2 posts tagged “london”

I have always been a fan of city break vacations. Whether short or long, city break vacations can shed a new light upon destinations we don’t always see as romantic or a quick getaway. Recently, with the continuous shift in currency rating and with the crisis looming over the tourism industry, it has become more and more affordable to visit places such as London.

Firstly, let’s talk about the airfare  . The airlines are fighting over finding new ways to promote their tickets – although they seem to be doing quite a nice job at adding new fees as well (but that’s another story). Over the past months, airfare to Europe  has become more affordable. Airlines now offer special discounts and promotions which last for months, making it easier to book a ticket to one of the incredible European cities.

One of the most popular European travel destinations is London. Visitors flock here for the nightlife, culture or shopping opportunities. Affordable tickets to London are easy to find, especially if you are flying from another European city and look for a low-cost carrier serving the city.

After the airfare, the accommodation is usually giving us goose bumps when we plan the budget. But the continent, and London makes no difference, is famous for the many Europe hostels  offering great location and excellent services. It’s possible now to stay in hostels even if you do want some privacy – that’s why the private rooms exist. Then, many hostels offer free wi-fi – at least in the lobby - , common kitchen and even laundry room. All in all, you really don’t need to look for a hotel when you can spend a lovely time in London hostels.

It’s important though to read reviews about the place you want to stay at. And a good place to do so is Hostel Blog  : whether you have any answered questions about the hostelling world, this is the place to find the answers.

Of course no visit to London is complete without checking out the city. And it doesn’t take too much money to fall in love with it. For example, there are free things  you can experience, such as spending time in Trafalgar Square, watching the changing of the guards or visiting British Museum.

About a month ago I saw Mr. Scruff play here in Portland at Holocene.  Now to most people this may not be such a big deal.  Since I thought I would never see him in the United States let alone Portland Oregon it was a great surprise.  Needless to say I would like to see him perform again.  Seeing a DJ "live" can be a mixed bag because they are typically playing someone else's music and creatively putting it together with sound effects or mixing it with someone else's music to create something unique.  Now Mr. Scruff is totally different in this case.  He was building songs right there in front of the crowd and doing it for over five hours in a type of Marathon DJ session.  Needless to say any expectations I had were totally blown away.

I have a feeling that if I am going to get to see him again in the near future I am going to have to go to the UK to do it.  I can't say that really is a struggle seeing as I could kill two pints with one gulp.  One see Mr Scruff and two go back to a country where most of my mother's family is from and saying hi to some of them.  So what is holding me back besides time, cost of airfare, and a place to stay for a few weeks?  Nothing .  I am pretty sure that my girlfriend would go with me and it would be a great time.  Finding Cheap flights to London isn't a problem so really it is just getting in contact with my fam to see if I can crash on their couch for a few days or so and getting the time off.  Hmm,  I think I just figured out what I am going to do with some of my vacation time this year.  Sweet.