. French fries stalls in Europe are amazing. You get a paper cone full of these delicious fries, along with the dipping sauce of your choice. I’ve had them in Brussels, I’ve had them in Amsterdam. As part of Brusselicious this year, you can do a “fritkots” walk, which is like a pub crawl for awesome french fries. You go from stall to stall, eating the different fries. I would love to do this.

Anyway, if you find yourself in Brussels in 2012, be aware of the Brusselicious unfolding all around you. And enjoy a waffle (with some fries for dessert).

Photo: soloakewlstick via Flickr (CC)