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Close to central station begins the Lister Meile, a homely shopping street. This mile-long pedestrian zone leads from the city centre to the Wilhelminian style quarter List. In the shops you can find the usual kind of stuff: clothing, books, fruits and vegetables. And there is even a store selling British food and candies (if you are homesick for English crisps and chocolate). In the Lister Meile (and in the area around) you can find lovely cafés and restaurants, where you can sit in or outside.
Underground stations: Hauptbahnhof, Lister Platz
Trendy snowboarding/skate shop with clothing, footwear, accessories. There is also an internet cafe with Skype and a plasma screen playing classic movies.
16 cours Bartavel, in the centre of Chamonix, next to the cinema;
tel: 0450907317;
www.shop74chamonix.com
Buying stuff in Germany can be a bit difficult. Take more than one payment card with you just in case. A prepaid cashcard is a good idea. Then you don't have to worry so much about having your card stolen and getting stranded.
www.360money.com; For more information on 360money see observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story/0,,1774120,00.html
It is not easy to find good quality and distinctly North Korean souvenirs, particularly since you don't get much chance to wander around away from the prying eyes of your guide. A superb souvenir would be one of the lapel pins featuring Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il (or both). The quality is nothing to shout about, but it's a valuable keepsake because it is in theory illegal to get your hands on it. I didn't manage to, but it is definitely worth a shot.
A runner-up gift would be other pins and badges featuring the Arirang festival or other commemorative events (such as the 2000 North-South Summit). The dolls of North Korean ladies should be a last resort. If you happen to take the train out to Dandong, China, you would be able to find nice albums featuring commemorative stamps from North Korea. A tacky but generally well-received present to those at home.
Mauthalle is one of the biggest medieval buildings in the centre of Nürnberg. Built in 1498 it was first used as a depository for salt and wheat. From the 1800's it was used to house municipal offices.
And after being burnt down during the second world war, it was restored to its former glory in the 1950's. Today it houses a shopping centre and in the basement is a restaurant and brewery called Barfüsser.
Königstrasse & An der Mauthalle (in the old town)
This shop on the edge of the Baixa, near the Sé, sells an excellent range of ceramics, linen, figurines etc from all over Portugal. The hand-painted clay figures from the north are delightful. Not especially cheap, but probably the best place in Lisbon to buy well-chosen handicrafts.
Rua da Madalena, 87;
tel 21 88 72 031;
www.santosoficios-artesanato.pt/index.htm
Forget hands-on interactive high-tech experiences, this is a museum like they don't make them anymore. A charming and dusty old collection of fossils, rocks, prehistoric tools, etc, it feels like no-one but you has been here for years, which is possibly true. Watch out you don't trip over a dinosaur's tail.
This is a lovely, quiet corner of Lisbon to walk around, between São Bento and Bairro Alto. Ratton, a small gallery/shop selling hand-painted tiles by contemporary artists, including local hero Paula Rego, is at Rua Academia das Ciências 2.
Rua Academia das Ciências, 19; tel 21 346 39 15;
Tram 28 to Calçada do Combro then walk up Rua do Século, turn left into Rua Academia das Ciências;
www.ineti.pt/UO/UO/?UO=10716
A delicatessen and cafe on the harbour. Great place for coffee or lunch, and next door to the ubertrendy Lux nightclub.
Av. Infante D. Henrique Armazém B Loja 8;
tel: 218 862 070
www.delidelux.pt/en/default.html
T.: +351 218 862 070
Went to Venice a couple of months ago to shop for glass beads. Found out there's a useful website with information about where to buy what and even to hire a personal shopper. Worth a look.
This bowler-hatted figure (red or green) safely shepherded generations of East Berliners across roads at pedestrian crossings and was one of the few features of East German life not to disappear with reunification. So popular was the little fellow among East Berliners that a campaign to save him was launched and was ultimately successful. In fact, some faulty West Berlin pedestrian crossing lights have been replaced with Amplemann figures. T-shirts and other Ampelmann-related merchandise have inevitably appeared as the figure has gained iconic status. There are Ampelmann shops at Hackesche Hof and Potsdamer Platz, showing how commercialised the business has become.
Ampelmann Shops: Potsdamer Platz (S-bahn: Potsdamer Platz - lines S1/S2/S26); Hackesche Hof (S-bahn: Hackesche Markt - lines S5/S7/S75/S9
This is a suburb of Gelsenkirchen (which is hosting several World Cup games) and it is much prettier, with a pleasant shopping street and lots of cafes and restaurants like Kronski, Zutz and La Scala, all within walking distance of each other. There are quite a few pubs with beer gardens too. As Gelsenkircheners are enthusiastic football fans, they will most probably give visiting fans a friendly welcome. They're a bit like Northerners - direct and straightforward. Take a guided tour of the Arena as well if you get the chance, it's fascinating to go behind the scenes of this huge stadium.
You can take a bus or tram from Gelsenkirchen to Buer, it only takes about ten minutes or you could even walk there from the Veltins Arena;
www.aufschalke2006.de/ge_stadtportrait_en.php
Basically I think many museums in Munich are worth seeing but I like Residenzmuseum (the Antiquarium is definitely worth visiting).
At the Residenz, there are so many wonderful buildings such as Schatzkammer, the courtyards, theater and halls. Hofgarten is next door.
If you have one day to spare, you could happily go around all the areas within Residenz and pop into the National theatre (almost next door) in the evening to see an opera.
There are some boutiques and cafes nearby, so if you get bit peckish, you could always pop into a cafe for a cup of Milchkaffee. Or if you get bored, you could go to Maximilianstrasse to do some shopping.
This non-profit store sells some of the most stunning greetings cards and posters you will ever find in BC.
During the last months of the year, make sure to pick up their Wildland or Wildlife calendar. All proceeds of sales go to the Wilderness Committee.
For over 25 years this organisation continues to go strong in its efforts to protect wilderness and wildlife in Western Canada.
Store is located in old Gastown. It is just of Water street on 227 Abbott street. A 5 minutes walk from Waterfront station. www.wildernesscommittee.org
Tel. 604-683-8220 (Check for opening days and hours before you go.)
There's some wonderful little voodoo shops as you might expect, but the best ones can be found away from the main tourist drag. There's a teriffic one on St. Claude Avenue but I can't remember its name.
Voodoo potions and lotions make great gifts and they have a earnest kitsch asthetic that I love.
Just like a big regular grocery store but stocked full of the finest local and international produce, they even have a lobster tank! It's the most unpretentious, inexpensive food store ever - Waitrose could learn a lesson or two!
710 Veterans Memorial Blvd
834 8216
This is a classy port with boat spotting opportunities galore (and
the occasional trip in one). Bars, restaurants and upmarket clothes/interiors shops are all here.
Paseo Marítimo s/n 7800 Ibiza;
971 311 711;
www.marinabotafoch.com
In its stock and atmosphere this vintage clothing store typifies the 'bohemian" nature of the surrounding area of this part of Sodermalm with its cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and green spaces where artists, writers and students hang out.
There are also free gigs on Sunday afternoons.
Asogatan 144, 116 24 Stockholm;
tel: 08 641 3642;
www.beyondretro.com;
Access by tube line (Hasselby-Farsta/Hagsatra/Skarpnack) to
Medborgarplatsen station
Vasastaden - nice area for a wander around in. Lots of nice old buildings, nice little independent shops and good for going out. Observatorielunden above the Stockholm City Library is a nice park with great views.
A nice walk is to start at Karlbergs Station, or the St Eriksplan tube stop nearby, and head down to the water, and follow Norr Mälarstrand along the north side of the Riddarfjärden canal. You'll pass through a park called Rålambshovsparken and eventually end up at the City Hall (with its three golden crowns), where the Nobel Prize dinner and ceremony takes place every December. Climb up it if you want, or head off to Gamla Stan for more.
Good places for going out around here are Tranan on Karlbergsvägen (just by Odenplan tube) which is a good hang-out place. Nice food and good music during the day, and a great bar at night.
Storstad on Odengatan (also Odenplan tube) is also a good bar, with good food for lunch and dinner. La Habana on Sveavägen (Odenplan/Rådmansgatan tube) is excellent for mojitos and all things Cuban and is a pretty good place to spend an evening. Paladar de Cuba is another cool Caribbean offering closeby, on Tegnergatan (also Rådmansgatan tube).
St Eriksplan/Odenplan tube
Östermalm - the classic posher areas of Stockholm. Lots of trendy clubs and restaurants where the rich and beautiful people hang out, mainly around Stureplan and Humlegården. It is also good for shopping - all the big designer names are around Birger Jarlsgatan/Biblioteksgatan, and the streets around Östermalmstorg.
There is a great indoor food market in Östermalmshallen. Sturegallerian is nice for little quirky shops and cafes, and Sturekatten is the classic old cafe around here.
Restaurants:
East on Stureplan - very good Asian food if you get tired of herring and crispbread!
Eriks Bakficka on Fredrikshovsgatan - the dinner menu is expensive, but it has a great lunch menu.
Carpe Diem on Lutzengatan (Karlaplan tube) - simple and rustic but very good.
Lisa på Torget on Östermalmstorg - great cocktails and good food too.
Walk up from Stureplan, or catch the tube to Östermalmstorg
Stockholm's department stores are all within walking distance of each other
and near the Central Station.
PUB (on Hötorget) is the most old-fashioned
and is more of a mall than a department store - Greta Garbo reputedly once
worked there.
NK is the oldest and considered a bit expensive by Stockholmers.
åhléns (pronounced ‘oh-lay-ons’) department store is the least expensive option with plenty of choice and even a day spa in which to
relax after a hard days shop.
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