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Sunday, December 18, 2022

Portugal Through Flavor: Exploring Bacalhau & Port Wine

Video 1.  Lisbon (Rick Steve' Europe)

Figure 1.  Bacalhau (i.e., codfish) 

In this article, we will discuss why local guide Christina from Video 1 claims that:

3 Days in Lisbon: Unveiling the City's Charm and History (Click here for an interactive Takayama map on Google MyMaps)

What Is Bacalhau à Lagareiro?


Bacalhau, or codfish, became a food staple for Portuguese sailors and explorers not only due to its nutritional value but also because it could be eaten during their long journeys across the Atlantic Ocean. When dried, salted, and cured, bacalhau(see Fig. 1) can last for over a year without refrigeration.

Bacalhau can be cooked in many different ways, and one of them is Bacalhau à Lagareiro (see Video 2). "Lagareiro" refers to a cooking style with numerous variations, but it typically involves dressing grilled or roasted fish and seafood with extra virgin olive oil. In this case, the cod fish is boiled, then cut into large chunks, grilled, and finally brushed with olive oil.

What Is Port Wine?


The wine received its name "port" in the latter half of the 17th century, named after the seaport city of Porto at the mouth of the Douro River. Much of the product was brought to market or exported to other European countries from this city.

Port wine is produced from grapes grown and processed within the demarcated Douro region. After production, the wine is fortified by adding a neutral grape spirit called aguardente. This addition halts fermentation, allowing for a range of dryness levels depending on the timing of fortification. Wines fortified earlier retain more residual sugar, resulting in sweeter styles like Ruby and White Port. Conversely, later fortification leaves less sugar, producing drier styles like Tawny Port and Extra Dry White Port. While sometimes referred to as brandyaguardente bears little resemblance to commercially available brandies. The fortified wine is then stored and aged, often in barrels kept within cellars, as seen in Vila Nova de Gaia, before final bottling.


Video 2.  Portugal, LISBON: Everything you need to know | Chiado and Bairro Alto (YouTube link)

References

  1. Port Wine
  2. Time Out Market Lisbon (Traditional Market Hall mentioned in Video 1)

Lisbon Travel—Metro System

Figure 1.  4 Metro lines (Blue line / Yellow line / Green line / Red line)

Attraction Points 


From Figure 1. you can find out that:



Figure 2.  Official Metro Map (link)

Metro System


Under normal operating conditions, the Metro opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 1:00 a.m. every day, including weekends and public holidays.[1]
During this time period, it is possible to travel to any station in the same line, provided you board the train until 1:00 am.
Figure 3.  Metro Blue Line


There are four main metro lines (see Fig. 2):
Figure 4.  Metro Sul do Tejo (source: Wikipedia)



Figure 5.  Various tickets sold at vendor machine (dated before pandemic)

There also different ways to pay for your trips (retrieved on 12/18/2022; see Fig. 5):
  1. Single ticket
    1. Carris/Metro ticket 1,50 €
  2. 1 day ticket (24h)
  3. Zapping

Video 1.  Portugal, LISBON: Everything you need to know | Chiado and Bairro Alto (YouTube link)

Lisbon, Portugal | Vlog 1 (Video 1) 
00:00 - Introducing Lisbon 
01:55 - Avenida da Liberdade 
04:17 - Metro 
05:32 - A Brasileira coffee shop 
07:04 - Chiado 
08:05 - Largo do Carmo 
09:04 - Carmo church 
11:03 - Elevador e miradouro de Santa Justa 
13:06 - Portuguese food: cod fish (bacalhau) 
14:59 - São Roque church 
16:23 - Gloria funicular and Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara 
17:14 - Bairro Alto - daytime and nightlife 

References

  1. metrolisboa.pt (English link)
  2. Comboios de Portugal (CP)
    • Comboios de Portugal, EPE is a state-owned company which operates passenger trains in Portugal.
  3. Carris
    • Carris is a public transportation company in Lisbon, Portugal. Carris operates Lisbon's buses, trams, and funiculars. It does not operate the Lisbon Metro.
  4. Transtejo (Cacilhas)
    • Is ferry service between Transtejo and Transtejo Cacilhas
    • Select language (EN PT) on the left top corner of its home page
    • Transtejo and Soflusa provide a public river transport service integrated into the global system of the Metropolitan Area of ​​​​Lisbon, being a fundamental element in crossing the Tagus.

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Portugual Travel—How to Get Around Porto

Figure 1.  6 Metro Lines (Blue, Red, Green, Purple, Orange, and Yellow)

Porto's Metro has 6 lines and 81 stations, but if you're planning to use it as a means of transport, take into account that it doesn't make it to most of the tourist attractions in the city.[1]

Figure 2. Journey Planner on Metro do Porto (Airport to Trindade)

Metro Lines

  • Line A (Blue): Estádio do Dragão - Senhor de Matosinhos.
  • Line B (Red): Estádio do Dragão - Póvoa de Varzim.
  • Line C (Green): Estádio do Dragão - ISMAI.
  • Line E (Purple): Estádio do Dragão – Airport.
  • Line F (Orange): Fânzeres - Senhora da Hora.

Out of all the stops, the most important is Trinidade. It is where all the lines meet, including the yellow line.

How to Access Porto from Airport (OPO)


The best way to get from Porto Airport (OPO) to Porto without a car is to use metro system which takes 27 min and costs €2 (see Figure 2; downloaded on 11/27/2022).

Figure 3.  Left: Metro signs / Right: Validation machine

How to Travel by Metro in Porto

  1. Look for the “M” signs to find a Metro station.
  2. You can easily buy and charge the Andante card in the automatic machines.
  3. A Metro station with both directions and the electronic display.
  4. Always validate your Andante card at the yellow machines before entering the train.

Andante card vs Porto Card[5]

An Andante card is a transport card designed for occasional travellers and visitors, similar to Lisbon’s Viva Viagem. You can use it to travel on metro, bus and commuter train in Greater Porto. Andante can hold single journeys, or 24-hour travel.

Porto Card is a sightseeing pass that helps visitors see Porto’s attractions, saving them both time and money. It may include unlimited use of Porto’s public transport for the duration of your card (1 to 4 days). Porto Card holders also enjoy a range of special offers and discounts in a number of museums for which free entry is not included, restaurants, boat trips, and more.

Read [5] for more details.  

Anda app

You can also download Anda app from Google Play store.
  • Anda is a mobile app designed to enable travelling within Porto public transport network with Andante multimodal fares. It does so in a simple, fast and comfortable fashion.
  • With Anda, travellers do not need to know fare rules and may travel with the certainty that they will only be charged with the minimum possible value for all journeys.
  • To use Anda start by creating an account and associate one of the following payments methods to your account: credit/debit card or Multibanco card. To start travelling ensure that NFC, bluetooth, location and internet are enabled. From now on you just need to validate and travel!
  • In order to validate keep your phone close to the validator. Please keep your phone still, 2 or 3 cm apart from the validator. A green light will be shown simultaneously with a friendly single beep, indicating a correct validation. Avoid touching the validator with your phone and try to keep it still. If the validation was successful, Anda will show a "On Trip" notification.
  • During the trip, it is possible to follow intermediate stops. Upon vehicle exit, Anda will determine you journey has ended and will automatically close the current trip.
  • At any time you can check the trips you have already made and the amount charged by them.
  • Download Anda and travel freely by bus, tram or train on the Andante network.

Saturday, November 26, 2022

London Travel—Visiting British Museum

Founded in 1753, the British Museum ⭐⭐was the first national public museum in the world, and today it is Britain’s most visited with more than 7 million people arriving per year. 

Figure 1.  Exhibitions and Events of British Museum


British Museum


Entry has always been free and includes access to the institution’s most important and sought-after acquisitions, such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures and Ancient Egyptian structures. The museum is an architectural gem itself, with the newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth II Great Court a highlight. See the open hours below:
Every day, except Fridays, the Main entrance closes at 16.00 as the Museum closes at 17.00. On Fridays, due to the late opening of exhibitions, the Main entrance closes at 19.30 as the Museum closes at 20.30. 
However, the museums and public galleries stay open with only Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day closures.

Please note that Montaghue Place entrance shown on Figure 3 is not for general public.  On the day of my visit, I've seen it was only used for tour groups, but not for individual visitors.  If you're a member of the museum, you also need to enter via the main entrance.  But, you can join a shorter line which is solely used by members (do ask the gatekeepers first before joining any line).

Figure 2.  British Museum Map (Courtesy: Google map)

How to Access


Closest underground stations:

You can download Citymapper app to your mobiles, which will get you to your destination easier.  You can also download Tfl Go app to complement what Citymapper app misses.  For example, Tfl Go covers Heathrow Express train ride, but not Citymapper.

Figure 3.  Room 30 Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery Ground floor, Level 0

Exhibitions


There are multiple exhibitions and events held now and then.  For example, a special exhibition "Hieroglyphs unlocking ancient Egypt" will be displayed in Room 30 (see Figure 3) from 13 October 2022 to 19 February 2023.

Hieroglyphs were not just beautiful symbols, they represented a living, spoken language.
We could only glimpse into this hidden world, until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone provided the key to decoding hieroglyphs, allowing us to read this ancient script. The breakthrough expanded our understanding of human history by some 3,000 years.

Marking 200 years since the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, this major exhibition takes you through the trials and hard work that preceded, and the revelations that followed, this ground-breaking moment.

You can start your visit early by downloading Audio App from either Apple App Store or Google Play Store and purchase the "Full bundle" for a price of £4.99.  But, remember to bring your headphones with you or purchase earbuds from the Guide Desk and British Museum Shop.

Figure 4.  Ground Floor (or Level 0)


Detailed Level 0 Map


Both Guide Desk and Membership Desk are in the Great Court.


References

  1. British Museum 
  2. Travelling between London airports
  3. London Stansted Airport (STN)
  4. How To Visit The British Museum In 2023: Tickets, Hours, Tours, And More
  5. One hour at the Museum trail
  6. Maps of the National Rail Network of Great Britain
  7. Whole Foods Market (UK)
  8. How Safe is England? What Travelers Need to Know
  9. A Guide to Westminster, London
  10. Must-Visit Attractions in London
    • St Paul’s Cathedral
    • Kew Gardens
    • London Zoo
    • London Eye
    • ArcelorMittal Orbit
    • Madame Tussauds
    • Tate Modern
    • Tower of London
    • Tower Bridge
    • Sea Life London Aquarium
    • The Old Vic
    • Hyde Park
    • Imperial War Museum
    • South Bank
    • Oxford Street
    • Buckingham Palace (changing-the-guard schedule)
    • The Shard
    • The Victoria and Albert Museum
    • British Museum (ticket information)
    • Royal Albert Hall
    • The National Gallery
    • Borough Market
    • Shakespeare's Globe
    • Portobello Road
    • Westminster Abbey
  11. Best Times to Visit London
  12. LHR Terminal 5 map
  13. St Pancras railway station (Eurostar Station)
  14. Heathrow Express (Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5 → London Paddington)
  15. Transport for London
  16. Museum map (link)
  17. Museum Restaurants (link)
    • Great Court Restaurant—Open: daily, 11.30–17.00 (last sitting 16.00)
      • Lunch* – daily, 11.30–15.00 (last sitting 15.00)
      • Afternoon tea* – daily, 11.30–17.00 (last sitting 16.00)
    • Court Cafés—Open: daily, 10.00–17.00
    • Pizzeria—Open: daily, 12.00–15.00
      • is in the south-west corner of the Ground floor – just turn left immediately after you enter the Main Entrance and keep going.

Saturday, November 5, 2022

England Travel—How Safe is London for Tourists

Source: [3]

Source: [4]
 

East End


East End—Heavily populated with immigrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, this London neighborhood contains the areas of Whitechapel and Spitalfields—lies mainly in the Inner London borough of Tower Hamlets:
Whitechapel is a vibrant, multicultural district in the East End, with many traditional pubs and curry houses, and the lively Whitechapel Market, a focal point for Asian food, discount fashion, and homewares.

Spitalfields is a lively East End area, home to artists, creatives, and a large Bangladeshi community. Brick Lane is lined with curry houses but the area is also known for street art, quirky shops, and trendy bars.
 

Crime Watch


As Chris said in the below video:

When I look at places like Italy or Paris, I know everybody's trying to rob me.

But you know what, in London everybody's trying to rob you here too.

Video 1.  10 Worst Tourist Scams in London (YouTube)

Video 2.  Thai tourist's selfie captures London pickpockets stealing her purse (YouTube)


References

  1. 26 Worst Cities for Pickpocketing
  2. Crime in London
  3. The Top 10 Most Dangerous London Boroughs – Updated for 2022
  4. London Boroughs map

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Spain Travel―Visiting Valencia

Attention: Click here to view a mobile-friendly version.

Video 1.  Spain Travel―Visiting Valencia on 12/23/2019 (YouTube link)

Figure 1.  Valencia Orientation Map

Valencia ⭐⭐is a charming old city and the third Spanish city in terms of importance and population in Spain. It is on the Mediterranean Sea approximately 4 hours to the south of Barcelona and 3 hours to the east of Madrid.
Valencia is famous for the City of Arts and Sciences, the Valencia Cathedral, the Old Town, the Central Market, and being the birthplace of paella. Valencia is also popular for its peculiar museums, quirky festivals, beautiful sunny weather, and fantastic sandy beaches.
 
Figure 2.  City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)


Top 10 Attractions


Be amazed by these 10 top attractions in Valencia:[1]
  1. City of Arts and Sciences (see Figure 2)
  2. Valencia's Central Market (Mercado Central)
  3. La Lonja de la Seda
  4. L'Oceanografic Aquarium
  5. Valencia Cathedral
  6. Plaza de Ayuntamiento
  7. Turia Gardens
  8. Malvarrosa Beach
  9. National Ceramic Museum
  10. Bioparc Zoo

Special Spanish Dishes


Valencia is home to Spain’s most famous dish (i.e., Paella) as well as six Michelin-starred restaurants.  Tt is a great city to visit as a tourist and not just for the food and wine. There is no shortage of great tapas bars to discover. And here’s a bonus, a glass of wine here is as cheap as any place on the planet.

Here is a list of special Spanish dishes in Valencia:[5]
  • Paella—A Spanish Favorite
  • Arros Negre
  • Tapas and Pinchos
  • Agua de Valencia: A Spanish Cocktail
  • Horchata—A Spanish Specialty
  • Churros and Hot Chocolate

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Hungary Travel—Visiting Pécs

Vast Pécs Cathedral towers over Széchenyi Sqaure (Hungarian: Széchenyi tér)

Pécs ⭐⭐is the fifth largest city of Hungary.  It is an ancient city in southern Hungary, close to the Croatian border.  Pécs was historically a multi-ethnic city where many cultures intermingled, creating a melting pot of different values, the rich result of 2000 years of history.[1]

It features the oldest university in the country, and is one of the major cultural centers. Pécs also has a rich heritage from the age of a 150-year-long Ottoman occupation

 

Photo Galleries


Founded by the Romans, Pécs is known for its architectural landmarks such as the Early Christian Mausoleum, which features frescoed tombs. Vast Pécs Cathedral towers over central Széchenyi Sqaure. The below photos were taken on 05/04/2022一a sunny day (76H 51L).

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Travel Tips—How Do You Protect against Card Skimmers

Card skimming theft can affect anyone who uses their credit or debit cards at ATMs, gas stations, restaurants or retail stores. 

A skimmer is a device installed on card readers that collects card numbers.  Skimmers can usually be spotted by doing quick visual or physical inspections before swiping or inserting a card.


Security tape (or sticker)


How to protect yourself


You can spot a skimmer by watching out for anything that looks like it doesn’t belong on the ATM or card reader. For example, odd or mismatched colorsloose parts, or partially covered pieces could be an indication that a skimming device is present.

Be on the lookout for suspicious devices attached to a card reader and avoid suspicious ATMs:

  • Hidden camera
    • Sometimes a tiny camera is planted to record cardholders entering a PIN number into an ATM
    • One of the simplest things you can do is cover your keystrokes when entering your PIN, which will prevent any hidden cameras from spying on your PIN entry
  • Fake PIN keypads 
    • Fraudsters are also after your PIN—so many skimming schemes include hidden cameras or fake PIN keypads on the ATM
    • If the buttons on an ATM’s keypad are too hard to push, don’t use that ATM and try another one.
  • Unlighted card slot
    • Many ATMs also have lighted card readers, so an unlighted card slot could mean a skimming device was installed over the top of the lighted slot
  • Broken security tap
    • Gas pumps should have a security tape or sticker over the cabinet panel (see Figure 1). If the tape looks ripped or broken, avoid using the card reader because a thief may have tampered with it.
  • Avoid nonbank ATM
    • Try to only use official bank ATMs instead of nonbank ATMs that are often found inside convenience stores or bars. 
  • Loosing or misaligned parts 
    • Authentic card readers are robustly manufactured, meaning if any part of the card reader can easily move around, then it’s probably been installed illegally by a thief.
    • Before using an ATM or gas pump, check for alignment issues between the card reader and the panel underneath it.
    • Feel around the reader and try to wiggle it to see if it can easily come out of place.
  • Use credit cards instead of debit cards
    • Fraudulent charges on a credit card are easier to dispute than charges made using debit card information. 
    • Many credit cards have a zero liability policy.
If you ever suspect that there’s a skimmer in a card-reading device, do not perform your transaction. Immediately inform the manager of the store, Credit Union, Bank or call the customer service number of the outlet.

Sunday, August 21, 2022

London Travel: Getting Around the City Like a Local

Video 1.  How to Use Public Transport in London Like a Local (YouTube link)

Terminology


In Video 1, the below terms were mentioned:

  • Oyster card
    • Pay as you go fares
      • Tube, DLR (Docklands Light Railway), London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail services wholly within the London Fare Zones area, and PAYG (special fares applied) can also be used on:
        • Southeastern’s HS1 service between St Pancras International and Stratford International
        • Gatwick Express and Southern services between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport
        • Heathrow Express (train) between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport
        • Journeys to Potters Bar and Radlett
        • Elizabeth line (Tube) services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow Airport
    • Values
      • Pay as you go fares are cheaper than buying a paper single ticket or Day Travelcard.
      • Your Visitor Oyster card offers daily capping. This means you can travel as much as you like in a single day and the amount you pay for your travel is limited (or capped). Find prices for daily capping and Day Travelcards.
      • Use your card and save money at restaurants, shops, galleries and entertainment venues.
    • Need to activate a new Travel Card on your Oyster
      • by touching it at a ticket machine (not a barrier) should activate a card. You won't commit to a journey by touching at a machine - that should just give you your balance. That balance should show you whether any travelcard is loaded.
    • You can use your Oyster card to reach Heathrow Airport (LHR) or Gatwick Airport (LGW), but not Stansted Airport (STN)
    • You can put a Travelcard on an Oyster card (read more details here)
  • TFL (Transport for London)
    • a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London
  • Underground (or Tube)
    • Underground in UK is usually called THE TUBE, because it mostly goes inside a tunnel, a tube
    • The Underground serves 270 stations and over 408 km of track
    • Rush hour in the morning is from 8 to 10 am and then in the evening from 5 to 7 pm.
  • Overground
    • The overground are more traditional trains as opposed to the metro style for the Underground. 
    • Overground is more of a ring around central London - it's useful for avoiding going via central London if you don't want to. 
    • The Overground doesn't go anywhere near Heathrow.
  • Thames Clippers (Route map)
    • Uber Boat by Thames Clippers stops at 24 piers along the Thames between Barking Riverside Pier in the East and Putney Pier in the West
    • Services run from early in the morning until late at night 7 days a week
  • Trams
    • a fast, frequent and reliable tram service to routes through central Croydon from Wimbledon, Beckenham, Elmers End and New Addington.
  • National Rail
  • Emirates Air Line cable car (see Figure 3)
    • Glide above the Thames in the Emirates Air Line cable car and take in aerial views of London's skyline, as you travel from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks.

Oyster a blue credit-card-sized stored-value contactless smart card

Figure 1.  London Tube Map (for the large print click here; for Thameslink click here)

Video 2.  How to Ride the London Tube (YouTube)

How to Get Around


Navigating the London Transport system isn’t always easy for beginners, but the official Transport for London app (Tfl GoAndroid & Apple downloads) will give you a good head start. It will also help you find the nearest toilets.

After you have downloaded Tfl Go app, you need to get familiar with the Large print Tube map as illustrated in Fig 1.  From Fig 1, you can also find the "key to lines" and from Fig 2, you can find "key to symbols" and explanation of fare zones.

The easiest and most convenient way to get around London is with contactless payment. Simply add a bank card to Google Wallet and hold your phone to the card reader at bus and Tube stations. When you see a blue checkmark, you're all set!

Figure 2.  Key to symbols and explanation of zones (credit: Transport for London)


Video 3.  London Travel Tips (YouTube)

Figure 3.  Emirates Air Line (from Royal Docks to Greenwich Peninsula)


References

  1. Transport for London
  2. Oyster card
  3. Elizabeth line
  4. Oyster & Travelcards (National Rail Enquiries)
    • If you want to use Pay as you go to travel beyond the Zones covered by your Travelcard, to a station within the Pay as you go area you will need to ensure you have sufficient Pay as you go credit on your Oyster card before starting your journey.
    • Special conditions apply when using Oyster cards on National Rail - please view the Oyster Conditions of Use on National Rail services.
  5. Terminal 2 Arrival Guide (Heathrow Airport)
    • We advise to arrive three hours in advance for all flights (European and intercontinental).
    • On average, it takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour to clear customs and immigration at Heathrow Airport.  However, it could be longer (i.e., up to 4 hours) if there are any problems, no way of knowing.
  6. Find out the terminal your airline uses at Heathrow (link)
    • TAP Portugal (T2)
    • American Airlines (T3)