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I checked out a baseball match at Shea Stadium (Queens/Flushing). Home of the Mets, the stadium is due for demolition next year when they move to the Citi field being built next door. It was a good occasion although I know next to nothing about baseball!
The tickets we brought were $39, and it wasn’t a bad view. There are $25 tickets much further back in the stands.
Edgar Street, home of Hereford United, is a great day out. OK, so it's certainly not Old Trafford or the Emirates, but it shows true history as the team has grown and excelled in recent years as well as being the location of their famous FA Cup giant-killing of Newcastle United in 1972.
A day out watching Hereford United is great fun for the whole family and certainly doesn't cost as much as Premiership teams.
Edgar Street, Hereford
www.herefordunited.co.uk/
Watch a sumo tournament if you are visiting Tokyo in January, May or September. These are held at the impressive Kokugikan stadium, which seats over 13,000 spectators. Obtaining tickets is much more straightforward now thanks to the Internet - booking ahead is advisable, although sometimes there are a few tickets available on the day. A really impressive option is to book a Masu-seki, which is a boxed area for four people close to the ring itself. These cost ten times the amount charged for ordinary seats, but you are - quite literally - in the centre of the action. Take a train or taxi to Kokugikan (nearest underground is Kuramae). Stop en route and buy a bento box to eat whilst you’re there - much better than the food sold on site. Although the wrestling starts at 10am, aim to arrive in the early afternoon. The most important bouts take place between 4pm and 6pm, and there is a special closing ritual to cleanse the ring after these matches have finished, which is worth seeing.
Kuramea Kokugikan 2-1-9, Kuramae, Taito-Ku
Nearest underground - Kuramae
www.sumo.or.jp/eng
Fancy a swim? Believe it or not, you can swim outside in London. Shoreditch House – owned by Nick Jones, the man who brought us Soho House – is situated in east London and has a heated rooftop pool.
It also has a fabulous set of places to drink inside, an onsite bowling alley and a Cowshed spa. Very possibly the best place to chill out in the capital.
If you are visiting le Marche and fancy a real adrenaline rush and the most incredible views of the region, then head up to the Scoula di Volo (flying school) above Sarnano. They teach hangliding and parascending and launch from a wonderful meadow at about 1500metres. You can fly tandem with an instructor for €60. One of our crowd experienced a flight over a golden eagle exploiting the same thermal below them and didn't even have to pay extra! For stylish accommodation in the area try www.villasanraffaello.com
www.limanhouse.it
Near San Liberato Monastery 5km from Sarnano, Macerata, Marche
More than a rugby tournament. A four-day party.
Mid-end March each year.
Bear in mind that if you are entertaining a mixed group including locals, they will always be reluctant to be seen in public having too much of a good time anywhere where alcohol is obviously served, whatever their private feelings about it. A good solution to this problem is horse racing at Nad Al Sheba which happens on most Thursdays in the winter.
Patronised by the ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, horse racing is widely regarded as a good thing. It is enjoyed by all and there are a variety of corporate options provided by Dubai Racing Club which are cheaper than you would expect. Food and alcoholic drink is available to whoever wants it and the privacy of a box will be appreciated by locals.
Nad Al Sheba
www.dubairacingclub.com/
If you want to catch some sport on television go to Champions, a good bar in the Marriott hotel. Shows a lot of live sporting events like football, rugby etc. Popular with locals and expats alike.
Marriott hotel
It's an incredible medieval event, with the best choreography ever. Watch it from a private balcony or window (you won't see very much otherwise). Unforgettable!
Arezzo, June 21st and September 7
eventsinitaly@gmail.com
In Italy, the blackmarket football merchandise is the more frequently available - even outside stadiums! The handiest store is at Piazza Colonna on the left as you walk north on Via del Corso. It is also a ticket office for games in the Stadio Olimpico but make sure to bring your passport for ID.
Google Map: tinyurl.com/5dvzf8
As the security restrictions have made it almost impossible to buy tickets online in advance of your trip to Milan - try this! You can purchase the tickets through Tonino who meets you in person at the no.67 ticket office on the north of the stadium. The service charge is around ten euro per ticket but in fairness it's better than getting one from a tout as the tickets are legitimately purchased through the club with your name on them. Made my recent trip over for the Milan derby possible.
A shoe store with the trendiest and best made shoes I've ever worn! Models designed after 50s sport shoes. Great colour combinations, and made by hand! The owner told me he sells most of the shoes and sneakers in Denmark and Japan. They have a museum with tons of 40s and 50s sport shoes.
Gurruchaga y Gorriti
Palermo, Buenos Aires
www.28sport.com
The Douz Festival is based on an ancient Bedouin gathering when Saharan tribes met to trade and, legend has it, to marry off their daughters. Instead, today, the Saharan Bedouins compete in camel, horse and dog races, folklore performances and traditional plays. Their backdrop is the 150-mile salt lake of Chott El Ferid, which set the scene for the film, The English Patient and the golden sand dunes that were a setting for Star Wars.
Walk about, listen to bands from competing tribes, ride a camel called Mustapha, attend a busy market and eat fresh fish, such as red snapper, sea bass, bream, grouper, red mullet, tuna and prawns. The sweet baklava is to die for.
Being probably the best local radio in Denmark. Aarhus Studenterradio offers you the opportunity to live, hear and feel the vibes of the exciting bohemian city of Aarhus. With a bold mix of the brilliant upcoming local music scene of Aarhus and the voices of their top-of-the-line radio dj talents, Aarhus studenterradio delivers the best and most convincing listening experience available in northern Europe. Forget your iPod and your vintage vinyl collection - this is the real deal and the voice of tomorrow!
You can find Aarhus Studenterradio by tuning your radio into 98.7FM - every weekday from 8-9 in the morning and again from 7-10 in the evening
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa is a recently fitted-out hotel who are offering Grand National Accommodation packages for 2008. Many hotels in Liverpool are booked up but this one seems to have a number of packages still available.
I've added an article on my website about going to watch a football match in Bilbao, a great alternative to the Bernabeu in Madrid or Barcelona's Camp Nou.
La Sella is a really upmarket golf resort on the Costa Blanca. It's at a small place called Jesus Pobre, which is about half-way between Valencia and Alicante. If you're looking for a really luxurious resort that genuinely specialises in golf, then you wouldn't go far wrong with this place.
It's not cheap and it's full of Brits, but the standard of service you receive is second to none. It's got a five-star hotel, holiday apartments, lots of restaurants, and a course that was apparently designed by Olazabal.
c/Alqueria de Ferrando,
03749 Jesus Pobre,
Espana
+34 96 645 4054
www.lasellaresort.co.uk
British bar/pub, the best place in Chengdu to watch sports (rugby, footy, cricket, boxing, whatever is on satellite) and a civilised place to have a few beers, relax, and chat.
Chill out on the sofa, natter at the bar, sup in the barbershop chairs. Excellent Brit memorabilia, from footy programmes to classic photos of celebs, and the staggeringly artistic screwdriver on the wall.
Also check out the quote of the day on the blackboard. Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Tiger, German lagers, a tasty range of cocktails. Occasional dancing ensues.
Open afternoon until as early as necessary.
Kehua Jie No. 19 / 科华街19号
30°37'32.96"N 104° 4'37.82"E
On the first floor (second floor for non-Brits) opposite the WoWo minimart on KeHuaJie, near the south gate of Sichuan Uni, so ask the taxi driver for ChuanDa NanMen. Just down the street from Cafe Paname, and next to some good local and Korean restaurants.
This bowling alley is rather hidden away, but it's worth finding. Unlike the large chains, it's got a really friendly atmosphere and the people there really know about bowling. It also has a well stocked bar and serves a good pint of Guinness.
Unit 1/Bawtry Road
Selby
North Yorkshire
Y08 8NA
www.bowlnfun.co.uk
A museum of everything red! See stuff from the start of Liverpool Football Club's history, funny old kit, a HUGE trophy room, a model of the first ground and pictures of the original Kop. See the Shankly Gates and be photographed by his statue, respect the Hillsborough memorial and see the ground (the tour guides are great). The ground won't be there much longer. Sit where Owen sat or kneel by Gerrard's seat in the changing rooms. Respect!
A true Red doesn't need to ask! Get a taxi or walk (about 40 minutess) from the city centre. Alternately, shout out "Anfield" and God will part the clouds and point to it for you!
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