We were in Tel Aviv for six days and came back to this area a number of nights. The old port area has been renovated and was full of shops and restaurants on the water front. Some good bars and restaurants here especially our favourite, Cafe Nimrod.
Would definitely recommend a visit here in the evening. Great buzz about the place especially on the weekend.

Tel Aviv Old Port area (Namal)
North end of Dizengoff Street
Google map: bit.ly/StOTft

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The Viktualienmarkt is a food market right in the centre of the old part of the city of Munich. While a visit there at any time would be interesting, there are 140 stalls - some free-standing in the open air, others in permanent covered locations - clearly seeing the market and choosing from the extraordinary range of food available would be most rewarding in fine weather.
The market operates throughout the year (Monday to Saturday) and is a good place to eat and drink. Until my recent visit to the city I thought France offered the finest food markets, but the Viktualienmarkt is wonderful and should be included in any visit to Munich.

bit.ly/PJiLBt
Viktualienmarkt 3, 80331 München, Germany
+49 89/89068205
Go to Marienplatz U-bahn, or Bus 52, and the market is a short walk to the south, between Peterskirche and Frauenstrasse. The official Munich Tourist Office online has further information.
Google map: bit.ly/SxUAW5

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An artisanal bakery which boasts quality breads and cakes almost too beautiful to eat. There are various different breads to try, from traditional baguettes to olive, walnut, apricot and hazelnut; but I’m told that once they’ve found one they like customers tend to stick with it. Even the Neptune restaurant I’ve featured before buys its own particular type of loaf from here. The bread is made upstairs and allowed to rise 24 hours before baking. It’s a process that takes time and space, but here production is limited by the premises rather than number of personnel. So after 26 years with the shop and atelier in the same building, the Saint-Aulaye has just moved to a new building which has the same surface area, but will no longer require its 12 pâtissiers to traispse up and down four flights of stairs.

www.saintaulaye.be/
Rue Vanderkindere, 377, 1180 Uccle
Google map: bit.ly/Qr1Sex

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“Photo? Of course, je vous en prie!” He says, as he hands me my box of strawberry and raspberry tarts. “Everyone in Brussels knows about this atelier”, he adds. “Oh?” I say. I hadn’t known, and I only wish I’d been told about this place earlier – it has been here for 60 years, after all. Now there’s no need for that sinking feeling as you plod home after a late night at the office and remember that the fridge is bare, or wonder what to eat after an impromptu gathering leaves you unexpectedly drunk and ravenous!
Here’s what I suggest: head down the long corridor that opens out into the cavernous atelier, weigh yourselves on the huge and antique scales. So that’s 20 bags of flour…. Re-emerge from there. Enjoy some beers and frites in the bars around Place Jourdan. Return several hours later for bread, rolls, croissants or tarts. Weigh yourselves again. From Midnight the cocoa-buttery smell of fresh pain au chocolat will waft down the corridor to entice you in – for this is the hour of the first fresh pastries of the day. What a great idea in a land where supermarkets generally close at 8pm! Open every day from 19:00 to 7:00. From 7:00 the actual bakery on the square takes over, but that is not so much fun.

Rue Général Leman, 8 1040 Etterbeek
Google map: bit.ly/VjxshK

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A well established vintage fashion fair running one Sunday per month in Primrose Hill. The fair is the perfect way to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon and find some amazing vintage pieces.I got a really beautiful 1950's lace dress for under £30!
The fair has a great selection of stalls with a range of vintage clothing, shoes, accessories and textiles from a variety of decades with stallholders that really know their stuff and are approachable and happy to help. There is something to suit most people with clothes ranging from really affordable to some really special designer pieces and menswear. The pretty little cafe downstairs is also great for a cup of tea and slice of cake afterwards.

www.vintagefashionfairlondon.co.uk
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY
Google map: bit.ly/UGKt2v

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Easy drive (two hours+) or train ride from Berlin. Hanseatic city with picturesque market square, shopping and fountain focal point. Great toyshop, two floors for kids of all ages - Wupatki, Rungestrasse 19, 18055 Rostock. Christmas market in December - try the deep fried bananas! Catch a tram to the imaginative zoo (with good playground), or a train or boat (in season) to the seaside town of Warnemunde. (Wide, sandy beach, good fish restaurants, fish market and lots of boats and ships coming and going.)

bit.ly/SQLOSU

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This street really reveals the hidden cafes and restaurants favoured by Madrileños such as La Brocense which is on this street.
Do not miss the 16th century pharmacy on the corner of calle Lope de Vega and calle León. On the outside of the pharmacy there are azulejo tiles and inside at the back of the shop as you go into it is an old till from when the pharmacy originally opened. On calle Lope de Vega itself there is also the convento San Ildefonso (which can be easily missed as it does not stand out from the buildings around it) where Miguel Cervantes is buried (the convent is not open to the public but a plaque on the outside of the building telling us that Cervantes is buried here is what you need to look for). Do not be fooled into thinking that this street is where Lope de Vega lived. The house where he actually lived is preserved as a museum and can be found on the next street on the right called calle Cervantes. Calle Lope de Vega is also a short cut to the Prado museum from Antón Martín metro station. If you follow calle Lope de Vega to is end it will bring you onto the paseo de Prado and the Prado museum is in front of you across the boulevard.

Nearest metro station: Antón Martín
Exit Antón Martín metro station and turn left onto calle Atocha. Cross calle Atocha and take the next street on your right. This is calle León. Go up calle León
and take the third street on the right which is calle Lope de Vega (you will see the pharmacy on your right hand side on the corner of calle Lope de Vega)

La Brocense:
Calle de Lope de Vega, 30, 28014 Madrid, Spain
+34 914 29 00 99
Google map: bit.ly/UCdgcY

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Terminal 21 is one of Bangkok's many shopping malls but has some unique features. It is themed with different parts of the mall based on different parts of the world, for example there is a London section. It is not just the normal chain retailers that you would expect to see in every mall, but there are many independent retailers (many of them selling high quality clothing / gifts at reasonable prices). The choice of food here is also excellent, especially the Food Hall, which all tourists in Bangkok should try as it is a good way to sample Thai street food but in a pleasant and hygienic environment (it is very cheap too).

www.terminal21.co.th
Soi Watthana, Khlong Tan Nuea, Vadhana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
+66 2 108 0853
Google map: bit.ly/SPdCqF

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If money is tight and you cannot afford to eat out than Lidl on the Plaza Tirso de Molina is cheap and not much different to Lidl in the UK or anywhere else in Europe as the produce offered is cheap, similar to what you get at a Lidl in the UK and you know what you are getting for your euros. If you have a rucksack ensure that you have a one euro coin with you so you can put your rucksack in the lockers beside the store entrance. But the security guards did not stop me for having a small backpack on my back when I went in on three separate occasions but it is better not to take the chance.

Plaza Tirso de Molina 16, Madrid
Google map: bit.ly/UsEQFh

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Calle Mayor is the main street of Alcalá. Take a stroll up and down it between wooden timbered buildings and take shade in the colonades behind the columns. There are a few good shops on here too selling food, books, souvenirs and everything else you could possibly need. Don't forget to look up to catch sight of flowers in the balconies of the houses above the colonades. They really do brighten up the street.

Google map: bit.ly/SiwspO

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This shop is really affordable compared to other vintage store in Berlin. You have so many choices of colors and pattern, the cotton T-shirts from the 80s are amazing.
You can also enjoy the banana deco and the kindness of the owners.

www.mikibanana.de
Brunnenstr. 64, 13355 Berlin, U8 Voltastraße
+49(0)30 80615746
Google map: bit.ly/U3uU98
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This is a great healthy little store. They sell wonderful vegan foods like smoked tofu, soy yogurt, vegan pate, nut butters and other items. We also bought some delicious wine from them. The staff speak English and were very helpful. I highly recommend this store for vegans, vegetarians, healthy eaters and/or wine drinkers. Enjoy!

www.greenhousehvar.com
Kroz Burak 27, 21450 Hvar
+385921307808

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Buy your whole picnic here, and make pies your centrepiece. If you like pork pies, you'll be in heaven, but they are all delicious. Find a sheltered spot away from the wind and nosh to your heart's content. If you don't have access to a colourful beach hut, erect a wind break on the pebbly beach (I ate mine in the gardens next to the nearby churchyard). There was a sign saying they make up hampers to order. Imagine that.

80a-80b High Street, Southwold, Suffolk, IP18 6DP
+44 (0)1502 722312
Google map: bit.ly/QBnDKR

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This Suffolk institution has been in the family for generations, and is the town's biggest attraction. (Oh all right, there's a nice church and a castle too. And the sea. But it's the smokehouse which makes Orford unique.)
As you crawl from Adnams pub to Adnams inn, past dinky rose-covered cottages and half-timbered homes, don't forget to pop in for a gander at the rows of fish, chicken or cheeses being smoked on the blackened trays. There are no signs, but it's easy to find: just follow your nose (or the smoke) down Bakers Lane, and it's set back on the right. A narrow marble-topped counter in a small room next to the smokehouse has a selection of pâtés and cheeses on top, while the chiller units below display rows of oak-blackened fish, sausages and chickens.
Fed up with losing money on the mountains of kipper pâté she produced and had to throw away (because of the enormous minimum quantities of fish she was forced to buy), Roni has just introduced a new flavour to her range: herring roe pâté. We tried one of the first batches and nearly passed out from its deliciousness. It's strong, so a small tub goes a long way (that's about an hour in my fridge before it is all gobbled up.)
Don't leave without some hot smoked chorizo sausages; home-made and gluten-free, they'll blow your head off and impress (or kill) the neighbours.

www.richardsonssmokehouse.co.uk/
Baker's Lane, Orford, Suffolk IP12 2LH
+ 44 (0) 1394 450103
Google map: bit.ly/P70iPm

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It’s a common misconception that Hong Kong is all skyscrapers and bustling, neon-lit streets. So if you’ve arrived having only packed for a city break, what do you do when you discover that Hong Kong is actually home to some beautiful beaches and you’re in dire need of a bikini? If you’d asked me a year ago, I’d have said you were in a bit of a tricky situation. Hong Kong oddly seems to lack good swimwear shops, but that all changed when bikini and beachwear boutique, Itsie Bitsie, opened up last March.
For the uninitiated, Itsie Bitsie may be a little bit of a puzzle to reach. Although the shop window, giving a tantalising peek of Itsie Bitsie's wares, is slap bang opposite the Central-Midlevels escalator, to crack into the shop you need to navigate back down to street level, head through a gated doorway and up a grubby staircase in an old Chinese walk-up building. Believe me though, it's more than worth the effort.
As you enter the little boutique space, you're greeted by rail after rail of gorgeous bikinis, one pieces, kaftans, and maxi-dresses - a veritable Aladdin's Cave of all things beachy. Coming in an eye-popping kaleidoscope of colours with a cut and style to suit every body type, each piece is designed to be as flattering and comfortable as possible. Owner and designer, Cristina Wilkinson is usually on hand to help you find your perfect beach essentials and having lived in Hong Kong for several years, she's been on enough junks, beaches and exotic holidays to know exactly what she's talking about.
Have a mini-me in tow? Itsie Bitsie has recently also added super-cute baby Kaftans to the range. And as Victoria Beckham and Harper have taught us, its very important for Mummy and baby to match - better pick up the full-size version while you're there too...
So, if you're heading to Hong Kong shortly, I suggest that you sneakily go and remove your bikini and kaftan from the case and what a coincidence to find when you arrive that there's a whole shop worth of Itsie Bitsie gorgeousness just waiting to fill the gap!

www.itsiebitsie.com/
1/F, 45 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
+852 6871 0201
Google map: bit.ly/U40O0X

* Natalie is our local for Hong Kong. You can read all about her here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/hong-kong-local-natalie-robinson.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/natalierobinson
She also has her own blog at: www.3badmice.com/

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For a hidden and secret spot which will allow you to enjoy the best views over the souks of the old Medina of Tunis and the mosque of Ezzitouna for free, you need to leave the tourist trail and delve right into the heart of the souks. Only a few shops in the souks provide access to their rooftops from which you will be able to enjoy these views, you will have to specifically ask the shop owners if you can get to the roof. The rooves themselves are something to experience, with their intricate tiling and magnificent blue and white colours. From here the whole Medina can be seen with its labyrinth of small covered streets,its myriad of colours and sounds, all against the backdrop of the Ezzitouna mosque "Minaret". The best views are available from one particular shop in the Souk "El Kachachine".

Here's how to get here: head to the Souks of the old Medina, ask any taxi to take you to the "Kasba" square in the centre of Tunis, which is the main government square. Head down to the jeweller's souk (called "Souk El Birka"), coming from the "Kasba" square behind you,and follow this street right in,with the prime minister's office (the actual "Kasba") on your left. Right at the end of this street, you will find a perpendicular covered street which marks the beginning of the "Souk El Kachachine", with its carpet shops. Turn left down this covered street, and you will find on your right the biggest shop on the street selling crafts, carpets and traditional Tunisian artefacts (you cannot miss it). Enter this shop, and ask to visit the rooftop. You climb two flights of stairs, and once you reach the top, you will be able to enjoy clear views of the whole Medina, and especially the Ezzitouna Minaret. Take loads of photos!

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Situated right in the heart of literary Dublin (within a stone’s throw of Trinity College’s Lincoln Place entrance), Sweny’s Pharmacy is known to James Joyce experts as the chemist where Leopold Bloom from Ulysses goes to have a special lotion made, takes a look around the products displayed on the shelves and buys a bar of lemon soap. The shop welcomed its first customers in 1853 and was still up and running until 2009 when it was forced to face the prospect of closure. Thankfully, a group of volunteers decided to breathe new life into the premises and these days it doubles as a small bookshop, a venue for cultural events – most prominently for readings of Joyce’s works, as well as a place where you can browse and buy vintage jewellery and the famous soap, as mentioned in Ulysses:
“Mr. Bloom raised a cake to his nostrils. Sweet lemony wax. I’ll take this one, he said.”
The lemon soap has a zesty scent and makes for an unusual souvenir.
The book collection includes mainly second-hand books as well as Irish literature, history and politics. The shop has been preserved to look exactly as it did on Bloomsday in 1904 and is open late on Thursdays for readings.

www.sweny.ie/
1 Lincoln Place, Dublin 2
+ 353 (0)86 050 7995
Google map: bit.ly/PUav5q

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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The name is not a reference to the gutter press, but refers instead to that uplifting Oscar Wilde quote “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” The Gutter Bookshop is an independent bookshop situated in the Cow’s Lane area of Dublin’s popular Temple Bar. The owners of The Gutter have set out to offer something a little bit different than you’ll find in the bigger bookshop chains and they even run a book club that promises many lively discussions. Those buying for younger readers will find the childrens’ section is especially well-stocked.

www.gutterbookshop.com
Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin
+353 (0) 1 6799206
Google map: bit.ly/RcoMVz

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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The Winding Stair may be famous for being one of Dublin’s best restaurants, but the bookshelves downstairs are by no means a novelty feature. Out front, this bookshop sells new titles while the smaller part at the back is home to second-hand books. It takes its name from a collection of poems by William Butler Yeats as well as the slightly crooked staircase that leads to some of Dublin's best cuisine. The bookshop's location is as Dublin as it gets, overlooking the Liffey with picture postcard views of the Ha'penny Bridge. Since the 1970s and 1980s it has been a meeting place for writers, musicians and artists and a backdrop for poetry, films and stories.
It is also home to a wide selection of books and also hard-to-find titles that are not normally stocked in the larger chains.
Tea and coffee are served in the window overlooking the Liffey. If you're in no rush to leave, you can even treat yourself to a glass of wine and enjoy a leisurely read.

www.winding-stair.com/
40 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland.
(+ 353) 1 8726576
Google map: bit.ly/OgjxF6

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Bikya is a cafe, bookstore and arts venue that manages to balance a relaxed atmosphere with being cool and quirky.
The books are all second-hand and are a real mix between the dusty old and the hardbacked new. The contrast between the modern decoration and traditional building is where the 'quirky' comes in to it, and the varied seating means you can have a brief visit or browse more leisurely while you grab something from the cafe.
Bikya occaisionally hosts live music, but also exhibits the work of local artists on the walls, and you can buy CDs and locally crafted products.
There are two branches of Bikya, one downtown and the other in the southern suburb of Maadi.

23 Dr. Zaky Hassan St.، NASR CITY، Nasr City, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
+20 2 24046688
Google map: bit.ly/PxjVUc

Bikya (new Maadi branch)
40 El Hadeyek Street (off Road 9, near McDonalds)
Nearest Metro: Sayarat El Maadi


* Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her homepage is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip

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